Glenorchy Knights hold their 2020 awards night

Photo:  The evening was held at Blundstone Arena [Photo by Lisa Creese and provided  courtesy of Glenorchy Knights]
 

Glenorchy Knights held their 2020 awards night at Blundstone Arena last Saturday night.

Striker Alex Walter was the big winner, snaring four major awards  -  the top goalscorer award, the most improved senior player award, the players' player-if-the-year award and the best and fairest award for the senior NPL side.

Photo:  Alex Walter with the Milan Lakoseljac Top Goalscorer Award [Photo by Lisa Creese and provided courtesy of Glenorchy Knights]
 

Former star goalkeeper of the 1970s, Rodney Tattam, was made a life member.

Photo:  Rodney Tattam was made a Life Member [Photo by Lisa Creese and provided courtesy of Glenorchy Knights]
 

Josh Willie MLC, the Knights’ patron, was in attendance.  Mr Willie also delivered a speech in State Parliament on Tuesday, in which he outlined the club’s history, and mentioned topics such as the recent Lakoseljac Cup win, and the challenges of Covid in 2020.

Photo:  Josh Willie MHA presents the Billy Krawczyk Encouragement Award to goalkeeper Lachlan Hart [Photo by Lisa Creese and provided courtesy of Glenorchy Knights]
 

The Glenorchy Knights 2020 award winners were:

PERPETUAL TROPHIES

Billy Krawczyk Encouragement Award: Lachlan Hart

Milan Lakoseljac Top Goalscorer: Alex Walter 13 goals

Stipe Majic Most Improved Senior Player: Alex Walter

Michael Furjanic Senior Best & Fairest: Alex Walter

Womens Outstanding Achievement: Chloe Wilton

Peter Huigsloot Most Dedicated Player: Josh Dingjan

Vin McKay Best Club Person: Ivica Bolonja 

Photo:  Oscar Thomas receives his Coach's Award from NPL coach James Sherman as Ivica Bolonja looks on [Photo by Losa Creese and provided courtesy of Glenorchy Knights]

 

Photo:  Alex Walter receiving the Michael Furjanic Senior Best & Fairest Award [Photo by Lisa Creese and provided courtesy of Glenorchy Knights]

 NPL TASMANIA

Players Player: Alex Walter

Coaches Award: Oscar Thomas 

Photo:  Glenorchy Knights NPL side [Photo by Lisa Creese and provided courtesy of Glenorchy Knights]
 

CHAMPIONSHIP

Best & Fairest: Josh Burgess

Players Player: Josh Burgess

Coaches Award: Harrison Huigsloot 

Photo:  Glenorchy Knights Championship 1 side [Photo by Lisa Creese and provided courtesy of Glenorchy Knights]
 

CHAMPIONSHIP 1

Best & Fairest: Rowan Heggie

Players Player: Henry Lush

Coaches Award: Tobi Taiwo 

Photo:  Glenorchy Knights Women's team [Photo by Lisa Creese and provided courtesy of Glenorchy Knights]

WOMEN"S CHAMPIONSHIP 2

Top Goalscorer: Kimberley Browning 25 goals

Players Player: Lara Hooper

Coaches Award: Danielle Duffin

CHAMPIONSHIP 6

Best & Fairest: Milan Cacic

Players Player: Michael Kerschbaum

Coaches Award: Robert Huigsloot

Photo:  The Glenorchy Knights committee [Photo by Lisa Creese and provided courtesy of Glenorchy Knights]
 

Photo:  Glenorchy Knights president Paul Woodham addresses the gathering [Photo y Lisa Creese and provided courtesy of Glenorchy Knights]

Photo:  Attendees at the awards presentation evening [Photo by Lisa Creese and provided courtesy of Glenorchy Knights]

2020 Awards, and two stars of the game call it a day as coaches

Photo:  Joel Stone was in imperious form this season [PlessPix]
 

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.

Photo:  Nathan Pitchford collects Joel Stone's award from Andrew Wilkie MHR [PlessPix]
 

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.

Photo:  Nathan Pitchford (left) and Lachlan Hart (right) collect their Golden Glove awards from Joshua Willie MHA [PlessPix]

Photo:  Alex Walter receives his awards from Andrew Wilkie MHR [PlessPix]

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.

Top Photo:  Kasper Hallam received his Rising Star Award from Rob Valentine [PlessPix]

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.

Photo:  Bridie Cooling with her Rising Star Award presented by Rob Valentine [PlessPix]

Photo:  Jenna Farrow was presented with her award by Michael O'Byrne MHA [PlessPix]

Photo:  Innocent Michael received her award from Michael O'Byrne MHA [PlessPix]

Photo:  Bonnie Davies and her award, presented by Michael O'Byrne MHA [PlessPix]

There you go.  Better late than never.

*****

Photo:  Andrew Leszczynski takes his seat on the White Eagles bench during a game this year [PlessPix]
 

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.

Photo:  Brett Pullen conducting a Beachside training session [PlessPix]
 

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.