Cork Church of Ireland hitman Jonny Bruton has been nominated in the new men’s club player of the year category ahead of the forthcoming ESB Irish Hockey Awards.
In announcing the nominees for the awards, which will take place at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin on May 23, the IHA has revealed a change in the structure by splitting the player of the year awards.
While core members of the Irish international squads will vote on the senior player of the year, the new ”club player’ award recognises the achievements of other players plying their trade in the top tiers around the provinces.
Bruton has been nominated for men’s club award alongside Three Rock’s Neil Lyons, Monkstown’s prolific hitman Gareth Watkins and Cookstown skipper Ian Hutchinson.
C of I's Jonny Bruton (right) is off to Australia to play for Freemantle Magpies in Perth next month. Picture: Adrian Boehm
However, he will already have winged his way to Australia by the time the ceremony comes around, having decided to join the Freemantle Magpies in Perth for the club season down under, which began in April and finishes in September.
Bruton is following a path well-worn by other Irish players Phelie Maguire and Peter Blakeney; the latter returned to Ireland this season after successfully breaking into the state side, Western Australia Thundersticks.
Elsewhere, Jean McDonnell and Emma Smyth are predictably in the shake-up for the women’s award after spearheading Railway Union’s charge to a first Leinster title in 100 years. They are joined by Hermes’ mercurial young forward Anna O’Flanagan and Susie Martin of Ballymoney.
The boys’ U-18 player of the year looks exceptionally tough to call, given David Carson, Kyle Good, Shane O’Donoghue and Stephen Cole have all enjoyed exceptional seasons.
Catholic Institute’s Naomi Carroll is in the shake-up for the girls’ equivalent, along with fellow superstars-in-waiting Chloe Watkins, Niamh Atcheler and Dora Gorman.
It will no doubt be interesting to see how the awards timeframe of February 2008 – February 2009 affects where the coach and club of the year gongs end up going.
Irish assistant coach Craig Fulton has masterminded Leinster league, EuroHockey Club Trophy and Irish Senior Cup victories for Pembroke outside those dates, while Mary Logue last weekend guided UCD to an astonishing first Irish Senior Cup win in 58 years.
In any case, Logue will be more worried about her side’s final league clash with Hermes tonight, something Cork C of I will have a keen interest in.
Catholic Institute's Naomi Carroll is among the nominees for U18 Player of the Year. Picture: Adrian Boehm
A win for the Belfielders will give them an IHL wildcard spot – they won that competition last term – but if Hermes can avoid defeat, Old Alex will go forward to this weekend’s tournament. Greenfields and Belfast Harlequins are also in the shake-up alongside C of I.
Fulton’s Pembroke are also a strong bet for club of the year, as their first-team success has been replicated down the ranks, though fellow nominees Cookstown, Three Rock and Railway have also had much to shout about at various stages.
Geoff Conn’s candidacy for umpire of the year was strengthened by his good performances in the EuroHockey League – though again, these have come outside the date criteria – while Carol Metchette went one better by officiating at the Beijing Olympics last summer.
The conveyor belts of talent at Bandon and Cork C of I have been rewarded with youth club of the year nominations,while the sterling work done at underage level in Limerick has paid off with a nomination for emerging club of the year.
Last but by no means least, the Munster hockey community will also be championing the cause of Cork Harlequins’ Finbarr Kelleher for volunteer of the year.
Finbarr continues to be a superb servant to the game, whether it be in the committee room or on the pitch; anyone who has dealt with him either in his capacity as the branch’s honorary secretary and PRO or as an umpire knows the mark of the man.
He has provided immense help to Southern Fried this term with everything from gathering background information to amassing results and goalscorers, and been a keen supporter of the blog venture; I for one would like to wish him the best of luck.
ESB Irish Hockey Awards nominees 2008/09Senior Player of the Year (men and women): TBC
Men’s Senior Club Player of the Year: J Bruton (Cork C of I), N Lyons (Three Rock Rovers), G Watkins (Monkstown), I Hutchinson (Cookstown).
Women’s Senior Club Player of the Year: S Martin (Ballymoney), E Smyth (Railway Union), A O’Flanagan (Hermes), J McDonnell (Railway Union).
Boys U18 Player of the Year: D Carson (Corinthian), K Good (Three Rock Rovers), S O’Donoghue (Glenanne), S Cole (Monkstown).
David Harvey (left) is one of the latest off a long conveyor belt of talent at C of I, which has seen them earn a Youth Club of the Year nomination alongside Bandon. Picture: Adrian BoehmGirls U18 Player of the Year: N Carroll (Catholic Institute), N Atcheler (Hermes), D Gorman (Greenfields), C Watkins (Hermes).
Coach of The Year: T O’Siochain (Three Rock Rovers), C Fulton (Pembroke Wanderers), M Haycock (Cookstown), M Logue (UCD).
Club of the Year: Cookstown, Pembroke Wanderers, Railway Union Ladies, Three Rock Rovers.
Umpire of the Year: G Conn, R Johnston, C Metchette, K Bolger.
Emerging Club of the Year: Wexford, Limerick, Galway.
Volunteer of the Year: SA Fanagan (Loreto), N Gartside (Ards), M Flahavan (Naas), F Kelleher (Cork Harlequins).
Development Coach of the Year: N Denham (Three Rock Rovers), D Cole (Monkstown), F O’Flynn (Greenfields), N Fulton (Pembroke Wanderers).
Youth Club of the Year: Monkstown, Lisnagarvey, Bandon, Cork C of I.
Post Author:
alangood
7 Replies to “Oz-bound Bruton up for top award”
Here’s an interesting statistic.Just counted the number of nominees including clubs in the IHA hockey awards.Out of 43,only 14 are non leinster.Thats 32.5% from Ulster and Munster combined and a whopping 67.5%( two thirds) from Leinster.Why not rename them the Irish Leinster Hockey Awards and be done with it.Anyone for Dublin lads??
Well done John, but did Munster clubs and branch not out anyone else forward, Adam Pritchard, Jason Black, Sean Nicholson, Karl Lynch, Andrew Daunte, Darren Sweetnam, Young Player, Dermot Judge Development Coach, Donal Kingston, Barry Crowley Volunteer etc etc, Any of our coaches that bring more players on and get no recognition as they are not perceived to be as good or as successful as the Leinster and Ulster Counter Parts. We have loads of people who are better and put more effort in than the rest of Ireland, Munster has been let down by who ever or whatever.
Shame, shame, shame
The awards criteria are circulated to all club by finbarr K. it is up to each club to enter, there is a list of guideline for each award. it is also on the iha web site and very easy for a person to nominate ……..
I think you need to ask your club committee did anybody bother to enter your club or club person etc. easy to do stats and complain – how about actually doing something like entering instead of complaining. Maybe you should offer to do the entry for next year.
seems like another member of the hockey faternity that does a lot of talking and not a lot of action
Sorry, I do plenty upto 20 hours for the sport a week and i do not expect recognition for myself I am at a very low level but I do expext more Munster names to be on the list. If the clubs have not put them in it is shame, shame, shame and looking at the list of names selected and the IHA have deemed them unworthy it is shame, shame, shame on them.
”We have loads of people who are better and put more effort in than the rest of Ireland, Munster has been let down by who ever or whatever.
Shame, shame, shame”
What a ridiculous staement. Obviously you have an indept knowledge of what goes on in other branches, perhaps you can reveal how you measured this effort and which coaches players and umpires have put in more than the others in other provinces.
Clubs need to get the finger out, every club was entitled to vote. Maybe Fed Up you need to get onto your clubs committee to ensure you get nominated for your 20 hours a week, obviously more than what others are doing in the rest of Ireland!
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Here’s an interesting statistic.Just counted the number of nominees including clubs in the IHA hockey awards.Out of 43,only 14 are non leinster.Thats 32.5% from Ulster and Munster combined and a whopping 67.5%( two thirds) from Leinster.Why not rename them the Irish Leinster Hockey Awards and be done with it.Anyone for Dublin lads??
Well done John, but did Munster clubs and branch not out anyone else forward, Adam Pritchard, Jason Black, Sean Nicholson, Karl Lynch, Andrew Daunte, Darren Sweetnam, Young Player, Dermot Judge Development Coach, Donal Kingston, Barry Crowley Volunteer etc etc, Any of our coaches that bring more players on and get no recognition as they are not perceived to be as good or as successful as the Leinster and Ulster Counter Parts. We have loads of people who are better and put more effort in than the rest of Ireland, Munster has been let down by who ever or whatever.
Shame, shame, shame
The awards criteria are circulated to all club by finbarr K. it is up to each club to enter, there is a list of guideline for each award. it is also on the iha web site and very easy for a person to nominate ……..
I think you need to ask your club committee did anybody bother to enter your club or club person etc. easy to do stats and complain – how about actually doing something like entering instead of complaining. Maybe you should offer to do the entry for next year.
seems like another member of the hockey faternity that does a lot of talking and not a lot of action
Sorry, I do plenty upto 20 hours for the sport a week and i do not expect recognition for myself I am at a very low level but I do expext more Munster names to be on the list. If the clubs have not put them in it is shame, shame, shame and looking at the list of names selected and the IHA have deemed them unworthy it is shame, shame, shame on them.
”We have loads of people who are better and put more effort in than the rest of Ireland, Munster has been let down by who ever or whatever.
Shame, shame, shame”
What a ridiculous staement. Obviously you have an indept knowledge of what goes on in other branches, perhaps you can reveal how you measured this effort and which coaches players and umpires have put in more than the others in other provinces.
Clubs need to get the finger out, every club was entitled to vote. Maybe Fed Up you need to get onto your clubs committee to ensure you get nominated for your 20 hours a week, obviously more than what others are doing in the rest of Ireland!
out ya johnny b boi!!
i agree with April 29th, 2009 at 10:34 pm