Back for more in 2020
Winners of the Wimmera’s richest individual football and netball prizes this year have confirmed plans to continue playing with their respective clubs into 2020.
Minyip-murtoa star on-baller Ben Mcintyre, 27, who clinched Wimmera Football League’s Toohey Medal in a runaway win, announced during an acceptance speech that he planned to remain with the Burras next year.
Horsham defender Georgia Hiscock, 19, who earlier snared Wimmera Netball Association’s Hatcher Medal, also confirmed plans to remain with her club and association.
Minyip-murtoa and Horsham clubs were gripped in celebration on Monday night after their representatives stole the spotlight during a night of presentation at Horsham’s Holy Trinity Lutheran College’s Multipurpose Centre.
Hiscock, a daughter of former Hor
sham United star and association life member Viv Hiscock, won the Hatcher Medal with 29 votes from Horsham Saints player Ashlee Grace, 27.
Jessica Williams, Ararat, and Emma Koschitzke, Warrack Eagles, were third on 21 votes each.
The association asked Viv Hiscock, who in the past had been runner-up for the medal, to lead a toast to her daughter.
Georgia Hiscock, a teacher’s aide in Horsham, said she was unsure about where her netball might lead.
“Taking my netball further doesn’t really interest me to be honest. I love playing Wimmera league and love interleague but further than that I don’t know,” she said.
She said her favourite position remained goal defence in Wimmera association but admitted that at 169 centimetres she was probably more suited to mid-court duties at higher levels.
“I tend to stand on my tippy toes each week,” she said.
Hiscock, also under-21 player of the year, put much of her development as a player down to high-quality coaches, initially at Horsham United and then Horsham.
“I’ve been so lucky with my coaches and that plays a huge role,” she said.
Hatcher Medal presentations primed the crowd for a Toohey Medal count and it was apparent early that the Burras’ Mcintyre was going to be hard to match.
The Melbourne cabinetmaker, originally from Edenhope and who forged a reputation through South Australian football pathways and in Kowreenaracoorte-tatiara League, joined the Burras with his brother Tim this year.
He polled an incredible 28 votes to win from Southern Mallee Giants’ Sam Weddell, 16, and Giants coach Coleman Schache and Ararat star Dan Mendes, 15.
Oliver Timms from Horsham Saints, 11 votes, was leading under-21 votewinner and Cody Driscoll, Stawell, won a senior goal-kicking trophy.
Mcintyre, while no relation to Murtoa’s historic football-playing Mcintyres, maintains a strong link to the Wimmera through his family.
A desire to play a full season with his brother Tim, who lives in Adelaide, was a primary reason for him playing in the region.
“We wanted to get back and see mum and dad a bit more and obviously just play together. The last time we would have played together for a whole season would have been under18s at Glenelg,” he said.
“I didn’t expect this to be honest, but I’m obviously rapt.”
Mcintyre said he was now keen to win a premiership medal with the Burras on Saturday.
In other counts, veteran Gavin Kelm clinched back-to-back reserves best and fairest awards with 24 votes from Stawell’s Shane Field, 22, and also won reserves goal-kicking.
Brianna Luciani from Horsham and Stacey Arnold, Minyip-murtoa, shared B Grade netball honours from Stawell’s Meg Walker, 21, and Michelle Beaton of Stawell, 27, won a C Grade netball count from Erin Anson, Horsham, 24, and Grace Williams, Warrack Eagles, 19.
Celebrations also included a variety of other awards.
Netball life-memberships went to Ararat figureheads Gail Dunn and Gayle Dadswell, Jade Cross from Stawell joined the association’s A Grade 200 Club and Amanda Mentha from Horsham was netball’s 2019 Volunteer of the Year.
Wimmera Mallee Coaches Association senior coach of the year was Minyip-murtoa’s John Delahunty, a youth category went to Horsham’s Terry Arnel and Neville Mccredden from Southern Mallee Giants won accolades for administration.
Horsham won a club champion title, Nhill’s Jake Harrup won a Star Player Award voted on by opposition clubs and Warrack Eagles’ Dane Stewart clinched a Rising Star Award.