Football in Queensland Awards Week 2020

Winners: Bryan Graff & Cecil Newman
Bryan and Cec have dedicated over 20 years each to maintaining the fields at Norbridge Park in Rockhampton. Both gentlemen ensure the park is cared for and maintained. As only some of the fields are irrigated, they spend a lot of their week hauling large hoses around as well as general maintenance and line marking. They have always been a pleasure to work with and have always been accommodating of any field setup changes. This was especially evident this year with changes required due to COVID-19 restrictions and the river rising over a field earlier in the year. Cec is in his 80s and Bryan turned 90 in November. Bryan retired earlier this year after ensuring the fields were ready for the return to play following the hiatus. Both men are gentlemen of the game who have always “done it for the kids.”

Rockville Rovers, based in South West Queensland, claimed their own region’s Club Championship crown this season after performing brilliantly from U6s right up to the Premier Men and Women. All four senior teams reached the Finals Series but Rockville’s real success was not just related to results. Embracing multiculturalism, their four Men’s teams are at least 50% made up of African and Iranian players. In conjunction with USQ FC, they hosted a ‘Say No To Racism’ day in February. Rockville are a family-oriented club with a strong committee, including several people who fill several positions and have been with the club for many years. Rockville can also be proud of their online presence, having successfully utilised social media, their new website and an online shop to keep members engaged during the COVID-19 hiatus.

Winner: Zohal Shahalami

Zohal has contributed a significant amount of time and energy in providing a safe and welcoming place for women and girls to come together and unite through football. She was inspired to make a difference to the lives of others because of her own experiences. Zohal immigrated to Australia with her family in 2013 and felt alone, left out and didn’t feel a sense of belonging. This made her determined to be an agent of change. There were many cultural barriers to playing sport in Afghanistan but Zohal embraced the changes here in Australia and has started a women and girls football team at Bethania Rams, which began with six girls and now exceeds 20 players on a regular basis.

The South Toowoomba Hawks Hammers have been the pride of their club for many years due to the young men and women that have played in the team over the last 12 years, with one core group having played together for the last six years and committed to the club for the last 10 years.
The Hammers have long been a very successful team in the Toowoomba Football Leagues’ junior setup and won the Grand Final in 2020 after going undefeated the entire season.
In addition to their on-field success, the Hammers have produced many regional representatives, six SWQ Tunder players and four junior referees, and are renowned for giving up their time to volunteer or pass on skills through the coaching of younger age groups.
This may be the final year in Toowoomba for many young players involved with the Hammers, but the club wishes them the very best for their future endeavours and reflects proudly on the lifelong friendships and life skills that have been forged within this strong team setting.

Stanthorpe United’s entry into the Toowoomba Football Leagues following the cancellation of their local season provided a welcome lift to the entire TFL Premier Men’s competition in 2020.
After a challenging start in new surrounds, the team soon proved to be extremely competitive and capable of securing exceptional results.
They won 10 out of 15 matches during the regular season, overcoming injuries, fatigue and a relative lack of inexperience to finish second behind Willowburn.
The two teams ultimately met in the Grand Final and, though Willowburn prevailed on penalties after a thrilling 2-2 draw, Stanthorpe’s initiative and resolve to pursue a place in the TFL provided a great example to other clubs in South West Queensland and delivered whole new opportunities for players in the Stanthorpe area.

Ross continued in his role as Head Coach of Kingscliff FC this year as he retained the current record for the longest active streak for a coach in Gold Coast’s senior competitions. Having fought tirelessly for seven years to earn promotion, Ross finally achieved the double in 2020 and earned the club a long-coveted place in the Premier League. Come 2021, the club will be competing as Kingscliff FC at the top level for the first time in over 25 years. Not only does Ross coach his senior team, he is also heavily involved in developing the juniors and providing opportunities for them to progress. He has guided numerous players through the ranks from a young age and, under his watch, eased their transition into senior football.

Kelly is a selfless member of the football community who continuously goes above and beyond to provide opportunities to others. She dedicates countless hours per week to coaching and is also committed to her own professional development, having recently complete the final assessment for her C Licence. Kelly played a big part in Virginia United’s successful application for an NPL Women’s licence and is often the key driver of events at the club, including the huge celebration hosted in March of this year as part of Female Football Week and International Women’s Day. More than 200 people attended across the day, which concluded with many staying to watch the first round of the Brisbane Women’s Premier League.

Josh has been a valued member of Football Queensland’s AWD Futsal team over the past few years, competing at the FFA Futsal National Championships on multiple occasions. He was selected to represent Australia in AWD Futsal at the INAS World Games in Brisbane in October 2019. This is the world’s largest sporting event for elite athletes with intellectual impairment, with around 1,000 competitors taking part in 2019. This year, with the Futsal National Championships on hold, Josh has been helping out with coaching at Richlands club Lions FC.

Lachlan made the extraordinary effort to complete a five-hour round trip to officiate in the Toowoomba Football Leagues each week after COVID-19 forced the early conclusion of his local competition in South Burnett. Lachlan, who is equally as strong on the line as he is in the middle, grasped the opportunity presented to him with both hands. Though unfamiliar with the competition, he overcame a daunting task and shone through the entire experience – ultimately being selected by Football Queensland to become an inaugural member of the FQ Referee Academy. In recognition of his outstanding season, he was also chosen as the centre referee for the Championship Ladies Grand Final and handled it with maturity beyond his years.

Mick Novakovic Medal | In Support of Young Referees

Winner: Adrian O’Connor

Adrian is a dedicated and enduring figure in the development of young referees. He has been an assessor and instructor for a number of years and has been involved in starting both school and club referee development programs. He is always willing to give his time to referees who ask for feedback and encouragement. Adrian has helped develop and nurture a number of previous referee award winners and some of the young talented referees who have formed part of our inaugural referee academy. His generous spirit and willingness to promote the growth and development of referees is admirable and well worth acknowledgement.