Best Club | Best Player | Best Stalwart | Best Team | Best Coach | Best Education Program

Introducing the ten finalists in our The Clubbies 2015 'Best Team' category.

Have a read, cast your vote and you're in the running to win some fantastic prizes.

Casula Lakers Rob's Mob Mixed

Casula Lakers Baseball Club

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This team was put together to honour Trent's mum Robyn who has pancreatic cancer. Robyn's kids, grandkids & step kids dedicated the team to her to thank her for being the wonderful person she is & all that she has done for them over the years. They wore specially made purple shirts with "Rob's Mob" proudly printed on the back, Lakers across the front & a purple ribbon on the left sleeve. Although most of the men in the team have played baseball before, the women in the team hadn't. Rob's Mob went on to win the MBL Senior Winter Div3 grand final, showing great sportsmanship, respect & dedication to both Casula Lakers & Robyn.

Nominated by Suzi Adams (Junior Vice President of the club)

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University Sport Snowsports

Best Team: ANU Snowsports Club Mixed

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Snowsports is the best team on campus. We have over 100 members, and are the most tight-knit club you could ask for. Not only do we compete together, but it's all about promoting a fun (slightly unusual) sport to those who would never otherwise get an opportunity. I know I've made most of my university friends through ANU Snowsports. It's a club where no matter what, you feel included. This year we achieved the best we have ever done at Snow University Games - 4th in Best Male Competitors, and 8th overall out of 21 universities right around Australia (pretty fantastic when up against every single large university around the country!). We've had members join who are almost professional, and members who have never seen snow in their lives compete and achieve for us. We would love to be recognised as a legitimate sporting and social club by winning a Clubbie!

Nominated by Zoe Jones (Member/player)

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Baseball

Best Team: Cronulla Little League Male

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The Cronulla Little League team has achieved feats no baseball team in NSW has achieved after qualifying for the Little League World Series, their prize an all-expenses paid trip to the US. This tournament is broadcast by ESPN to over 5 million people world-wide with games played in packed 35,000 seat stadiums. They ended the tournament with a respectable 1-2 record with their lone victory over against the mighty Dominican Republic. To add they also had a magnificent outfield catch by Myles Chabi acknowledged as Number 5 in Sportscentre’s play of the day! Their success is personified by the way they conduct themselves on the pitch, with head coach Darren Fullerton leading with absolute class at all times which rubs off on the rest of the team. After going through all 17 games with just one narrow loss there is no doubt Cronulla Little League is the best baseball team in the state on the field but it’s the way they conduct themselves off the field that places them highly in the baseball community.

Nominated by Mark Marino (Baseball NSW CEO)

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Baseball

Best Team: Swan Hills Aces Charter

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Thirteen boys were selected in the Swan Hills Aces Charter team in early January 2015 and they trained up to 3 times a week to prepare for the State Championships. They went through undefeated dual Champions due to inclement weather which qualified them to compete at the National Championships in Lismore NSW. The boys finished 2nd in the Nationals and held their heads high after losing the GF. The boys earned the right to travel to Aberdeen Maryland USA to represent Australia at the Cal Ripken World Series. The International teams that they played against were the best of the best in their country and our boys challenged these teams with a fighting spirit. The Swan Hills Aces Charter Team represented their country with pride and dignity and have done their country proud.

Nominated by Nicole Daniele (Mother of player & assistant coach's wife)

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Soccer

Best Team: G16B Female Lindfield Football Club

Northern Sydney Football Association

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We wish to nominate the G16B 2015 team for "The Clubbies" Team Award for their outstanding team spirit and team achievements. Passionate, enthusiastic players with motivated supportive parents underpins our success in girls football. Many of the players in the Lindfield G16B team have played together over a number of years. Last year as G14A they took out the Premiership. This year they have excelled in team spirit as well as on the pitch, currently second in the table in division one. They have demonstrated decision making, hard work, ownership of strategy and responsibility. Just as an example, we include a match report written by one of the players. There is a match report every week. Win or lose (they happened to lose this match) their team spirit shines. “Match Report: Lindfield G16B 0 Lindfield G16A 1 – It was a brilliantly played game with an unlucky goal in the last five seconds. Julia played beautifully throughout the game, a privilege to play with. Not to forget Indie who was always there for the ball which made the game flow amazingly well. Pippa and Izzy… your attacks were mind-blowing to watch as always, you both deserved at least 10 goals each from the skill you were displaying. Maddie saved the impossible goal from the opposing team. Many more goals would have appeared in the score if it wasn’t for Kristen and Anna's tackling talent – we would have been at least 10 down if it weren't for them. Jordan is always saving the goals before they happen, which I am eternally thankful for! You jumped like … I dunno twice your height and headed the ball over the head of the tallest person on the other team! I really hope you and Harshita didn't lose too many brain cells. Amelia and Harshita were priceless on the back line and I can't wait till the next game when we can play together again! Cat … brilliant tackles, excellent job in mid-field (we will miss you next game). We miss playing with you Tori, Lucy, Clara and Max.

Nominated by Maree Teesson (manager) and Stephen Swatridge (coach)

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Baseball

Best Team: The Camels, University of Newcastle Baseball Camels

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Win or lose we are the happiest team in our whole baseball league. Our team-mates in outfield often like to break out into song with some Disney classics to get the team motivated. We have won the most games this season compared to previous seasons and are always supportive of each other. We are funny, love baseball and are all good mates. This year we have Hwan our import all the way from South Korea who plays 3rd base and does the occasional Korean BBQ for the team. We have one of our pitchers a former NSW javelin thrower who rockets the ball in with this being his debut season. We have Flex, an IT major, at shortstop who fell into mud at home base not once but twice. Glen plays outfield and watches the ball go past him and just stands there for the majority of the season.

Nominated by Michelle Wolstenholme (2nd base on the team)

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Soccer

Best Team: Centenary Stormers (City 7), BRISBANE

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Truly a feel good story! I started the team as Player/Manager in 2014 with a handful of mates looking to play locally. The Centenary Stormers were good enough to enter us with 2 weeks until start of season and only 5 registered players. The next 2 weeks in and around full time employment I spent many hours and late nights sourcing a squad through friends and family. I managed to sign 2 players on Round 1 eve, to make a starting lineup of 11. An AFL player for a goalkeeper and a few guys who had never played outdoor all met for the first time at the first match of the season. Needless to say, we lost the first 6 matches (including one to our local rival 17-4). Over that period though I managed to sign a few more players, enough to have some substitutes and we slowly but surely became a fitter and more cohesive unit. From then on we went on a 16-game unbeaten streak, and ended the season in 5th place, one point adrift of 4th. Yes we were disappointed and there was emotion after playing 16 ‘must win’ games in a row, but we walked away vowing to come back and win the Premiership the following year. Roll on season 2015, where we extended our streak to exactly 30 matches and ended the season with a Premiership Medal and only one loss to our record. We achieved what we set out to achieve 12 months ago, and now with a home semi-final to come this weekend, a win will take us to the Grand Final on September 13th with the chance to do the double! No one expected that after our start to 2014!

Nominated by LEE STOERMER (Manager)

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Soccer

Best Team: Croydon Kings Under 7's white

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This under 7's team has developed in leaps and bounds over a short amount of time. Not only with their skill set but with their sense of sportsmanship and fair play. Some examples of this are during play throughout the season there was an opposing teams player who fell to the ground with an injury during play. Two of the players from U7's Croydon completely stopped play to see if the injured player was ok – conceding a goal in the process. On several occasions there has not been enough players on the opposition’s side and the Croydon Kings boys were happy to throw on a bib and play for the other side just so they could all have a game. Their skill base has grown so much as they are all extremely passionate about the game. I believe their team work and team ethic is so strong that winning this award would help motivate and remind them how proud as parents and coaches we are of their efforts.

Nominated by James Stolinski (coach)

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Rowing

Best Team: Women's Open Eight, Balmain Rowing Club Grade and Masters Rowing NSW

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Balmain is a community rowing club providing the opportunity to row to people from the local area and beyond. The club was established in 1882 and displays the traditional black & gold hoops that are synonymous with Balmain sports. Balmain women have never been very successful in racing eights - it's hard to get enough skilled, committed ladies to make it viable. It is a prestigious boat class and is hotly contested at all levels of competition. Our women are a motley crew, ranging in age from 18 to 50, in height from 5'2" to 6" and in weight from 55kgs to 90kgs. Their team photo shows what an assorted, rag-tag bunch they are. This year, our Open Women’s Squad swapped their traditional program to focus on rowing the eight. They decided to put in the hours, on and off the water, train hard and really work together. In their grade competition, they won first place in every regatta they contested – including Gold at the State Championships. In the Masters division, individual rowers can join forces and row as composite crews, rather than whole-club crews. The Balmain ladies competed as a club crew, against some very fast composite crews to take out Silver at the State Championships and Bronze at the Nationals. They also took the medal for fastest Club Crew in the A Grade event. This team is a group of ordinary local ladies who this year achieved something truly outstanding – both for themselves and for our club.

Nominated by Lara Frolchenko (Club Vice Captain)

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Cricket

Best Team: Sydney University Cricket Club Second Grade

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Premiership – check. Undefeated – check. Spirit of Cricket Award – check. Fun and social culture – check. Breeding ground for young cricketers – check. Sydney University Cricket Club’s Second Grade team is an outstanding group of men and a deserved nomination for The Clubbies – Team of the Year. Led by Club stalwart and 9-time premiership winner Tom Kierath, our 2nd Grade team claimed the Sydney Cricket Association’s Albert Cup for the fourth consecutive season. This team not only claimed the title for 2014/15 but did so undefeated and ensured they extended the streak they’ve had since December 2013. Wins certainly did not come easy for this team in 2014/15, the team’s experience in tight situations and winning culture saw them squeeze out of many close calls. No matter what the total, the team’s bowlers stood up when it counted, dominating all-comers and only conceding more than 200 runs twice in the season. SUCC 2nd Grade kept nine of their oppositions to less than 150 runs including four innings of under 100 runs. The bats also had a strong year with a highest total of 8 declared for 410 runs, six other totals exceeding 250 runs, and four individual century scorers. The strength of this team is a core of experienced players, however it is the young players that displayed their prowess in 2014/15. Youngster Ben Trevor-Jones grafted an outstanding century on debut for the Club in the opening match of the season, before spending a good portion of the season keeping in the first grade side. Fellow student Max Hope also scored a breakthrough century, belting a highest score of 185 runs late in the season. A dominant season was rewarded with a home grand final, and resulted in a big win over Manly. Veteran Steven Hobson led the team out of its usual early trouble to post a popular century and a team total of 330 runs. The team’s bowlers continued their strong form to roll the opposition for 117 runs, and a 213-run victory! It may be easy to do when winning, but this team has one of the most vibrant and friendly social atmospheres in the Club. Often welcoming opposition teams to share a beer and a laugh after the match in the dressing rooms, they are also the first to be found back at the home hotel celebrating another successful round for the Club. This team is undoubtedly successful, is a fantastic breeding ground for the young stars of our Club, leads the way with the social atmosphere, and would be deserving of The Clubbies – Team of the Year award for 2014/15.

Nominated by DALE BRYANT (CLUB ADMINISTRATOR)

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