By Tricia Mifsud
THE Northern Football Netball League, NFNL, board has determined how it will recognise the achievement of clubs who have finished on top of its home and away ladder, stating that it was necessary in some way to reward division leaders.
All seniors, reserves and under 19 sides in men and women’s football, and all netball competitions will award minor premiership cups and flags to the teams who finished first on the home and away ladder.
Kilmore Netball Club’s Kilmore Five team has been awarded minor premiers for 2021.
Junior football will be the only division that will award a premiership cup, flag and medallions to its club and players who finished first.
Runners-up medallions will also be presented to the club that finished second on the ladder.
The NFNL Board said in a statement published on September 9, it approached circumstances differently when deciding how to recognise the clubs that finished on top of the ladder.
“The NFNL Board adopted a different approach when making its determination on the junior football competitions, with encouraging participation and enjoyment the overriding priority in all junior sport,” the statement read.
“As such, it was the NFNL Board’s view that there was not the same requirement for a finals series to determine the outcome of the season.”
Following the cancellation of the 2021 season, a decision was also made on promotion and relegation of teams for the 2022 competition.
In the same statement, the NFNL board said: “Promotion and relegation will not be applied due to the shortened home and away season and cancellation of the finals series.”
The decision to not apply relegation to the 2021 season was made earlier in July, however, the board added that promotion would not occur and all teams in men’s senior and reserve competitions will compete in the same competition in 2022 as all did this season.
As promotion and relegation is only applied to the senior’s men competition, the divisional structure for the 2022 season has confirmed to be: division one, 10 teams, division two, 10 teams and division three, eight teams.
The NFNL also confirmed the dates for all 2021 awards ceremonies.
The junior football awards were last held on September 13, and the netball awards were held on September 16. The men’s football awards will be held tomorrow night from 7pm.
Wallan’s juniors was awarded Junior Club of the Year.
For the junior girls best and fairest awards, Laurimar’s Mia Caruso and Olivia Curavic finished equal second and Whittlesea’s Tahlia Pyle finished third in the under 16s girls red.
For the junior boys best and fairest awards, Laurimar’s Archer Fenton was awarded best and fairest for under 15s boys blue. Whittlesea’s Harvey Hempenstall finished third in the under 15s boys red. Laurimar’s Jack Stone finished third in the under 14s boys blue.
Kilmore’s Jackson Mansfield and Matthew Repic finished first and third respectively in the under 14s boys red. Kilmore’s Luke Hillard finished third in the under 13s boys blue, Wallan’s Max Lehner finished third in the under 13s boys red and Laurimar’s Harley Liversidge finished third in the under 13s boys green.
In the netball best and fairest, Kilmore’s Ella Stoward finished first in section 10, with Whittlesea’s Shanae Watson tied in third place. Also Whittlesea’s Daina Peet and Rachel Kemp finished second and third respectively in section three and Tahlia Brander finished third in section six.
You can tune in live on the NFNL Facebook page at each of the ceremony times to watch the award winning players and umpires be announced.