John Aloisi became an instant national hero when his final penalty sent the Socceroos to the 2006 World Cup.
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(1) Steven Bradbury wins a most-unexpected gold
The accidental hero appeared to have been eliminated in the quarters of the 1000m skating at the 2002 Winter Games. But a disqualification saw him progress to a semi-final, where a fall of three competitors sent him through to an unlikely place in the final. Few could believe it when all Bradbury's rivals fell at the last corner of the final to hand the Aussie the gold.
(2) John Aloisi sends the Socceroos to the World Cup
After years of heartache, the Socceroos' World Cup hopes lay at the feet of John Aloisi. Aloisi's sweetly-struck penalty rifled into the top corner of the onion bag and the country celebrated wildly as Australia progressed to their first World Cup finals since 1974.
(3) Kieren Perkins takes 1500m gold
Somehow an exhausted, ill and unfit Perkins managed to qualify for the Aussie team and then scrape into the 1996 Olympic final in lane eight. In the final Perkins proved his champion qualities as he swan away from the field to claim a second successive Olympic gold.
(4) 'Our' Cathy Freeman wins Olympic gold
All Australia (and a large portion of the world) watched as the poster girl of the Sydney Olympics donned a space-age suit and lived up to the massive expectations by winning gold in the 400m.
(5) Australia II wins the Americas Cup
The four-races-to-three, come-from-behind victory broke a 132-year stranglehold and was celebrated from Perth to New York before being voted best team performance ever by the Australian Sports Hall of Fame.
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