Raiders coach Ricky Stuart and club legend Alan Tongue have been announced as finalists for the ACT Australian of the Year award.

Stuart has been recognised for his advocacy for children with autism. Stuart’s foundation, The Ricky Stuart Foundation, was setup in 2011 with the goal of one day setting up a facility to help autistic children. The goal was achieved this year, with the opening of world-class Ricky Stuart House in Canberra.

Former Raiders captain and 220 game legend for the club, Alan Tongue, has been selected as a finalist for his youth mentoring and work combating family violence. Tongue created the Aspire program in 2014 to rehabilitate young people and equip them with life skills to make positive choices. The program has since expanded to include prisoners at the Alexander Maconochie Centre and disengaged youth in Canberra’s schools.

Tongue also partnered with Barnardos, travelling throughout the ACT and New South Wales, to teach young people how to build healthy and respectful relationships in a bid to tackle domestic violence.

The ACT Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Local Hero Award recipients will be announced on Monday 31 October 2016 at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra.

The ACT Award recipients will then join recipients from all other States and Territories as finalists for the national awards, which will be held in Canberra on 25 January 2017.

The full list of 2017 ACT Award finalists are:

2017 ACT AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR

Katrina Fanning – Community leader (Farrer)

Jessica May – Disability advocate (North Lyneham)

Ricky Stuart – Advocate for children with autism (Yarralumla)

Alan Tongue – Youth mentor and educator (Canberra)

2017 ACT SENIOR AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR

Judith McLeod – Community volunteer (Weetangera)

Wendy Rainbird – Environmental champion (Canberra)

Terry Snow AM – Philanthropist (Deakin)

Dick Telford – Sports Scientist (Forrest)

2017 ACT YOUNG AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR

Alpha Cheng – Humanitarian (Barton)

Heidi Prowse – Cystic Fibrosis champion (Hackett)

Rachael Stevens – Mental health advocate (Holder)

Caterina Sullivan – Sustainable development activist (O’Connor)

2017 ACT LOCAL HERO

David Boddy – Community champion (Chapman)

Stasia Dabrowski OAM – Soup kitchen volunteer (Canberra)

Tash Maguire – Childhood cancer crusader (Marchment)

Marg Peachey – Wildlife warrior (Kambah)

Ricky Stuart is exclusively managed by The Fordham Company.