I’m afraid I cannot compete with social media in terms of speed. In fact, I’m not even on Facebook.
But, just for the record, here are this season’s major award winners, which everybody already knows about.
Joel Stone was the NPL Tasmania Best & Fairest and fully deserved the accolade.
He polled 18 votes, 2 ahead of Glenorchy Knights’ Alex Walter.
South Hobart’s Koby Kemp was third with 11 votes, while Brody Denehey (Devonport), Taylor Nielsen (Riverside Olympic), Raphael Reynolds (Devonport) and Nick Mearns (Olympia) were next with 10 votes each.
I didn’t get to see Devonport many times this season, but in that final game against Glenorchy Knights he was superb and I can see why he won.
His skills are first-class and at times he can be unplayable. Add that cheeky grin, and he really is a star radiating with confidence.
Stone was unable to come to Hobart to receive the award and his team-mate, goalkeeper Dr Nathan Pitchford, collected it for him.
Pitchford and Glenorchy Knights’ goalkeeper Lachlan Hart were joint winners of the “Golden Glove Award, given ti the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets. Both had six.
Alex Walter from Glenorchy Knights won the Golden Boot Award as the NPL Tasmania top scorer with 13 goals, and he also won the prestigious Players’ Player-of-the-Year Award, voted on by his peers.
Kasper Hallam of South Hobart won the Rising Star Award in the NPL Tasmania competition.
James Sherman, coach of Glenorchy Knights, the team that finished second in the NPL and won the Lakoseljac Cup, was named as the NPL Tasmania Coach-of-the-Year.
Bottom Photo: James Sherman received his NPL Coach-of-the-Year Award from Andrew Wilkie MHR [PlessPix]
In the Women’s Super League, Bridie Cooling of South Hobart won the Rising Star Award, while Olympia goalkeeper Jenna Farrow won the Golden Glove Award.
Olympia’s Innocent Michael won the WSL Players’ Player-of-the-Year Award and team-mate Bonnie Davies won the Golden Boot Award for her amazing 30 goals for the 15-game season.
There you go. Better late than never.
*****
Two of the game’s big names have called it quits as coaches.
Andrew Leszczynski (New Town White Eagles) and Brett Pullen (Beachside) have retired after coaching in the second-tier Southern Championship.
Both men were top-class players in their day.
Leszczynski was a star with White Eagles in their halcyon days in the 1980s and early 1990s, while Pullen played for two seasons in the old NSL, the precursor of the A-League, with West Adelaide Hellas.
After a stint in the navy, Pullen returned to Tasmania and played for Caledonians, Hobart Juventus and Beachside.
Leszczynski and Pullen put their tremendous playing experience to good use as coaches and there are many young players who owe both men a great deal.
I hope they won’t be lost to the game and will take up new roles in football.
4 comments:
Thanks Walter!! Any women's or Southern Comp Results to follow?
Anonymous 2:57pm, none that I know of. I haven't heard a thing abut the Vic Tuting Medal or any other awards.
Im surprised there are no plaudits for Dreamer and Brett. I coached against Brett for a few years and to watch how his players went about their work was great. Im also blessed to have played with him at masters level. I wish you well.
Andrew is part of a dynasty that ive also had the joy of playing with at masters. I remember my time at Eagles with much fondness. The brothers were always there imparting their knowledge.I wish you well dreamer.
Walter, as someone who does not have Facebook or any other social media, I look to your site each week and the stories that you publish to keep myself updated.
I even come here to find out who is playing when.
I think that I have read every single story on your site for at least the past 5 years.
I wish that you would post more but I know that time is always an issue with not only posting the stories but researching and writing them.
If you ever stop, I don't know what I will do.
So in saying that, keep up the good work.
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