Half of century of footy on the Darling Downs has been celebrated with the naming of the 50 year team at the AFL Darling Downs (AFLDD) 2021 Awards Night.
All decades of Darling Downs football were represented in the room, as legends of now and then were toasted too.
After a thorough and lengthy process, the best 50 players of the last 50 years were narrowed down to a final team of 22.
Warwick and University player Brendan Iles was named as captain, with Coolaroo’s John Green as Vice-Captain and Robin Hyde as Coach.
50 YEAR TEAM:
FB: Pat Gipps (Souths/University), Murray Collett (Goondiwindi), Doug Lowe (Toowoomba)
HB: Jim Urquhart (University), Lindsay Collison (Goondiwindi/University), Ray Maynard (South Toowoomba)
C: Jeremy Leahy (Goondiwindi), Mark Holman (Goondiwindi), Phil Dreise (Coolaroo)
HF: Tom Rudolph (Coolaroo), John Green (VC) (Coolaroo), David O’Toole (Goondiwindi)
FF: Shane McGregor (Goondiwindi), Kevin Cropper (Lockyer Valley), Heath Gniel (University)
FOL: Greg Peltz (Dalby), Peter Holman (Goondiwindi), Brendan Iles (C) (Warwick/University)
INT: Mark Andrews (Toowoomba), Jeff Neumann (Souths, Coolaroo), Phil Pohlner (QAC/Goondiwindi), Nathan Trace (South Burnett)
COACH: Robin Hyde
The night was also a chance to recognise the award winners from the 2021 season.
Coolaroo’s Jayden Smith won the Holman Medal for the Men’s Best and Fairest, after finishing runner up in 2020.
While Shaye Easton from Goondiwindi won the Heather Green Medal for the Women’s Best and Fairest, and in doing so becomes the first player in the women’s competition to win it twice.
There were more accolades for the Hawks with Angus Croft taking out the John Green Trophy for the Men’s Leading Goal kicker.
Toowoomba’s Chloe won the women’s Leading Goal Kicker for the womens. Also from Toowoomba, Christine Watson won the Women’s Rookie of the Year.
Andrew Bani-Freeman from University took home the Leo Camm Rosebowl for Men’s Rookie of the Year.
While the Karl Price Trophy for Best Under 18 player in the competition went to Connor Lloyd from Warwick.
Senior Umpire of the Year when to Andrew Dakin, Miels Grice from Coolaroo was named Senior Coach of the Year.
