The skinny kid from Murrumbateman turned ACT Brumbies great added another prize to his glittering career when he was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Melbourne last night.

It was the perfect reward for a player who won a World Cup, Super Rugby titles, Bledisloe Cups, the Tri Nations and was one of the greatest five-eighths in world rugby for a decade.

Larkham's contribution to the Brumbies and Wallabies was recognised when - with rugby league immortal Andrew Johns and supercoach Wayne Bennett next to him - he was named one of eight new members of the Hall of Fame.

Adam Gilchrist, rower James Tomkins, Olympic cyclist Kathy Watt, former South Melbourne Australian rules player and international cricketer Laurie Nash and sports administrator Malcolm Speed were also inducted.

Larkham might have felt awkward, but his former teammate Joe Roff said it was a fitting reward ''for the man who changed the way flyhalves played''.

''He was instrumental in creating a golden era for Australian rugby. He reshaped how a No. 10 plays and he's been a template for flyhalves … he was ahead of his time,'' Roff said.

''He was a confrontational, physical, hard tackling, hard-running No. 10 with the classic skills.''

Larkham joins his former halves partner and fellow Brumbies great George Gregan, and retired Wallabies skipper John Eales as players from his era in the Hall of Fame.

Larkham led Australia to a World Cup triumph in 1999 in Cardiff and guided the Brumbies to titles in 2001 and 2004.

Despite retiring at the end of 2009, Brumbies coach Jake White tried to coax Larkham back to the field this year when the club lost two playmakers to season-ending injuries.

Larkham briefly entertained the idea of a ''fairytale'' Super Rugby comeback.

But when he played in a veteran's tournament in Hawaii two weeks ago, Larkham joked that being added to the Hall of Fame meant he couldn't return to the field.

''This is supposed to be it, isn't it? If I play maybe they'll take it off me,'' he said.

''It's nice, but it's a little bit awkward in terms that I've always played a team sport and in rugby you rely on all the guys around you and that contributes to your individual success.

''It was a good ride, we had good teams during that period. I'm very proud of everything I've done and I'm sure my family is as well.''

■ LONDON Olympic gold medallist Sally Pearson capped a landmark year by being recognised as the sportsperson of the year at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame induction and award dinner in Melbourne last night.

Pearson, who under enormous expectations won the 100 metres hurdles in London and was named world athlete of the year with Usain Bolt last year, was awarded ''The Don'', named after the inaugural inductee Sir Donald Bradman.

The other finalists for the award were fellow London Olympic medallists Anna Meares (cycling), Tom Slingsby (sailing), Jessica Fox (canoe slalom), Paralympian Jacqueline Freney and surfing champion Stephanie Gilmore.