The Big Rivers Football League (BRFL) Doug Kelly Medal Count night has taken place this evening at the Godinymayin Yikard Rivers Art and Cultural Centre with Freda Wosomo and Vicki Farrelly both taking home the top women's award and Daniel Vercoe picking up the prestigious Doug Kelly Medal in the men's competition.
A versatile player across all positions on the field, Arnhem Crows’ Wosomo played four games in the home and away season and was awarded the maximum three votes by the umpires for her performances in these matches. She also landed seventh on the leading goal kicker tally this BRFL season.
As well as playing in the BRFL, Wosomo is part of the Cazalys NT Thunder Under 19 Academy squad and won the Northern Territory Football League’s (NTFL) Under 18 Girls Best and Fairest award earlier this year for her season with the Darwin Buffettes.
Tindal Magpies Captain Farrelly was also awarded 12 votes for her efforts this BRFL season and for always leading her side from the front. She is known for being a great leader who works hard to be in the correct position in order to read the play and rebound the ball back into the forward line for her side.
Farrelly is a great stoppage player who is consistently winning clearances for her side and always makes sure Tindal has first use of the ball from the centre.
Katherine Camels key midfielder Daniel Vercoe took home the Doug Kelly medal with 20 votes, two clear of Garrak’s Gabriel Henry*. Vercoe, a real ball winner this season proved a key driver in drilling the ball into the Camels’ forward line and helping his team secure the minor premiership.
Daniel was rewarded for his BRFL performances tonight after playing nine matches this season where he showcased his ability to clear at stoppages and ability to use the ball cleanly. He will prove handy for the Camels during the rest of the BRFL Finals Series.
The BRFL Grand Finals will play on Saturday 18 September.
Congratulations to all other award recipients listed below.
Leading Goal Kickers – Women’s and Men’s
Rebecca Dennis, Arnhem Crows, 20 goals
Sean Brown, Arnhem Crows, 24 goals
Golden Whistle Award – Daryl Grahek
This award is decided by the Senior Coach of each Club who votes for the umpire they believe to have had the best on-field performance during the season.
Most Professional Club of the Year – Arnhem Crows
The Most Professional Club of the Year award is given to the club who shows the most professionalism during the season, this is done by submitting team sheets correctly and on time, responding to all correspondence, behaviour on the field and correct uniform of the players and support staff.
Volunteers of the Year – Barry and Liz Price
The Volunteers of the Year were awarded to Barry and Liz who proved to be an integral part of the BRFL this season.
Barry is an umpire, assists with line marking, helps every week at Mataranka with setting up and pack down at Mataranka. Barry also assisted in building the new storage area at the Katherine Showgrounds.
Barry’s wife, Liz, has also supported contributed massively to the BRFL through volunteering at the gate for every match at Mataranka and regularly at the Katherine Showgrounds.
2021 BRFL Doug Kelly Medal Night leader boards:
Senior Women’s Best and Fairest
Freda Wosomo – Arnhem Crows – 12 votes
Vicki Farrelly – Tindal Magpies – 12 votes
Hannah Turnbull – Arnhem Crows – 9 votes
Grace Murphy – Tindal Magpies – 8 votes
Carlie Simmonds– Eastside – 7 votes
Senior Men’s Doug Kelly Medal
Daniel Vercoe – Katherine Camels – 20 votes
Gabriel Henry* – Garrak – 18 votes
Warwick Williams – Katherine South – 16 votes
Nicholas Fisher – Eastside – 10 votes
Shanton Ladd – Arnhem Crows – 10 votes
About Doug Kelly
Often referred to as “Mr Top End Football”, Douglas George Kelly, first started playing with Wanderers Football Club Colts as a 14-year-old in 1964 and played over 250 League games.
Doug was a member of Wanderers in the NTFL grand final teams in 1980/81 and 1984/85 and claimed NT football’s ultimate prize twice as a member of the Wanderers premiership teams in 1981/82 and 1982/83.
Doug also spent a number seasons in the CAFL playing for South Alice Springs and Federal.
He proudly represented the NT in a game against Mt Isa in 1971-72 and Queensland in 1972-73.
Residing in Katherine for much of his career it is estimated that Doug travelled the astonishing equivalent of one and half times around the world to play in his estimated 400 senior games in all grades and competitions! It is fitting that each year the medal presented to the best and fairest in the men's competition of the BRFL is named in his honour.
Doug was a key member of Katherine Football Club’s NTFL Reserve Grade Premiership team in 1985/86 and was joint best and fairest in the same year. Doug also played 13 games with the Katherine Football Club in the 1987/88 NTFL season.
Doug also played 70 games with Eastside Football Club in the then-named Katherine Districts Football League (KDFL) and was a member of the club's 1990/91 and 1993/94 premiership teams.
Doug was Eastside’s Leading Goal Kicker three times and won the KDFL’s leading goalkicker award with 63 goals in 1992/93.
Doug’s immense contribution to Territory football was recognised in 1986 when he was made an NTFL Player Life Member in 1989 and in 2012 an AFLNT Hall of Fame Inductee.