The display, featuring Margaret Court, Haydn Bunton and Lauren Jackson, was originally withdrawn from the public in 2002 when Lavington Panthers underwent a refurbishment.

A consultants’ report commissioned by Albury Council has recommended the proposal is not feasible.

The Albury railway station, library-museum, Wodonga railway station, Albury sports stadium, Lavington Panthers, Gateway Island and Albury Art Gallery were all investigated as possible homes.

“The report wasn’t done with a pre-determined outcome and we were prepared to run with the recommendations,” Albury councillor and Sports Albury chairman Henk van de Ven said.

“It’s not feasible on the grounds of the cost associated with running an organisation like this and would never be a stand-alone type tourist attraction.

“Unfortunately it just doesn’t stack up.

“We have a couple of very big sporting icons from this area, but every area has their sporting heroes.

“Does the rest of Australia really care?”

The Albury-Wodonga Hall of Fame began with 40 sportsmen and women initially inducted before more were added up until the early 2000s.

Cr van de Ven said local sporting bodies should preserve their own history.

“It is important each one of these organisations are aware of the fact they should maintain their history, but it shouldn’t be council’s responsibility,” he said.

“It would need a full-time staffer plus somebody to relieve and that alone is $50,000 to start with.

“I can’t see it generating that sort of attendance and we do recognise our sporting icons in rotating displays at the library-museum.”

Albury-Wodonga Hall of Fame founder Graeme Hicks vowed to fight on.

“They have to be combined with something else to make it work and it was never a plan to set up on its own,” he said.

“The search goes on and you never say never.

“Sport is part of the Australian culture.”