Canberra Royals sharp-shooter Pedro Rolando has claimed the 2019 MacDougall Medal, presented to the ACT Player of the Year at the annual Awards Ceremony held at the Rex Hotel in Canberra on Wednesday evening.
Rolando was joined on the winner’s podium by Brumbies Buildcorp Super W player, Georgia O’Neill, the Wallaroo being awarded the inaugural Louise Ferris Medal for the Best Player in the Women’s competition.
It was double delight for Rolando at the MacDougall Medal Awards, the scrum-half also winning yet another Gus Vallance Memorial Trophy, the silverware presented to the highest points scorer in the first-grade competition, the unerring boot of the Canberra Royals scrumhalf scooping him the award for the fourth successive season.
Rolando’s haul of 218 points, included nine tries as well as a plethora of points from his metronomic boot, putting him well clear of his closest challenge for the MacDougall Medal, Tuggeranong Vikings scrumhalf Ryan Lonergan, the duo going head-to-head in the Griffin Legal John I Dent Cup Final this weekend.
O’Neill meanwhile has helped her Uni-Norths Owls team to the Grand Final showdown this weekend when the Owls will take on Canberra Royals to see who will lift the Women’s Premiership trophy at Viking Park.
There was a treble success for the Goulburn Dirty Reds as the club who play their matches in the First Division First Grade Competition took home three of the major awards.
Geoffrey Shephard was awarded the HS Quinn Trophy for Services to Rugby, with Mikael Webber taking home the recognition as the First Division Best & Fairest Player of the Year. The trifecta was completed with Jordan Lees being presented with the Bill Priest Trophy as the Monaro Representative Player of the Year.
Prolific points machine Joel Croker of Taralga Tigers was the Second Division Best & Fairest winner.
Christine Thomson was the recipient of the ACTRU Volunteer of the Year Award for her tireless dedication to the cause at Gungahlin Eagles, whilst Ben Pratt of Tuggeranong Vikings was rewarded for his excellent season by taking out the Anderson Trophy for Sportsmanship.
In other awards, the prestigious Michael Hickey Memorial Trophy, awarded for the Coach of the Year was claimed by Jindabyne Bushpigs’ Mick Needham who has guided his side to finals football this season, whilst Matt Hogan was named as the Referee of the Year, winning the Pater Lawler Trophy.
FULL LIST OF WINNERS
MacDougall Medal: Pedro Rolando (Royals)
Louise Ferris Medal: Georgia O’Neill (Un-Norths Owls)
ACTRU Volunteer of the Year: Christine Thomson (Gungahlin Eagles)
HS Quinn Trophy for Services to Rugby: Geoffrey Shephard (Goulburn Dirty Reds)
Peter Lawler Trophy – Referee of the Year: Matt Hogan
Michael Hickey Memorial Trophy – Coach of the Year: Mick Needham (Jindabyne Bushpigs)
Anderson Trophy for Sportsmanship: Ben Pratt (Tuggeranong Vikings)
Gus Vallance Memorial Trophy – Highest Points Scorer: Pedro Rolando (Royals)
John Hunter Memorial Trophy – Highest Try Scorer: Corey Toole (Eagles) & Rory Scot (Royals)
First Division Best & Fairest: Mikael Webber (Goulburn Dirty Reds)
Second Division Best & Fairest: Joel Croker (Taralga Tigers)
Bill Priest Trophy – Monaro Rep Player of the Year: Jordan Lees (Goulburn Dirty Reds)
Turner Cup – Premiership Club Champion: Gungahlin Eagles
Monaro First Division Club Championship: ADFA
Bob Hitchcock Territory Shield: Tuggeranong Vikings
