After crowning the champion teams of 2017 on Saturday afternoon, the Wimmera Hockey Association gathered that evening to acknowledge the leading players.

The Best and Fairest in each of the Open, Women's, Under 16 Boys and Under 16 Girls were announced along with the leading goal scorers, leading umpires and two encouragement awards.

Above - Mikayla Farmers and Ellie Woods were the recipients of the 2017 WHA Encouragement Awards. - Photo by Rachel Clark.

Best and Fairest

Despite considerable team success since the competition commenced in the mid 1980s, until this year Yanac had never produced an Association Best and Fairest in the Men's or Open divisions.

This season Todd Alexander polled 38 votes to become the first Yanac Tigers' player to win this award, ahead of the Kaniva Cobra pair of Lachlan Clark (33 votes) and Duncan Shalders (31 votes), and brother Brad Alexander (24 votes).

Two time winner Mont Miller from the Nhill Rangers came in fifth with 21 votes.

In the Women's division, Sophie Robinson of the Horsham Jets polled votes in eleven of the fifteen games and finished with 49 votes, which was 15 ahead of Rachel Clark of the Kaniva Women who was also runner-up last season.

In third place was Mikayla Farmers from Yanac on 26 votes followed by Kelly Krahe and Alana Morrow, both from Warrack, with 25 votes each.

Mikayla Farmers also won the Under 16 Girl's award, with 31 votes from Olivia Williams of the Kaniva Raiders with 21 votes. Rebekah Albrecht of the Dimboola Kangaroos and Ellie Murden of the Nhill Leopards both polled 18 votes to come in equal third.

In the Under 16 Boys count, three players polled more than fifty votes with last year's runners up, Blake Miller of the Nhill Leopards earning the 2017 title with 54 votes, last year's winner Sandon Schulz from the Warrack Revengers polled 52 to come in second and Kaniva's Luke Shalders finished third with 51 votes.

Open Best and Fairest

1 -      Todd Alexander      Tigers 38 votes
2 - Lachlan Clark Cobras 33
3 - Duncan Shalders Cobras 31
4 - Brad Alexander Tigers 24
5 - Mont Miller Rangers 21
6 - William Gulline Hurricanes      20
7 - Caleb Halsall Burras 19
8 - Talor Dent Burras 16
9 - Cameron Bardell Hoops 15
Murray Miller Rangers 15

Women's Best and Fairest

1 - Sophie Robinson Jets 49 votes
2 - Rachel Clark Kaniva 34
3 - Mikayla Farmers Yanac 26
4 - Kelly Krahe Warrack 25
     Alana Morrow Warrack 25
6 - Ashlee Baker Roos 20
7 - Jennifer Klinge Roos 20
8 - Brooke McMaster Roos 18
     Launa Schilling Jets 18
10 -      Louise Bone Yanac 17
     Kelly Farquharson      Thunderbirds      17

Under 16 Boys Best and Fairest

1 - Blake Miller Leopards 54 votes
2 - Sandon Schultz Revengers 52
3 - Luke Shalders      Raiders 51
4 - Daniel Danisch Kangaroos      38
5 - Oskar Bennett Revengers 22
     Sharma Delaney Leopards 22
     Tom Roberts Bombers 22
8 - Tom Krelle Kangaroos 21
9 - Jasper Croot Warriors 17
10 -      Stuart Hallett Bombers 15

Under 16 Girls Best and Fairest

1 - Mikayla Farmers Warriors 31 votes
2 - Olivia Williams Raiders 21
3 - Rebekah Albrecht Kangaroos      18
     Ellie Murden Leopards 18
5 - Sophie Pipkorn Warriors 15
6 - Emily Koop Leopards 14
7 - Hannah Honeyman      Warriors 9
8 - Serena Foot Bombers 5
     Sigourney Williams Raiders 5
10 -      Briony Williams Raiders 4

For the full list of votes click on the links below for pdf documents -

  • Open
  • Women
  • Under 16 Boys
  • Under 16 Girls

    Leading Goal Scorers

    During the home and away season, Seth Croot of the Yanac Tigers scored 11 goals, two goals more than team mate Brad Alexander and three ahead of Jordan Williamson of the Warrack Hoops.

    In the Women's competition, Adina King from the Dimboola Roos also scored 11 goals and Sophie Robinson (Horsham Jets) and Kelly Smithyman (Nhill Thunderbirds) scored 9 each.

    More goals were scored in the Under 16 competition, with Nhill Leopard Blake Miller leading with 22 goals, ahead of Luke Shalders (Kaniva Cobras) with 19, and four players on 13 goals - Oskar Bennett (Warrack Revengers), Daniel Danisch (Dimboola Kangaroos), Teo Haines (Dimboola Kangaroos) and Tyson Mitchell ( Kaniva Raiders)

    The leading goal scorers amongst the girls in the Under 16 competition was the Nhill Leopards duo of Ellie Murden with 11 goals and Emily Koop with 5 goals.

    Open Leading Goal Scorers

    1 - Seth Croot Yanac Tigers 11 goals
    2 - Bradley Alexander      Yanac Tigers 9

    4 - William Gulline Horsham Hurricanes      7
       Lachlan Schultz Dimboola Burras 7
    6 - Lachlan Clark Kaniva Cobras 6
    Marcus Williamson Warrack Hoops 6
    7 - Shaun Alexander Yanac Tigers 5
       Clint Beattie Kaniva Cobras 5


    Women Leading Goal Scorers

    1 - Adina King Dimboola Roos 11 goals
    2 - Sophie Robinson Horsham Jets 9
       Kelly Smithyman      Dimboola Roos 9

    4 - Kellie Farquharson Nhill Thunderbirds      6
       Meaghan Pohlner Dimboola Roos 6
       Lisa Stimson Kaniva Women 6
    7 - Ashlyn Allen Horsham Jets 5
       Elizabeth Klinge Dimboola Roos 5
       Jennifer Klinge Dimboola Roos 5

    Under 16 Boys Leading Goal Scorers

    1 - Blake Miller Nhill Leopards 22 goals
    2 - Luke Shalders Kaniva Raiders 19
    3 - Oskar Bennett Warrack Revengers 13
      Daniel Danisch Dimboola Kangaroos      13
      Teo Haines Dimboola Kangaroos 13
      Tyson Mitchell Kaniva Raiders 13
    7 - Sandon Schultz Warrack Revengers 9
      Bradley Walker Dimboola Kangaroos 9
      Sharma Delaney      Nhill Leopards 8
    10 - Lachlan Klemm Warrack Revengers 6

    Under 16 Girls Leading Goal Scorers

    1 - Ellie Murden Nhill Leopards 11 goals
    2 - Emily Koop Nhill Leopards 5
    3 - Chloe Baker Dimboola Kangaroos      2
      Kendra Clark Kaniva Raiders 2
      Olivia Williams      Kaniva Raiders 2

    For the full list of goal scorers click on the links below for pdf documents -

  • Open
  • Women
  • Under 16 Boys
  • Under 16 Girls

    Umpires

    Umpire development has been a focus for the Wimmera Hockey Association over recent seasons and this is paying off with 32 individuals officiating games this season.

    Leading local umpires were also approached to officiate in the North Central, Tatiara and Central Victorian associations this season, along with presiding over games at the Junior, Women and Open Victorian State Country Championships, and district and regional finals for both primary and secondary school competitions.

    The Association acknowledges the top local umpires with the Golden Whistle award, which is voted for by all teams on two separate occasions during the season.

    Caleb Halsall from Dimboola won the Golden Whistle for the second time, with Brad Alexander from Yanac taking the Silver Whistle, and Barry Schilling from Warracknabeal being awarded the Bronze Whistle.

    The umpires encouragement award went to Lance McBride from Nhill who has been a regular official for the Under 12 competition and progressed to umpire Under 16 games this season.

    Umpires - Golden Whistle Award

    Golden Whistle Caleb Halsall Dimboola
    Silver Whistle Brad Alexander      Yanac
    Bronze Whistle Barry Schilling Warracknbale
    Encouragement Award      Lance McBride Nhill

    Encouragement Awards

    The Wimmera Hockey Association Encouragement Awards are designed the acknowledge individuals who are not necessarily players but contribute significantly at the Association level and beyond.

    The Senior Encouragement award was given to Ellie Woods of the Dimboola club for her leadership and passion for junior hockey.

    Ellie filled the position of Junior Development Officer for the Association for the last three years, with the major task in this role being the organisation of the representative teams to compete in the Victorian Junior Country Championships.

    Along with this role, Ellie also plays for both the Dimboola Roos (Women's) and Burras (Open) teams and is a regular in the Wimmera Senior Cournty Championship's team.

    The Junior Encouragement Awards went to Mikayla Farmers from Yanac who began playing the sport in 2008 when she was just 5 years old and has been actively involved in the sport ever since.

    Despite being a member of the Yanac club, in 2014 Mikayla played a season for the Horsham Bombers when they were struggling for numbers, where her skill, positive attitude and team work on the field won her their Encouragement Award. She returned to play for the Yanac Warriors in 2015, and in 2016 began regularly playing for the Yanac women as well.

    Mikayla has represented the Wimmera Hockey Association several times, attending the Junior Country Championships in 2015, 2016 and 2017, and also played in the Junior State Championships as Part of the South West Eagles Under 17 Girls team this year.

    Mikayla regularly helps out with the Under 12 competition, and is a great role model for the younger generation of hockey players. She often umpires Under 12 games and is becoming more confident and competent with her umpiring by running with more experienced umpires in the Under 16 and Women's competition.

    To top off her 2017 season, Mikayla won the Under 16 Girls Best and Fairest and came third in the Women's vote count.

    WHA Encouragement Awards

    Senior      Ellie Woods Dimboola
    Junior Mikayla Farmers      Yanac