The town’s top sportspeople were honoured on Friday night with the Glen Innes Sports Council’s annual sports awards.
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From the young squirts through to the region’s sporting stalwarts, a wide variety of local heroes were recognised for on and off the field efforts in sports ranging from rugby league and athletics through to pony club.
Betty Cruwys was honoured for her dedication to various sports and received the prestigious Legends of Sport Award. The two other big awards, the Joyce Short and the Lionel Short Memorial Awards, went to worthy winners in Jeanette Hillier and Al Williamson.
Hillier wore multiple hats throughout the year including Group 19 junior president and referees coordinator at Glen Innes Minor League. Hillier was also tasked with the guest speaker role at the awards night and highlighted the growth of female involvement in sport.
“I think that women have always played huge roles in sports like netball, the female domininated sports, however the dual gender and the male dominated sports such as the football codes, the role that women have played has definitely changed,” she said.
“In the 80s, the only role I saw women playing were in the canteens or washing uniforms. There were very few women on committees. If they were on the committee, they were the secretary or the canteen supervisor.
“Thirty years on there are many women in these roles now and also in administration roles such as CEOs, executive positions, physios and, yes indeed, referees, with this being the most recent change.”
Williamson has dedicated more than 30 years to the Glen Innes Magpies which was recognised with the Lionel Short award. He said rugby league is in his blood.
“My father was on the committee when Glen Innes won the competition. They won their first competition in 1959 and I was playing football with Glen Innes then, but unfortunately I didn't make the grand final side,” he said.
“I did the raffles for about six years but my legs started to swell up from sitting down so I had to give it away. I thought I would still be involved so I would go over to Mead Park and do the whipper snipping and the mowing and then would clean up.”
Results:
Squirts
Toby Adams-runner up
Lali Alt-runner up
Warne McShane-Winner
Mary Arandale-winner
Sub Junior Girls
Julianna Panabianco
Holly Ruming
Charlotte Dunn
Lara Chard
Cadence McShane-runner up
Mollie Cave-winner
Sub Junior Boys
Mitchell Duddy-winner
Sam Donnelly-runner up
Junior Girls
Brittany Camp-winner
Kyah Heagney-runner up
Junior Boys
Alex Fisher-winner
Shannon Williamson-runner up
Seniors
Alex Newsome-winner
Jock Smith
TEAMS:
Sub Junior
St Joseph’s School League Tag Teams x 4
Under 12s Minor League Team-winner
Junior
Senior
Junior Service to Sport
Liz Chard
Jason McAlister-winner
Female Service to Sport
Bec Cooke
Ruby Beatty
Karen McAlister-winner
Male Service to Sport
Al Williamson
Lindsay Hill
Steve McAlister-winner
Dom Grob
Joyce Short Memorial Award winner- Jeannette Hillier
Lionel Short Memorial Award winner-Al Williamson