Drennan’s courage, skill earn top award

MUDGEERABA striker Samantha Drennan has overcome chronic back issues to win the Football Gold Coast’s women’s best and fairest award that honours one of the club’s greatest icons.

The women’s premier league star was presented with the Kate Gleeson Medal last night while Broadbeach player Ethan Grimley won the Tony Cecco Medal.

It capped off a stunning year for Drennan who returned from a year off to have her second child and fought through painful back and ankle injuries to become the biggest force in the competition.

The 23-year-old co-captain scored 21 goals and missed just one game despite weekly visits to the osteopath to treat a bulging disc in her back and an ankle injury suffered throughout the season.

“She has an incredible work rate, is very positive and leads by example,” teammate and Mudgeeraba vice-president Kim Woodcock said.

“She is extremely tough. She is probably the toughest player I have ever played with.”

The award holds extra significance for Mudgeeraba who share a close association with the late Kate Gleeson.

Gleeson was a former coach at Mudgeeraba who garnered enormous respect from those in and outside the club.

Broadbeach forward Grimley won the corresponding men’s premier league best and fairest after scoring a competition-high 25 goals in his first year at the club.

The former Palm Beach NPL player overcame a slow start where he failed to score in his first three games to become the most potent attacking weapon in the league.

“You could see from watching the first team training that he had a fair bit of quality about him,” Broadbeach senior men’s football director Simon Kalaba said.

Magic United won the club champions award while Murwillumbah’s Dean Milosevic and Tweed United’s Chantel Walsh were named the men’s and women’s premier league coaches of the year.

She is probably the toughest player I have played with

KIM WOODCOCK