Photo Credit – Dan Cowley (For player images)
3-Minute Read
The Basketball SA Awards took place last Sunday afternoon at the National Wine Centre with the Lorraine Eiler Medal (formerly known as the Halls Medal and named after a pioneer of Women’s basketball) and the Noel Woollacott Medal for the Fairest and Most Brilliant players of the league presented.
For the first time since 2014 – A Norwood Flame Woman achieved the ultimate individual accolade with a first Eiler Medal in 12 years when Cali Clark won the award on 35 votes – probably surprisingly seven votes clear of Sturt Sabres star and Coaches MVP Tayla Brazel (28). Tied in third place on count-back were West Adelaide Bearcats Morgan Yaeger and Chloe Hodges (26). Clark joined the Flames Amy Lewis, Jess Foley (twice a winner), Kristen Veal, Natasha O’Brien, Vicki Daldy and Mara Asenkamps as their eighth winner of the award.
Clark polled nine perfect games whereas runner up Brazel polled five in the count – Sam Simons (19 and in the top ten) of the Forestville Eagles had a strong start after Round 5 with the top four taking control after Round 10. Joining the four players of Clark, Brazel, Yaeger and Chloe Hodges in the all-star five was Norwood Flames import guard Allysin Becki who finished outside the top ten. Rounding out the top ten instead was Southern Tigers Mollie McKendrick (23), South Adelaide Panthers Keira Gardiner (21), Woodville Warriors Brittany Hodges (19), polling an incredible 19 votes in the second half of the season West Adelaide Bearcats Alex Ciabattoni and teammate Coco Hodges (17).
Matthew Clarke of the West Adelaide Bearcats won his second Coach of the Year award to beat out newcomer Norwood Flames Matthew Hunt and three-time winner Sturt Sabres Tim Shortt. Tayla Brazel became the first winner since Chelsea Brook in 2018 to take out the Merv Harris award for the best U23 Youth Player of the Year beating out last years winner South Adelaide Panther Keira Gardiner and West Adelaide Bearcat Coco Hodges. Chloe Hodges added to her accolades with a first Defensive Player of the Year making her the first since Jasmine Simmons in 2022 to win the award and the fourth Bearcat women since its inclusion in 1998. Ella Sawyer of the Forestville Eagles was second and Woodville Warriors Sophie Kerridge was third in the votes.
The Mens was more of a foregone conclusion with South Adelaide Panther Jeremy Smith achieving his second Woollacott medal after winning the award in 2022 and became the South Adelaide Panthers 11th winner of the award and third of the NBL1 Central Era. His 33 votes beat out eligible runner-up Norwood Flames Thomas Kurowski (26) and Sturt Sabres Josh Tomasi (23). Central Districts Lions Magok Manyang and Forestville Eagles Alex Starling polled strongly up to Round 5 with Smith taking the lead after Round 10. From there Smith polled three perfect games which was enough despite Kurowski rattling off 12 votes in the last part of the season to come firing home for the Flames.
Smith also took out the Coaches MVP and was named in the all-star five along with Forestville Eagles Jordan Forbes (16 votes) and Daniel Johnson (16 votes) and Panther teammate Lloyd McVeigh (21). Rounding out the top ten were Forestville Eagles Greg Mays (21), Woodville Warriors Nick Wurm (21), Alex Starling (20), Central Districts Lions Jaden Seymour (20), Eastern Mavericks BJ Symons (19) and North Adelaide Rocket Oskar Jones (16).
Coach of the Year was a tight race with first time eligible coach Sturt Sabres Jakob Dorricott adding to the Sabres coaching accolades becoming the clubs fourth winner of the award in the NBL1 Central Era joining Paul Rigoni (2021, 2023 and 2024) with other eligible newcomer Miles Pearce of the Norwood Flames runner up in 2026. The Frank Angove Medal for the best U23 Youth Player of the Year went to newcomer North Adelaide Rockets Oskar Jones who beat out Central Districts Lions Deng Manyang and Southern Tigers Che Brogan.
Proving he still has it at that end of the floor Alex Starling (2017, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024) took out his sixth Defensive Player of the Year making it four in five seasons and is now equal with Norwood Flames Todd Matthews (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014) in awards achieved. He also joined Brad Gerlach (2009 and 2013) as Forestville’s second winner of the award beating out South Adelaide Panther Yevgen Sahkniuk and Woodville Warrior Bennett Sherry
In other key awards – The Reserves MVP went to Chelsea Portus (Sturt Sabres) in the Womens going back-to-back while in the Mens Stefan Gould (Forestville Eagles) made it three in a row. For the officials the Phillip Yuill medal for the Womens was awarded to Bailey Dyer for the second time and for the Mens to James Griguol. New award for Photo of the Year went to Siddharth Srinivasan who’s image of Mack Schaftenaar being chased down by Cooper Osborne with a pensive crowd awaiting whether player with ball or defender would finish their work captured the spirit and essence of the moment.
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