COUNTRY ENERGY TAMWORTH AFL PRESENTATION NIGHT
On the 21st of August 2010, the annual Gillies Medal Count and Presentation Night of the Country Energy Tamworth Australian Football League was held at the Wests Leagues Club. About one hundred local footballers, officials and sponsors attended the night to see who would be named the Best and Fairest Player of 2010, and be awarded the Tony Gillies Medal in recognition of that performance.
The night opened with the presentation of the Gerry Griffiths Medal for the leading goal scorer to Mick Viney of the Inverell Saints. Mick was 25 goals clear of his nearest rival going into the final round, and despite kicking just one goal took his season’s tally to an impressive 64. This is the second year in succession that Mick has topped the League’s goal scoring sheet.
The votes for the first six rounds of the season were counted, with Gavin Knee of the Tamworth Swans taking an early lead with 12 votes from Corey Wheeler of Inverell on 9, Clinton Ballagh from the New England Nomads on 7 and 2008 Gillies Medallist Tim Cotter from the Tamworth Kangaroos on 6.
The Sporting Pulse Award was the next on the agenda, which is calculated based on the votes awarded by each team’s coach to his players on a weekly basis. This award often goes to a player that performs well for the team within the coach’s instructions, players that are at times not recognised by the umpires. In 2010, the award went to Paul Brown of the Gunnedah Bulldogs.
The next six rounds of votes was interposed with a presentation to the players selected to play for the Country Energy Tamworth AFL Power against AFL North Coast on the 12th of June 2010. After the first 12 rounds of votes had been tallied, Daune Shawcross from Narrabri took the lead on 15, with Clinton Ballagh and Gavin Knee on 12, and 2009 Gillies Medallist Sam Naismith from Gunnedah joining Corey Wheeler on 10.
The winner of the 2010 Golden Whistle as the most outstanding umpire in the League was then announced. Brett Douglas, absent on the night, was commended for a strong performance in the orange strip in 2010, and as a positive example of a former quality player taking up the challenge of umpiring.
The most promising first or second year player in the League is recognised by the Southern Cross 10 Rising Star. The award this year went to Michael Corcoran, a livewire across the midfield and half forward for the Inverell Saints.
With all bar the main award out of the way, the serious business of the final six rounds of votes was undertaken. With the vote close, the final round would decide the winner with Gavin Knee and Corey Wheeler both on 16 and Duane Shawcross on 15 with one match to play. And it took the final match to determine the matter, with Wheeler polling two for the Saints against Muswellbrook to go to 18 and be named the 2010 Tony Gillies Medallist.
Full count for the 2010 Tony Gillies Medal:
18: Corey Wheeler (Inverell)
16: Gavin Knee (Tamworth Swans)
15: Sam Naismith (Gunnedah), Duane Shawcross (Narrabri)
12: Clinton Ballagh (New England), Paul Brown (Gunnedah), Tim Cotter (Tamworth Kangaroos)
11: Mark Barrow (Narrabri), Clinton Blenman (Muswellbrook), Scott Hardy (Gunnedah)
8: Cameron Douglas (Tamworth Kangaroos), Weston Whitby (New England)
7: Daniel Johnson (Tamworth Kangaroos), Hamish Pearce (New England)
5: Michael Corcoran (Inverell), Jonathon Elphick (Inverell), Christopher Hayden (Gunnedah), Daniel Hughes (Narrbari), Luke Robinson (Tamworth Kangaroos), Damien Wendt (Tamworth Swans)
4: Mitchell Douglas (Tamworth Kangaroos), Simon Freer (Tamworth Swans), Johnathon Frost (New England), Matthew Maxwell (New England), Stewart Walker (Inverell), Thomas Williams (Inverell)
3: Travis Brown (Tamworth Swans), Andrew Irvine (Narrabri), Jarara Jackomos (Tamworth Swans), Joseph Kimmince (Inverell), Mark McLaughlin (Muswellbrook), Daniel Overeem (Tamworth Kangaroos), Mitchell Penberthy (Tamworth Kangaroos), Anthony Reid (New England), Paul Senior (Narrabri), Omphile Temoso (New England), Chris Whitton (Inverell)
2: Ashley Cruickshank (Tamworth Kangaroos), Andrew Donohue (Tamworth Swans), Josh Edwards (Gunnedah), Quinton Foxcroft (Muswellbrook), Samuel Kimmince (Inverell), Shaun Mansbridge (Inverell), Justin Mullane (Muswellbrook), Dean Patten (Narrabri), Clint Vessey (Narrabri)
1: Josef Atkinson (Tamworth Swans), Jackson Bower (Muswellbrook), Paul Bushby (Narrabri), Joseph Byrnes (Inverell), Jason Darcy (Tamworth Swans), Peter Dunlop (Inverell), Jason Gobbert (Inverell), Pat Lebreux (Gunnedah), Josh McKenzie (Tamworth Swans), William Priest (Tamworth Swans), Daniel Ray (Tamworth Kangaroos), Lachlan Rowling (Tamworth Swans), Adam Warner (Muswellbrook), Adrian Walsh (New England).
Last Modified on 06/03/2011 20:52