It may have been a disastrous result for Narrabri Eagles on the field last Saturday.
However it was certainly positive off-field for the club, picking up multiple awards in the Tamworth AFL Gillies Medal Award night.
Eagles coach Todd Dunn grabbed the competition’s ‘Coach of the Year’ award for his outstanding work in lifting the club to two consecutive finals series in the last two seasons.
Dunn also added the ‘Volunteer of the Year’ award on the night.
After cracking the TAFL’s all-star representative side young gun Zac Lauritsen was named as the TAFL’s Rising Star for the year.
It was a big coup for the Year 12 Narrabri High School student, after enjoying an impressive season with the Eagles side.
It was a day to forget on the field, with Eagles letting slip a one-point difference in the first quarter.
A couple of injuries to some key players during the clash added to the visiting Eagles woes.
That blew out to a sizable gain for the Saints, who now have been handed a big momentum-booster ahead of their knockout semi final next Saturday.
Last weekend’s win in Gunnedah ensured the Saints would be hosting the semi, as both sides were equal on the ladder before taking the field on Saturday.
The Eagles will now head to Inverell for a hostile reception this weekend at Varley Oval.
Eagles golden boot hopeful, Todd Fagan, was unfortunately sidelined during the game meaning he missed out on claiming this year’s award.
That instead went to New England Nomads captain-coach Zac Economou.
Inverell’s Hayden Chappel won the Gillies Medal for best and fairest during Saturday’s presentation night.
Source: The Courier, Thursday 3rd September, 2015