23 from 2023: Rising stars, racing bolter and wave rider crack top 15 of The West’s best of 2023

As we head towards the new year, The West Australian is counting down our 23 sports stars of 2023. In this list, we shine a light on the high-flyers, the quiet achievers, the locals who have dominated at home and those who have put their name up in lights on the international stage. We continue our countdown with 15-11 of our biggest sports stars of the year. 15. Charlotte Thomas (AFLW) For West Coast’s AFLW side, it was a year as tough as they come. They only just avoided the wooden spoon and their coach resigned after a string of controversies. But Charlotte Thomas was a shining light. The defender emerged as a rival to Ella Roberts and Emma Swanson as their best player and won a maiden All-Australian blazer — the first in club history. Playing mostly down back but with pinch-hits up the ground, she averaged a career-high 17.4 disposals and 4.2 marks and 307.7 metres-gained. How new coach Daisy Pearce gets the very best out of her gun 20-year-old will be crucial to their build. 14. Caleb Serong (AFL) It is hard to believe Fremantle vice-captain Caleb Serong finished only his fourth season in the AFL this year. The hard-nosed midfielder produced a career-best season, averaging a remarkable 31 disposals, five tackles, eight clearances and five inside 50s to easily win the Doig Medal as the Dockers’ best-and-fairest. The 22-year-old also claimed his first All-Australian blazer after being named on the bench, as well as claiming the Herald Sun Player of the Year award and the ABC’s Geoff Christian Medal. 13. Brodie Kostecki (Supercars) If Brodie Kostecki enjoyed flying under the radar in his home state, then he could be in for a shock after winning his maiden Supercars championship. The WA-bred star had a breakout season in 2022 and then stole the whole show this year. Driving for Erebus, he took the title to the wire against superstar Shane Van Gisbergen, and despite holding the lead for much of the season, it came down to the second last race for Kostecki to confirm his triumph. He also finished second at the storied Mount Panorama after leading for large parts of the race. 12. Jack Robinson (surfing) Jack Robinson started his year by winning at Pipeline. Then he didn’t fall off the podium in his next two events and hit his home break as the tour leader and the reigning champion at the Margaret River Pro. He snagged another victory in Tahiti by the time the year was out and finished fifth on the World Surf League’s tour rankings after a season which involved a series of battles with Brazilian star Joao Chianca. The 26-year-old now enters 2024 with five championship wins and one of the best surfers on the tour. The Margaret River hero also capped 2023 by becoming a father for the first time just days before Christmas. 11. Jai Hindley (cycling) A year after becoming the first ever Australian to win the Giro d’Italia, and just the second Aussie to win a grand tour after Cadel Evans, expectations were high for the northern suburbs product in 2023. The 2022 WA Sports Star of the Year did not disappoint as he experienced a gruelling debut Tour de France, marked by turbulence and success in equal respect. Hindley opened the week by winning stage five in his opening week, but his chances of a famous overall victory were scuppered by a crash in stage 14. Hindley ploughed on undeterred and eventually finished seventh overall, a fine effort in his first major French campaign.

23 from 2023: Rising stars, racing bolter and wave rider crack top 15 of The West’s best of 2023

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