Penno and Moore Park Tigers scoop History Society Awards
Article first appeared on the NSW Football History Society’s website.
The NSW Football History Society’s first annual lunch and awards event at the Magpies Sports Club this week proved very popular with members and guests.
The audience were regaled with stories by East Sydney legends Greg Harris and 89-year old Ray Millington in interviews with Simon Kelly about their footy careers and playing at the SCG.
In welcoming the 45 members and guests from across the Sydney football community including former players, officials and umpires, Society president, Ian Granland, provided a brief overview of the role of the society and highlighted some achievements for 2021 including ongoing editorial work, digitising records, preserving trophies and photos.
Also on display for the first time were the two Phelan medals, purchased at auction this year by the Society.
A further highlight was the announcement by Heritage sub-committee chair Paul McPherson that the Sydney Cricket Ground, at which Australian football has been played on since 1881, as the first entry on the Society’s newly established Heritage registry.
The Gus McKernan Award
The Gus McKernan Award is given to the annual report or yearbook by a club or league or an associated body such as a junior competition or an umpires’ association judged by the Society to be the best produced in that year.
Gus McKernan Award for a yearbook for 2019:
Moore Park Tigers Junior Australian Football Club
Gus McKernan Award for a yearbook for 2020:
Pennant Hills Australian Football Club (Pictured above: Publications Awards chair Rod Gillett presents the award to Gus McKernan’s long-time friend and Pennant Hills time-keeper for more than thirty years Col Huggins)
The Gus McKernan Award – Highly Commended:
Mangoplah Cookardinia United Eastlakes Goannas Football and Netball Club
The Harry Hedger Award
The Harry Hedger Award is given to the best football historical work in NSW. This may take the form of a league or club history or a biography of a prominent personality in the history of the game in NSW. It can be a book, website, blog or extended essay.
The Harry Hedger Award for 2021:
The winner is the Peter Clark for his book In the True Sporting Spirit: the history of the Rannock Football Club
The Harry Hedger Award – Highly Commended:
Highly Commended was the Charles Sturt University Football & Netball Club for its history of the club, The Evolution of the Bushpigs & Bushsows