The NEFL Northern Argus Team of the Year for 2008 was selected at Sevenhill a fortnight ago with seven new players making the star-studded line-up.
Along with the seven players making their debut in the team the coach is a rookie and one of the umpires made the grade for the first time.
Chairman of selectors Graeme Wandel officiated proceedings with six delegates from the eight clubs nominating players for certain positions and casting their votes throughout the night.
The first ruck for the team was decided on pretty quickly with Min-Man’s Todd Miles getting the nod for his second time in the team. Many players were thrown around for the ruck-rover and rover positions with Ryan Darling from Blyth-Snowtown and Min-Man’s Ryan McDermid scoring those two spots. It’s Darling’s fourth time in the team and McDermid’s second.
Like the ruck-roving position there were a few players nominated for the position of centre. BBH clearance king Peter Mann was selected for the first time to join Miles, Darling and McDermid in the engine room.
The three leading goal-kickers for the 2008 competition Jamie Williams 61 goals from RSMU, South Clare’s Josh Berrett 59 and Stephen Tohl from BBH with 58 goals were nominated for the position of full-forward.
Association full-forward Tohl won the spot being selected in his third consecutive team of the year with Williams alongside him in the forward-pocket making the team for the first time. In the other forward-pocket and second rover also making the team for the first time is North Clare’s Josh Hollitt.
There’s a fair bit of experience across the half-forward line with Blyth-Snowtown’s Jarrod Gillings at centre-half-forward for the fourth consecutive year and Ben Kerslake from Min-Man making the team for the fourth time on a half-forward-flank.
On the other half-forward-flank and was given the honour of captaining the team is RSMU gun Kimberley Hart who is in the team for the eighth time since the year 2000.
Two debutants were named on the centre-wings and deservedly so with Glen Hayes from Blyth-Snowtown and BBH’s Tom Riggs having outstanding seasons for their clubs.
RSMU’s James Vandeleur was selected at centre-half-back, making the team for the fifth year since 2003, Andrew Purchase from BBH is in the team for the second year in a row on a half-back-flank and another debutant Shane Ross from Min-Man was named on the other back-flank.
The back line is full of experience with Blyth-Snowtown’s Nick Humphrys making the team for the fifth time being selected at full-back and also being named as the vice-captain.
Paul Jones from BSR makes the team for the fourth time, he’s in a back-pocket and South Clare’s Jason Lehmann was selected for the second time being named in the other back-pocket.
Lindon Goodman from BBH was selected in the team for the second time, he’s on the bench and the second ruckman. Blyth-Snowtown’s Nick McCormack is the second ruck-rover resting on the bench being selected for the second year in a row.
Min-Man’s Brad Currie is the seventh debutant to make the team being selected on the bench with Brodie Murphy making up the 22 also making the team for the second consecutive year being named on the bench.
Coach of the Year came down to a vote with Craig Jaeschke being a unanimous choice after his terrific job with North Clare taking them from the wooden spoon to finals football in his first year at the helm.
The toughest decision for the night came at the end of proceedings for the delegates, trying to find the best three umpires for the 2008 season. After 20 minutes of deliberating and voting they decided on their favourite men in orange.
Mick Cogan got the nod for the second time as one of the umpires, Graham McInerney was selected for the first time and John Millard was named for the second consecutive year as an umpire. Moo Smith was selected as the reserve umpire.
Congratulations to the players, coach and umpires that were selected in the 2008 Northern Argus NEFL Team of the Year. Every year there’s a few unlucky players that miss out on selection but that’s the way it goes. The team can only have 22 on the team-sheet.
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