2024 Polytan Hockey Victoria Awards Night Wrap Up

The 2024 Polytan Hockey Victoria Awards Night was a huge success last Friday, 20 September 2024. Hosted at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre (MCEC) in the glorious Melbourne Room 1, this year saw 390 guests unite and celebrate the remarkable achievement of the Victorian Hockey Community.

Congratulations to all the finalists and winners on the evening, you filled the room with cheers, laughter, and created an incredible atmosphere to make a memorable evening.

We’d like to thank our wonderful partners, Polytan, for helping make the evening extra special and joining us throughout the night. You have always been passionate and dedicated to Hockey, and you showcased that through your support of the event.

We also love to give a huge shout out and thank you to our wonderful MC, Holly Bailey from Play Like A Girl Australia. After hosting our Women & Girls Breakfast in early 2024, we were thrilled and honored to have Holly return for the Awards Night!

All photos are available here, thanks to Mark Avellino Photography. 

Without further ado, here is the list of the exceptional award recipients from the unforgettable 2024 Hockey Victoria Awards Night:

2024 Life Member Inductees

• Nicole Date
• Peter Cohen AM; OAM; LLB (Melb)

2024 Award of Merit

• Wendy Moore
• Karen Russ
• Ruth Ryan
• Gordan Smith

2024 Community Awards

Polytan Community Club of the Year Finalists

Bayside Cougars Hockey Club & Yarra Hockey Club (Dual Winners)

La Trobe University Hockey Club

North West Lightning

HCM Hookin2Hockey Club of the Year Finalists

Southern United Hockey Club (Winner)

Goulburn Valley Hockey Association

Mentone Hockey Club

Administrator of the Year Finalists

Kelly Godfrey – LaTrobe Valley Hockey Association (Winner)

David Hyland – Casey Hockey Club

Graeme Dent – Geelong Hockey Association

Rachel Black – Bayside Cougars Hockey Club

Coach of the Year Finalists

Katie Gifford – North Central Hockey Association (Winner)

Kirsty Welsman – KBH Brumbies Hockey Club

Greg Drake – Altona Hockey Club

Tammy Hansford – Hockey Geelong Sharks

Official of the Year Finalists

Taela Eggers – Melton Hockey Club (Winner)

Jaiden Bridge – Hockey South West

Stephanie Thompson – Footscray Hockey Club

Stephen McDonald – Altona Hockey Club

2024 Officiating Awards

Jim McDowell Medal – Most Promising Junior Umpire (Girls): Bridie Casey

Jim McDowell Medal – Most Promising Junior Umpire (Boys): Jasper Kay Kneebone

Mike Taylor Medal – Most Improved Junior Umpire (Girls): Kay-Leigh Jooste

Mike Taylor Medal – Most Improved Junior Umpire (Boys): Finnegan Castor

Dieter Lau Medal – Best Junior Umpire Umpiring Seniors (Girls): Georgina Kennedy

Dieter Lau Medal – Best Junior Umpire Umpiring Seniors (Boys): Hayden MacPhie

Elaine Dunk Award – Female Umpire of the Year: Rhiannon Murrie

David Saleeba Award - Male Umpire of the Year: James Unkles

Technical Official of the Year Award: Joshua Burt

2024 State Representative Awards

Viper of the Year: Kristina Bates

Max Campbell Award - Viking of the Year: Johan Durst

2024 Vic League Awards
Leading Goal Scorers

Jessica Boyd – MCC Hockey Section: 29 Goals

Men’s Vic League 2 

Michael Hare – Eastern Christian Hockey Organisation: 23 Goals

Women’s Vic League 2

Chloe Chatterton – PEGS Hockey Club: 41 Goals

Men’s Vic League 3 North West

Jacob Pane & Thomas Pollock – RMIT Hockey Club: 12 Goals

Men’s Vic League 3 South East

Matthew Zurrer – Gippsland Strikers: 31 Goals

Women’s Vic League 3

Jessica Lee – Greater Dandenong Warriors Hockey Club: 12 Goals

Best & Fairest Awards

Women’s Vic League 3

3^rd – Eleanor Patterson – Melbourne High School Old Boys Hockey Club: 17 Votes
2^nd – Charley Jansz – Greater Dandenong Warriors Hockey Club: 18 Votes

Winner: Zoe Lewington – Greater Dandenong Warriors Hockey Club: 27 Votes

Men’s Vic League 3 South East
3^rd – Matthew Zurrer – Gippsland Strikers: 17 Votes
2^nd – Hamza Fayyaz – Latrobe Valley Hockey Association: 20 Votes

Winner: Josh Horsburgh – Gippsland Strikers: 21 Votes

Men’s Vic League 3 North West
3^rd – Alfie Brown – Melton Hockey Club: 18 Votes

3^rd – Paramjit Singh Dhillon – Aussie Punjabi Sports Club: 18 Votes
2^nd – Jacob Pane – RMIT Hockey Club: 21 Votes

Winner: Matthew Hunter-Scott – Old Trinity Grammarians Hockey Club: 23 Votes

Women’s Vic League 2

3^rd – Kerry Gannon – Mooroopna Hockey Club: 13 Votes
2^nd – Zoe Killeen – PEGS Hockey Club: 15 Votes

2^nd – Milla Conn – PEGS Hockey Club: 15 Votes

2^nd – Brittany Webster – Werribee Hockey Club: 15 Votes

2^nd – Brittany McIntyre – Werribee Hockey Club: 15 Votes

Winner: Claire Aston – PEGS Hockey Club: 21 Votes

Men’s Vic League 2

3^rd – Tristan Chaffey – Casey Hockey Club: 19 Votes
3^rd – David Jensen – Eastern Christian Hockey Organisation: 19 Votes
2^nd – Abu Bakar Mahmood – Bayside Cougars Hockey Club: 30 Votes
Winner: Cameron Ritchie – Casey Hockey Club: 31 Votes

Women’s Vic League 1

3^rd – Hannah Maloney – WestVic Hockey: 23 Votes
2^nd – Shae Oliver – Monash University Hockey Club: 24 Votes
Winner: Nicola Brown – Yarra Hockey Club: 26 Votes

Men’s Vic League 1

3^rd – Chris Chambers – Werribee Hockey Club: 18 Votes
2^nd – Dylan Swanepoel – Mentone Hockey Club: 21 Votes

2^nd – Jack Chadwick – WestVic Hockey: 21 Votes
Winner: Aman Gulati – Melbourne Sikhs United Hockey Club: 23 Votes

Vic League Team of the Year

Men’s Vic League 3

Women’s Vic League 3

Men’s Vic League 2

Women’s Vic League 2

Women’s Vic League 1

Men’s Vic League 1

2024 Premier League Awards

Leading Goal Scorers

Lou Dobson Medal - Women’s Premier League Leading Goal Scorer

Winner: Becky Manton – Hawthorn Hockey Club: 24 Goals

Colin Batch Medal - Men’s Premier League Leading Goal Scorer

Winner: Damon Steffens – Waverley Hockey Club: 31 Goals

Best & Fairest Awards

Don & Pam Vincent Award – Women’s Premier League Best & Fairest Award

3^rd – Pippa Lock – Hawthorn Hockey Club: 23 Votes

3^rd – Ruby Anastasio – Waverley Hockey Club: 23 Votes
2^nd – Olivia Downes – Essendon Hockey: 25 Votes
Winner: Kristina Bates – Camberwell Hockey Club: 42 Votes

Fin McNab Award - Men’s Premier League Best & Fairest Award - 

3^rd – Nye Roberts – Altona Hockey Club: 25 Votes
2^nd – Peter Scott – MCC Hockey Section: 27 Votes
Winner: Joshua Brooks – KBH Brumbies Hockey Club: 30 Votes

Premier League All-Star Teams

Women's

Men's