Moama Bowling Club has come on board as the major sponsor of the Footballer of the Year and Netballer of the Year awards, which will stretch across four leagues and include hundreds of players and carry $5000 in prizemoney.
The Moama Bowling Club will be the key backer of the award, which will be the centrepiece of the Riverine Herald Game On Podcast, a half-hour show that is now available through The Riv website, on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
The podcast is where you will be able to hear updated voting from the award first as the updated leaderboard will be printed in Wednesday’s edition of The Riv.
Sports journalists Bransen Gibson and Josh Huntly will be joined by editor Rohan Aldous for the Friday preview and Monday review for the Goulburn Valley, Heathcote, Picola district and Murray leagues.
Echuca and Rochester from the Goulburn Valley league, Murray league clubs Tongala, Echuca United and Moama, Mathoura and Picola United from the Picola district league and three clubs from the Heathcote league, Leitchville-Gunbower, Colbinabbin and Lockington Bamawm United, will feature in the award.
Votes will be cast by the opposition coach for the awards on a 3, 2, 1 basis and appear in every edition of the Campaspe News and every Wednesday edition of The Riv, along with an updated leaderboard. Details of the rich football and netball award will also be printed in the league records.
Both the football and netball awards will carry $2500 in prizemoney for the outstanding players of the 2022 seasons, with the major share of $1750 pocketed by the winner, $500 for runner-up and $250 for third.
Moama Bowling Club marketing manager George Santos said the disappointment of teams, netball and football alike, not being able to play finals last season was a catalyst for the launch of the award.
“We thought it was a great idea to bring winter sport, football and netball in particular, back into focus and by offering a cash incentive I am sure there will be some excited players out there,” Santos said.
He said the concept of having a cross-league award was unique and it appealed to the club as it had a role to play with all four leagues.
“The club has connections with the Goulburn Valley league through Echuca and with the Murray league via Moama and Echuca United,” he said.
“We are co-major sponsors of the Picola District Football Netball League and many of our members hail from the Lockington, Bamawm, Leitchville and Gunbower regions, which encompasses the Heathcote league component.”
Santos said football season meant significant travel for many of the district’s football and netball teams and the club was hopeful of welcoming players and supporters to enjoy its facilities throughout the season.
“Many people would not have had the chance to enjoy our sports bar facilities (the sports bar was opened in December last year), which is something with a unique sporting flavour,” Santos said.
“As a sports fan I hope that all of our clubs enjoy their seasons and bring home the premierships I know a couple of them had their hearts set on last season — before COVID robbed them of the opportunity.”
