A FOOTBALLER has won the Manning River Times Sportstar of the Year award for the first time in its 63 year history.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Just over a week ago Saffron Grass was in America, playing with the Australian Schoolgirls football team in the Dallas Cup, an annual tournament for invited youth sides. The Australians completed the tournament with an unbeaten record, downing FC Dallas 2-1 in the final after earlier trailing 1-0.
On Friday night Saffron, 18, was at Club Taree, where she was announced the winner of the Manning River Times (Ken McDonald Memorial) Sportstar of the Year for 2023. This was from a quality field of five that included three-time state sabre sailing champion Troy Lewis, Australian Country women's hockey representatives Lara Watts and Priya Bourke and Australian amateur middleweight boxing champion Ca'Naan O'Donnell.
Champion cyclist Nick Gates, the Times Sportstar of the Year in 1996, presented Saffron with the award.
This was among the highlights of the second Manning Sport Awards night, attended by a crowd of around 140.
It was a good night for the football, the beautiful game, with wins in three categories, the sportstar of the year, Hugh McCrindle Medal and junior team of the year.
Jane Lynch, a member of the Football Mid North Coast board of directors, coach of the Mid Coast Premier League under 17s and president of the Taree Old Bar Surf Club, was named the winner of the Hugh McCrindle Medal for services to sport.
Taree Wildcats under 18s won the junior team of the year. Coached by Michael Wallace, the Wildcats won the Football Mid North Coast premiership and then took out the zone championship by beating the Port United, the northern premiers. They were the only southern side to claim a zone crown in any age group.
Brown into Hall of Fame
Dual Melbourne Cup winning jockey Corey Brown was back home to be inducted into the Manning Sporting Hall of Fame. The Wingham-born Brown recalled his stellar career that started as an apprentice jockey in Taree. Now retired, Brown revealed that he is still closely associated with the racing game through his role with Sky Channel.
He was inducted into the hall of fame by Nick Gates, who also hails from Wingham. Gates is a former Australian road champion who competed professionally in Europe for a number of years, twice contesting the Tour de France. He now lives in Forster.
The Kasey Brown Perpetual Junior Sportstar award went to Wingham rugby league player Jett Gilbert. He was named the North Coast Bulldogs forward of the year following last season's Country Championships and also the Group Three under 18 player of the year and Wingham player of the year. Kasey, who was inducted into the Manning Sporting Hall of Fame last year, made the presentation.
Versatile athlete Jeremy Ussher was named the all abilities sportstar of the year. The 17-year-old recorded a personal best 13.21 seconds in the under 20 multiclass 100m final at the Australian championships in Perth, where he finished fourth, and 26.83 seconds for the under 20 multiclass 200m where he won a bronze medal.
Group Three Rugby League premiers the Old Bar Pirates won the senior team of the year category. The Pirates were minor and major premiers, winning the club's first title since 1999. Old Bar was the first southern Group Three side to win the premiership since 2011.
Major sponsors were the Manning River Times (sportstar of the year), Colliers Engineering and Design (junior sportstar), 2RE/MAX Fm (Hugh McCrindle Medal), Valley Industries (all abilities) and Aussie Green Klean (team of the year).
More photos and further details will appear online next week and in Friday's Manning River Times.
