The North Shore club celebrated season 2012 with the Presentation Night, held at Norths Leagues Club last Friday.
The count of the Premier Division best and fairest culminated in captain Ron Wason taking out the award with 101 votes; ahead of Brendan Fitzgerald with 62 and Dale Fitzgerald with 57. Wason has had a long and distinguished career with North Shore, and the club honour that had eluded him for so long has finally come his way.
Jack Davis’s meteoric rise into senior ranks was recognised, with Davis taking out the Best First Year Player award. Matt Thomas took out the Coach’s Award, Lachy Pryor was Best in Finals, and Sam Naismith Most Improved.
The Division One Best and Fairest went to Jarryd Watters with 63 votes, ahead of Ryan Meldrum with 62 and Tom McMahon with 59. Ziggy Middendorf took out the Coach’s Award, with Henry Cranney being Most Improved.
Angus Henson was named Division Four Best and Fairest with 47, ahead of Tim “Bobby” Beissman with 45 and John Skehan with 41. Matt White took out the Coach’s Award, and Daniel Thompson the Most Improved.
The Under 18s had Jake Monk taking out the Best and Fairest with 86 votes, ahead of Hayden Washington with 82 and Matt Varjavandi on 62. Hugh Buddin won the Coach’s Award, while Charles Ferrier took out the Most Improved title.
In the Club Awards, Tim Beissman was the winner of the Lionel Beale Perpetual Award. Ron Wason was named the Players’ Player. The title of Playing Clubman was split between Nick Adams and Jamie O’Dell. The Volunteers of the Year were Sue and Michael Lynch; while Stuart Kennedy was named the Best Club Person.
Five North Shore legends were inducted into Life Membership. Adam Lord, Ron Wason, Ben Attwood, Jamie O’Dell and Brock Hatton.
There was much to celebrate about this season. Although North Shore fell short of the ultimate goal of a senior premiership; the Bombers beat both the Grand Finallists convincingly in the weeks leading up to the finals. Coach Jon Hayres was named coach of the Sydney AFL Team of the Year, Ron Wason captain, and Dale and Brendan Fitzgerald were also named in the team. Wason, the Fitzgeralds, Lachy Pryor, Sam Carruthers and Pat Brackin played rep footy.
We had four Rising Star nominations – Erol Sertbas, Sam Naismith, Jack Davis and Jordan Weir. All four of them, along with Doug Hadden and Rory Pryor, played NEAFL with the Swans reserves during the season, with Jordan Weir getting an invite to the draft combine.
And several other players showed considerable improvement and development during the season; growing not just as footballers but as people. Perseverance, striving in the face of adversity.
The 2012 season was a memorable and successful one, but there’s more to be done to get to where we want to be in 2013. Pre-season training is not far away.
Last Modified on 20/03/2013 10:07