The Gold Industry Group West Australian Netball League (GIG WANL) celebrated the best performers for the season on Saturday night, with the presentation of the prestigious 2019 Jill McIntosh Medal.
The Gold Industry Group (GIG) joined coaches, players, administrators, umpires, officials and volunteers from across the State at the Rendezvous Hotel in Scarborough on Saturday evening, as the votes were counted from every 2019 GIG WANL game.
The Jill McIntosh Medal represents the GIG WANL’s annual recognition of the League’s Fairest and Best player. First awarded in 1994, the Medal has since been the pinnacle award for netball in Western Australia.
During speeches by Jill McIntosh, Netball WA President Grant Robinson and West Coast Fever Head Coach Stacey Marinkovich, the GIG was acknowledged for its groundbreaking commitment to the sport, as the Principal Partner of Netball WA and naming rights partner of the West Australian Netball League, which saw seven new clubs join the League this year.
At the end of each GIG WANL game umpires awarded six votes on a 3-2-1 basis, creating a ladder of players vying for the most votes overall in order to be awarded the impressive title.
The evening saw these votes officially counted, and West Coast Warriors shooter Donnell Wallam crowned the 2019 Jill McIntosh Medallist.
Taking to the stage, Ms Wallam expressed her gratitude saying she felt honoured to receive the award.
“It means a lot. I didn’t expect this to happen at my age – I’m 25 now.
“I’m proud of how far I have come since the start of the season. I almost never got through pre-season. I didn’t think I would be able to play at this level but the Warriors made me feel welcome all the way through. From the moment I arrived at the club, they were very welcoming and encouraged me,” she said.
Ms Wallam finished just one vote ahead of her teammate Stephanie Cooper in a thrilling tally, securing the highest individual honour in the GIG WANL with 16 votes, collected from seven of her 12 games.
Netball WA General Manager of Community Netball, Liz Booth, congratulated Ms Wallam on her first Jill McIntosh Medal.
“It’s always exciting for a player to win our game’s highest honour for the first time and Donnell thoroughly deserves this accolade,” she said.
Winning the Jill McIntosh Medal and also named Players’ Player of the Year during the awards ceremony, caps off a fruitful year for Ms Wallam, who finished the 2019 season with a league high of 777 goals, Team of the Year selection; a premiership; and she was named Grand Final MVP.
Wallam’s team the West Coast Warriors completed a successful season by claiming Club of the Year and Head Coach Lorraine Ward was named Coach of the Year, both presented by Gold Industry Group Executive Officer Rebecca Johnston. Warriors player Kellie Baker was named Best and Fairest in the 20U, and player Ron Winter also named Best and Fairest in the Men’s Division.
For a full list of award recipients, visit Netball WA’s website.
The GIG is proud to support netball in Western Australia, thanks to members Gold Fields, Northern Star Resources, Saracen Mineral Holdings, Newcrest Mining, St Barbara Limited, Newmont Goldcorp Australia, AngloGold Ashanti Australia, Gold Road Resources and Ramelius Resources.