New members of Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame

The Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame inducted 2 new members in 2025, a motor sport legend and a northern Tasmania rower.

Brendan Long

Brendan Long of Launceston, Tasmania, built a distinguished career as one of Australia’s leading scullers, with his Olympic journey defining his legacy. Growing up along the Tamar River, he began rowing at age 12 with St Patrick's College and developed his talent at the Tamar Rowing Club, where he remained throughout his career. By 1998, he was stroking Tasmania’s youth eight, launching a competitive trajectory that would lead to two Olympic Games.

Between 1999 and 2009, Long became a dominant force at the Australian Rowing Championships, winning eight national sculling titles, including multiple victories in the double and quad sculls. His international career began at the 1999 U23 World Rowing Championships, and in 2001 he achieved a Bronze medal in the U23 Quadruple Scull in Linz, Austria, while also competing at the senior World Championships in Lucerne. In 2003, he narrowly missed the podium with a fourth-place finish in the Quadruple Scull at the senior World Championships in Milan.

Long’s Olympic debut came at Athens 2004 in the men’s double sculls, finishing 12th with partner Peter Hardcastle. After a brief break, he returned for Beijing 2008—his career highlight. Racing in the men’s quad sculls with Christopher Morgan, James McRae, and Daniel Noonan, the crew set a world-record time of 5:36.20 in the heats, an Olympic best that stood until 2020. They finished a close fourth in the final, just shy of a medal.

After retiring, Long turned to coaching at the Tasmanian Institute of Sport and later Scotch Oakburn College, where he now guides young rowers.

Brendan Long a worthy inductee into the Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame.

Marcos Ambrose

Following in the footsteps of his father, Marcos Ambrose began racing karts at the age of ten becoming a four-time state junior karting champion as well as Australian Karting Champion in 1995.

In 1996 Ambrose moved to Formula Ford finishing second in the Australian Formula Ford Championships in 1997. In 1998 Ambrose moved to Europe for a three-year stint competing in British Formula Ford winning the European Formula Ford Championship in 1999.

After returning to Australia the transition to Supercars was highlighted by rookie of the year honours in 2001 and a stunning Mt Panorama pole position at the Bathurst 1000 driving for the Stone Brothers Racing.

A dedicated Ford racer Ambrose made 147 V8 Supercar starts in Falcons for 66 podium finishes and 28 victories including consecutive Championships, impressively going back-to-back in 2003 and 2004 also winning the coveted Barry Sheene Medal in both years.

And one goal was to pursue a dream of racing and winning in the USA’s unique and high-profile motorsport series, NASCAR.

That dream became a reality on the back of a supremely successful career in V8 Supercars.

The American journey and a steep learning curve started in 2006.

After three Nationwide series race wins Ambrose achieved his goal of an historic NASCAR victory in 2011 at the Watkins Glen road course, which he repeated in 2012.

After nine years in America, Ambrose stepped back from racing in early 2015 after a brief return to Supercars with DJR Team Penske.

Marcos Ambrose a worthy addition to the Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame.