Normanton the place to be on Saturday 4 April for “Sportstars in the Outback”
Despite the huge floods that cut off the Gulf of Carpentaria until only a few weeks ago, the resolute people in the Carpentaria Shire Council are eagerly looking forward to this weekend’s Commander Centre Sportstar Awards. Anne Pleash, Manager of Community Services with the Carpentaria Council and the various members of the organising committee are prepared for one of the biggest sporting night’s ever in the Gulf.
Special guest is Rugby League legend David Peachey, with entertainment being provided by none other than Troy Cassar Daley.
The organisation behind the event has been nothing short of amazing, with the old Burns Philp building in Normanton being transformed to cater for the expected 300 people who will attend the evening. Several charter planes will make their way from Cairns, Townsville and Mount Isa, and also many people will drive to attend the evening. A large number of the nominees will attend the prestigious night. The evening will be a formal affair with special consideration given to hiring of large air conditioning units to ensure the comfort of the many guests.
The nominations for this year’s Commander Centre North Queensland Sportstar Awards have been received and the judging has been completed to select the winners. In a total of three categories of Awards (senior, junior and service to North Queensland sport), the North Queensland Sports Foundation has received a total of 35 nominations (see over page for the complete list). This is a great result given that there are less Councils represented than was the case last year due to Council amalgamations in March 2008.
Now in its nineteenth year, the Awards evening will see many of North Queensland’s sporting achievers vie for honours at this prestigious night.
President of the North Queensland Sports Foundation, Cr. Margaret Cochrane, is delighted with the high standard of nominees that have been received. “It is gratifying that we have received a large number of nominees and in a varied range of sporting achievements.”
The Senior winner will receive $2000 and go on to represent North Queensland at the State Awards in Brisbane later in the year. The winner of the Junior Award will receive $1000. The runners up in both the Senior and Junior categories will each receive $500.
The Alan Ticehurst Memorial Award for Service to North Queensland Sport, which was initiated to honour the unsung hero, the person who tends to be the back bone of their sport, continues to be well supported by a large number of nominees. The winner of this category will receive a $400 voucher from Sportscene in Townsville.
For more information contact Stuart Gibson, Manager of the North Queensland Sports Foundation on the above numbers or on mobile 0419 681053.
| 2009 Commander Centre Sportstar Awards Nominees | ||
| SENIOR Nominees | Sport | Shire |
| Raymond Abdy | Athletics | Charters Towers Regional |
| Georgia Bruce | Dressage | Tablelands Regional |
| Dione Kelvin | Touch | Mount Isa City |
| Clayton Cook | Muay Thai | Cook Shire |
| Ryan Dowson | Cricket | Burdekin Shire |
| Penny Palfrey | Open Water Swimming | Townsville City |
| Grant Patterson | Swimming | Cairns Regional |
| Jacob Randall | Rugby League | Carpentaria Shire |
| Marvyn Remfrey | Rodeo | Cloncurry Shire |
| Denise Squires | Triathlon | Whitsunday Regional |
| Ashleigh Stebbeings | Barefoot Waterskiing | Mackay Regional |
| Nicole Waring | Football (Soocer) | Hinchinbrook Shire |
| Lorraine Wellby | Breakaway Roping | Etheridge Shire |
| JUNIOR Nominees | ||
| Trenton Bell | Rugby League | Cloncurry Shire |
| Jaydon Busiko | Swimming | Charters Towers Regional |
| Jodie Cliffe | Athletics/Hockey | Mackay Regional |
| Christina Dalton | Multiple Sports | Carpentaria Shire |
| Clinton Dennis | Motorbikes | Burdekin Shire |
| Christopher Grevsmuhl | Rugby League | Flinders Shire |
| Brett Hay | Football (Soocer) | Townsville City |
| Hayley Hobbs | Volleyball/Netball | Hinchinbrook Shire |
| Corey Jensen | Athletics | Whitsunday Regional |
| Tayler MacMillan | Football (Soocer) | Mount Isa City |
| Scott Mahony | Boxing | Tablelands Regional |
| Daijah Martens | Athletics | Cairns Regional |
| Ben Murray | Futsal | Cassowary Coast |
| Tye Ryan | Multiple Sports | Etheridge Shire |
| Service to North Queensland Sport Nominees | ||
| Les & Kelly Carter | Multiple Sports | Flinders Shire |
| Liz Fleischfresser | Softball | Cairns Regional |
| Cameron Frost | Cricket/Tennis | Mount Isa City |
| Ross Kynaston | Golf | Mackay Regional |
| Richard Mainwaring-Samwell | Football (Soocer) | Burdekin Shire |
| Helene Sorbello | Football (Soocer) | Hinchinbrook Shire |
| Paul Stephens | Rugby League/Cricket | Carpentaria Shire |
| Daren Wolfe | Gymnastics | Townsville City |
