The high achievers were recognised and the coaches, players and support staff congratulated on a job well done at the annual Junior Representative Presentation Night held in the auditorium at Sharkies Leagues Club.
Awards were presented for Player of the Year and Coaches Award in both Matthews Cup and SG Ball, while the Sharks also crowned the 2014 Junior Representative Player of the Year during a night where satisfaction was expressed as to the efforts of all concerned.
While neither side made the respective competition finals, the Matthews Cup under 16’s finished equal seventh, missing out on the top eight on for-and-against while it was a similar story for the SG squad who were 10th but just one win away from qualifying for the playoffs.
On the so-called tougher half of the draw, in the final wash up six of the teams the Matthews Cup Sharks played during the year qualified for the finals, with five of the SG Ball side’s opponents finishing inside the top eight.
As for the award winners, SG Ball half back Connor Tracey was named Junior Rep Player of the Year for his consistently high level of play throughout the nine-game season.
Tracey also collected the SG Ball Player of the Year, while lock Billy Magoulias was given the Coaches Award.
A hard working lock who still has another year of eligibility in the Under 18’s next season, Magoulias played almost every minute, of every game during the SG Ball season.
The awards presented to Tracey capped off an exciting week, with the Woolooware High and De La Salle Caringbah product recently named in the NSW Combined High Schools team to contest the National Championships in Darwin. He has also been elevated into the Sharks NYC team, with Tracey playing two games in the under-20’s so far this season.
In the Matthews Cup backrower Daniel De Vecchis was named Coaches Award winner, with hooker Blayke Brailey the Player of the Year.
During the night the Sharks expressed their appreciation to the Junior Rep sponsors, with Salmon Buckets and Attachments, Chill Tech and Green Options providing invaluable support to the elite junior teams and development programs.
Triple Bull Surf and Ski at Cronulla generously donated vouchers to the award winners.
Special guests invited into the stage included NRL coach Peter Sharp who remembered back to the days he was in charge of the Newcastle Knights Junior Rep teams, while NRL 300-gamer John Morris encouraged all in the room to continue to chase their dreams and to work as hard as they can to try to achieve their goals.
A number of players from both teams now go into 17’s and 19’s development programs, with a handful eligible to play either Matthews Cup or SG Ball again in 2015.
