More than seventy of Australia's most revered sporting figures have united in an extraordinary demand for a federal royal commission, following the nation's deadliest terrorist attack at Bondi Beach.
A Call for Decisive National Leadership
In a powerful open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the coalition of past and present champions declared the nation is facing a crisis that demands urgent and unified action. The group, which spans generations and sports, insists the government must demonstrate "decisive national leadership" to confront extremism and terrorism.
"Today, we cannot stay silent," the letter states. "This is not the Australia we represented." The signatories argue that the current review led by former spy chief Dennis Richardson into security agency actions on the day of the attack is insufficient. They are calling for a broader Commonwealth royal commission specifically examining anti-Semitism, radicalisation, and the events leading to the Bondi massacre on 14 December 2025.
An Unprecedented Coalition of Champions
The list of signatories reads like a who's who of Australian sport. Olympic swimming champions Ian Thorpe and Dawn Fraser have added their names alongside canoe slalom gold medallist Jessica Fox and AFL legend Leigh Matthews.
Tennis greats Lleyton Hewitt and Pat Rafter, hockey gold medallist Nova Peris, surfing world champion Mick Fanning, and former cricket captain Michael Clarke have also endorsed the statement. The AFL community is heavily represented, with figures like Wayne Carey, Chris Judd, current stars Isaac Heeney and Scott Pendlebury, and coaches Alastair Clarkson and Luke Beveridge all signing.
"As sporting leaders, we understand that leadership matters, especially when values are tested," they wrote. "This is a national crisis, and it demands a national response. This is bigger than politics. It is about the character of our country."
Dawn Fraser's Scathing Rebuke
In a particularly forceful comment, swimming icon Dawn Fraser expressed shame at the nation's leadership. "As one of the most senior Australian athletes who has competed under the Australian flag, I am ashamed of this country's leaders in how they have dealt with the atrocities," Fraser said.
She condemned the treatment of the Jewish community, stating, "What they have let the Jewish community endure over the past few years is deplorable and not what people that choose to live in this country deserve." Fraser pledged her full support for the letter and vowed to stand with the Jewish community.
The sporting legends' statement extends deepest sympathy to the families of the fifteen victims lost in the Bondi atrocity, including 10-year-old Matilda. They argue the attack was not an isolated event, but the culmination of more than two years of escalating extremism and unchecked radicalisation within Australia.
With the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games on the horizon, the group warns that the world's eyes will be on Australia. They assert that public safety, the integrity of shared spaces, and the values the nation projects have never been more critical.
The letter concludes with an urgent plea: "A royal commission is the most credible and unifying pathway to understanding what went wrong, ensuring accountability, restoring social harmony and taking Australia forward with a meaningful, practical plan of action." They implore the nation's leaders to act with both urgency and moral clarity, stating the future cohesion of Australia depends on it.
