More Premiership success for the Swans
John Longmire and the Sydney Swans have capped off an outstanding 2012 season, with the Swans coach and his team taking home two key awards at the NSW Sports Federation’s Sports Awards.
Longmire won the Coach of the Year Award at the Awards event, held at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth on Saturday night, while the Swans took home the Team of the Year Award.
“In a year that included the Olympic and Paralympic Games, we witnessed inspiring festivals of sport which produced some remarkable athletic feats,” NSW Sports Federation Chairperson Aaron Bloomfield said.
“[The Sports Awards] presents us with an opportunity to celebrate the outstanding achievements of the athletes nominated from a myriad of sports – and to congratulate the finalists and winners of awards in striving for excellence.”
In just his second year as senior coach, Longmire led the Sydney Swans to a gruelling 10-point win over Hawthorn in the 2012 AFL Grand Final.
Longmire beat out four other contenders including Olympic Athletics coach Fira Dvoskina, Michael Freney, coach of Paralymipan Gold Medallist Jacqueline Freney, Rowing coach Nick Garratt, and Head Coach of Australia’s most successful Olympic Sailing Team, Victor Kovalenko.
This year Longmire, from Corowa in Southern NSW, was also awarded the AFL Coaches Association Coach of the Year Award, as voted by his fellow AFL Coaches.
The Sydney Swans took out the Team of the Year Award for their fifth Premiership win, after finishing the year in third spot and defeating Adelaide and Collingwood in the first two finals before the epic Grand Final encounter with the Hawks.
They beat Sailing Olympic Gold Medallists Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen, the NSW Women’s Cricket Team the Lend Lease Breakers, the NSW Kings Cup Crew and the NSW Under-21 Netball team.
Other awards presented on the night included Young Athlete of the Year with a Disability, Young Athlete of the Year, Team of the Year with a Disability, Official of the Year, Event of the Year, Organisation of the Year, Master Athlete of the Year, Sports Media Award, Athlete of the Year with a Disability and Athlete of the Year.
