Tuesday night saw near on 500 fanatical AFL Sunshine Coast people gather at the University of the Sunshine Coast for the annual League Presentation Night of Nights. It is an evening of vote counting to attain competition Best and Fairest winners and leading goal kickers at each age level, whilst also and as importantly acknowledging the fantastic efforts of key club volunteers and officials.
The night started off with some fine words from League President David Ward who acknowledged the great support the League receives through its key sponsors: Sunshine Coast Radiology, Forty Winks, St Clair Sheetmetal, Love and Partners Chartered Accountants and Choices Maroochydore.
David also recognised our key media partners in Channel 7 Sunshine Coast, Hot91.1FM and the Sunshine Coast Daily. Rounding David’s words out he generously thanked all club committees and their officials and in turn his Management Committee for their wonderful commitment to Junior footy in 2012.
Recognition was also awarded to young Chris Richardson of Maroochydore, a 15 year old who has been involved with the Roos for 8 years. ‘Richo’ is battling Osteosarcoma, an aggressive form of bone cancer at present and has a lengthy rehabilitation in front of him following leg surgery. For more information and the wish to donate in support of Chris please visit his website www.chris.org.au. United in football, we all wish Chris the best.
For all age groups through our web based program ‘Footyweb’ which acts as the arbitrator we acknowledged the leading goal kickers in each age group.
In 2012 the following players were recognised for their prowess in front of the big sticks. All these players keenly acknowledged the great efforts of those further afield in feeding them the Sherrin.
Under 16 division 1 – Mark Braithwaite (Noosa), 51 goals
Under 16 division 2 – Luke Ainsworth (Coolum Beach), 54 goals
Both our 16s competition leading goal kickers had clear wins as they sat 16 and 11 goals respectfively ahead of their nearest straight shooter. For the Breakers Luke Ainsworth it was the second year in a row where he has topped the goal kicking table in his competition.
The vote count in these two competitions was generally tight across the top end of the leader’s board and indicated by the spread of votes that both competitions had a feast of quality talent take to the field each week.
In the division 2 competition the early progressive leader by one vote sitting on 7 votes was Nambour & Hinterland’s long time influential player and leader Zane Habermann. Four players hot on Zane’s heels with six votes were usual suspects in vote counts over the years; Glasshouse Hinterland’s ‘work horse’ Nathan McCombe, Gympie’s ‘never say never’ Jack Clouston and North Shore’s ‘strong men’ Jy Bennett and Daniel Ryan. Two votes back after four rounds was the big lad with the equally impressive big fro happening in Coolum Beach’s Liam Boyle.
To the leader board at the end of round 8 we saw the Blue’s Habermann extend his lead by five to sixteen votes with McCombe now sitting in second spot on eleven votes two votes clear of the rest of the pack.
The following three rounds as we looked at each round in detail saw Habermann gain three votes v Glasshouse Hinterland in round 9, one v North Shore in round ten and two votes in round 11 v Maroochydore. In these rounds to the completion of round 13 we saw McCombe only pick up a single vote and there joined by North Shores Daniel Ryan on twelve votes.
So with a healthy lead of ten votes, the under 16 division 2 competition moved into its final stanza of the season; rounds fourteen to seventeen. The crowd at this point knowing it would take a miracle for Habermann not to be crowned the Best & Fairest player in this competition.
Rounds 14 and 15 vote count came and went and no Habermann named in recognition by the umpires from these rounds. Over these rounds other Nambour & Hinterland players in Geordie Carson-Schultz and Jake Tickle were getting the BOG’s from the men in orange. In the meantime at Glasshouse Hinterland their McCombe nailed a two vote, whilst Coolum Beach’s Moyle and Luke McKinney were also in favour with the umpires receiving a BOG each.
Round 16 had Nambour up against their hinterland counterpart in Glasshouse, McCombe got the two votes but Habermann in gaining the one vote was now well and truly safe. Another Bog performance in round 17 for Coolum Beach’s Luke McKinney was enough for him to gain outright runner-up in a vote count that behind the clear winner Habermann ebbed and flowed.
This was a fitting finale to Zane’s junior football career, as a young fella he has played club footy longer than he cares to remember – I have no doubt way back then when you could he was participating as a five year old.
First: Zane Habermann (Nambour & Hinterland) 23 votes
Second: Luke McKinney (Coolum Beach) 17 votes
Third: Nathan McCombe (Glasshouse Hinterland) 16 votes
Fourth: Jy Bennett (North Shore) 15 votes
Fifth: Daniel Ryan (North Shore) 14 votes
Sixth: Liam Moyle (Coolum Beach) 13 votes
Seventh: Geordie Carson-Schultz (Nambour & Hinterland) 11 votes
Eighth:Adam Lillecrapp (Glasshouse Hinterland) 9 votes
Ninth: Caleb Reid (Maroochydore) 8 votes
Tenth: Jack Clouston (Gympie) 6 votes
Tenth: Che Weidman (Maroochydore) 6 votes
Tenth: Lochie Laing (Nambour & Hinterland) 6 votes
As is this time every year many players say goodbye to their Junior footy careers, in this division two competition many young men have been the rocks of their clubs over a long time and we thank them for such a fine contribution – to name a few (which is always dangerous) the AFLSCJ thank Zane Habermann, Nathan McCombe, Liam Moyle and Jack Clouston (among many others) for continually giving their all.
In all 310 players were registered in Under 16s this year, a far cry to ten years back when four teams would be it. This year 143 players ‘graduate’ so thanks to all those players and we wish you all the best over your senior footy careers.
A six team competition in the division one under 16s level was played strongly and in good spirit throughout the year, some teams were young but all fielding some quality players. Gympie in season 2012 took the challenge of participating at this top level and although along with a young Kawana Park team struggled for wins, we believe they played some quality football that will stand them in good stead for their footballing future.
With Sunday’s Grand Final in mind we certainly have two very strong teams taking to the field and many of the players who polled well at this level are from these teams.
Gympie’s Jack Clouston was the early clubhouse leader after four rounds as he took his division 2 Gympie votes with the team in to that competition from round 4. Jack was two votes clear at this point on 8 votes from Maroochydore’s Brandon Maki with team mate Soul Cormick on four votes then a swag of players on threes and twos.
Come round 8 we again simply referred to a leader board and at this point we saw a breakaway leader in Caloundra’s Bradley French now five votes clear on 14. Where was Frenchy after round four, you may ask? At that point he had two votes analyse that simply, four rounds later he has moved to 14 votes – so clearly he has polled four BOG’s on the trot. Brandon Maki was on 9 votes in second spot at this time.
The following four rounds only had us read Frenchy’s name out once with a two vote. During this time Maroochydore’s little big man, Blake Kennedy really wound up his season, five votes to the back of round 8 he then polled 2, 2, -, 1, 3 to have a real impact on the leader board.
Gympie’s Clouston also now getting a real feel for div one footy got his season flowing with five votes in three games.
Noosa’s Natwar Patel back playing club footy on the Sunshine Coast after a few years back home in Fiji was also showing great leadership and that he has a great AFL skills set. Natwar was sitting comfortably in fourth spot with 12 votes at this round 13 leader board point.
Frenchy’s placement of first on 16 votes was well achievable for these three high vote getters over the final four rounds.
Round 14 was of great interest as Kennedy collected two votes against Bribie Island (3 votes to Maroochydore’s Brad Illot) and Clouston taking the three votes v Kawana Park. But it was Frenchy who was not going to let the moment slip as he harnessed the BOG from the Umpires in the Caloundra game v Noosa.
Round 15 was tame with BOG’s awarded to Caloundra’s Jackson Cooke, Noosa’s Michael Jedynak and Bribie Island’s Charlie Robinson in their respective games. Brad Illott again picked up a handy two votes from his Maroochydore game that pushed him up the leader board, but unfortunately for Brad from this point injury was going to cut his season short.
Round 16 much the same with other quality players highlighting their skills, Maroochydore’s Scott Sinclair, Noosa’s Jesse Malthouse and Kawana Park’s Ben Glover rewarded with the three votes in their games. In this round handy single votes were awarded to French and Clouston, putting them one, two with twenty and seventeen votes respectively.
The final round of the season, round 17 had Maroochydore’s Blake Kennedy receive three votes whilst French and Clouston remained on their final vote tallies. This three votes put young Kennedy into outright second spot just edging out Gympie’s Clouston by one vote to runner-up status.
So all in all a quality vote count that recognises the fine level of play that Frenchy achieved during rounds five to eight that gained him 12 of his 20 votes. And then just the consistency of Kennedy, Closuton and Illot over the course of the full 17 rounds.
First: Bradley French (Caloundra) 20 votes
Second: Blake Kennedy (Maroochydore) 18 votes
Third: Jack Clouston (Gympie) 17 votes
Fourth:Brad Ilott (Maroochydore) 16votes
Fifth: Natwar Patel (Noosa) 12 votes
Fifth: Ben Francis (Caloundra) 12 votes
Seventh: Jed Brain (Noosa) 11 votes
Seventh: Michael Jedynak (Noosa) 11 votes
Seventh: Brandon Maki (Maroochydore) 11 votes
Tenth: Fraser Jones (Bribie Island) 10 votes
Tenth: Reimarley O’Donoghue (Gympie) 10 votes
Again I wish all the players moving into under 18/senior football in season 2013 all the best and thank them in the main for being fantastic ambassadors for the game throughout their journey with the AFL Sunshine Coast Juniors.
Congratulations to all our recognised winners in each competition but again it is a team game we play to the highest level and it takes contribution and participation from all to make our great game happen.
Last Modified on 08/10/2012 11:25