Awards honour many in North Coast history
Cambridge McCormick receives the 2019 AFL North Coast Women's Best and Fairest award from Jill Woodlock.
RECENT announcements of Best & Fairest medals and a Club Championship Shield being named after AFL North Coast identities brings the question of how many of the League’s medals and awards bear the name of somebody in the League’s history.
Below is the list of all of the AFL North Coast identities who have the honour of having an award named after them.
BEST & FAIRESTS
Senior Men’s Grade – the Brian Saville Medal
Brian Saville is a true pioneer of football in the North Coast region.
He was instrumental in the first football matches being played in Coffs Harbour in 1977. A team was formed and entered the Armidale competition in 1978. In late 1979, Brian and others championed the establishment of a second club in Coffs Harbour and this occurred in 1980.
In 1982 the two Coffs clubs were joined by Grafton, Woolgoolga, Urunga, and Port Macquarie and North Coast AFL was formed. Saville was the inaugural president and served in this role for several years through the establishment of the League.
The Men’s League Best & Fairest Medal was named after Saville in 2017.
Port Macquarie’s Kyle Bray receives the 2019 Brian Saville Medal from Brian.
Senior Women’s Grade – the Cambridge McCormick Medal
During the first two seasons of the AFL North Coast’s Women’s competition, Cambridge McCormick was a tremendous player for Port Macquarie.
She not only won the first two AFL North Coast Women’s Best & Fairest awards in both 2018 and 2019 but in those same two years Cambridge was named as the best player on the ground in the two Women’s grand finals that Port Macquarie played in. The second best on ground medal was as part of Magpies’ 2019 premiership.
Since playing in the AFL North Coast Cambridge has gone on to bigger and better things playing the past three seasons in the AFLW for the GWS Giants.
Now 26 years of age, Cambridge has played a total of 23 AFLW matches for the Giants and is preparing to build on that tally when the 2025 season starts in August.
Cambridge McCormick of the Giants kicks against Richmond. Photo: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images (via AFL Photos)
Reserve Grade – the Paul Sheldon Medal
Paul Sheldon was a Life Member of both Port Macquarie and the AFL North Coast.
Sheldon championed not just the Magpies during his eight years as Club President but also representative football and the reserves.
Sheldon tragically died in 2011 on the football field at Stuart Park. He suffered a heart attack and could not be revived.
Sheldon was a major driver behind the establishment of Wayne Richards Park with his vision of a better ground and facilities for his beloved club.
Youth Girls 17 – the Nikki Wallace Medal
Nikki Wallace was the first player from the North Coast region to play in the AFLW.
Wallace was drafted by the Brisbane Lions with pick number 114 pick in the very first AFLW draft and she made her debut in the opening round. The Sawtell/Toormina junior went on to play eight games at the highest level and was a member of the Lions team that played in the inaugural AFLW Grand Final.
Wallace moved to Melbourne shortly after and became captain of the North Melbourne VFLW team.
Under 14 – the Ackerly Colliver Medal
Ronda Colliver and partner Kevin Ackerly were the heartbeat of the Macleay Valley Eagles club for more than a decade.
Both Ronda and Kev poured countless hours into AFL in the region through their efforts in running development clinics in schools, administering the club, coaching, and preparing grant applications.
More importantly, they volunteered as much time, if not more, to collect kids from their homes and drive them to training and matches as well as providing meals, care, and acting as registered respite carers for a number of the players.
Ronda Colliver passed away in 2021 after a brief battle with leukaemia.
In 2017 Ronda Colliver and Kev Ackerly were acknowledged for their unselfish work within the community when they received a Federal Member’s Award from then Member for Cowper Luke Hartsuyker.
Youth Girls 13 – the Brianna McFarlane Medal
Brianna McFarlane is a member of the AFL North Coast community who reached the AFLW level.
She started playing for the then Lower Clarence Eagles while she was at Yamba Public School but moved to soccer when she was no longer allowed to play alongside the boys.
Not long after leaving school and heading north, she started playing footy again for Coolangatta and soon was selected by the Brisbane Lions in the 2018 Rookie Draft. Injuries stopped her from making her AFLW debut while at the Lions but with determination she moved to Melbourne where her talent was recognised by the Western Bulldogs.
McFarlane played 12 games and kicked seven goals for the Bulldogs.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – OCTOBER 17: Brianna McFarlane of the Western Bulldogs in action during the 2024 AFLW Round 08 match between the Carlton Blues and the Western Bulldogs at Ikon Park on October 17, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos)
GRAND FINAL BEST ON GROUND
Senior Men’s – the Woodlock Medal
Jim and Jill Woodlock were long time administrators of the AFL North Coast.
Jim first became president of the North Coast league in 1987 and that began a period of leadership that continued in different roles until 2013 when responsibility of the management of the game was turned over to AFL NSW/ACT.
And for most of the period he had his greatest supporter, Jill, also performing executive roles as secretary, treasurer and registrar as well as secretary of the tribunal from 1995 to 2012.
In 2024 Jim and Jill were inaugural inductees into the NSW Australian Football Hall of Fame.
Long serving AFL North Coast administrators Jim and Jill Woodlock will were two of the inaugural inductees into the NSW Australian Football Hall of Fame.
Under 18 – the Nathan Harris Medal
Nathan Harris was a promising footballer who was the Best & Fairest winner of North Coffs Under 18s team three years in a row. During that period he was also the team’s captain leading it to three grand final appearances including two premierships.
Tragically, days before he was due to start his HSC exams, Nathan was involved in a car accident that cut his life short.
SENIOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
The Warren Bagnall Memorial Shield
Warren Bagnall was a member of Grafton for 37 years. He was more than just a fine player for the Tigers. At one stage or another, he filled almost every position available at a footy club not just because he loved the club but he was willing to go the extra mile to help the people within it.
Bagnall was awarded Life Membership of the AFL North Coast in 2019 due to his long history of representing the Grafton Tigers as a League delegate from 1992 to 2014 where he attended monthly League meetings in Coffs Harbour.
Throughout his time in this role he was acknowledged for putting the League’s interests ahead of those of his club if they would be for the betterment of AFL on the North Coast.
Bagnall sadly passed away in May 2023 when he lost his battle with leukaemia.
2025 will be the first year a Club Champion will be declared.
Warren Bagnall coaching the Tigers’ women’s team.
PREMIERSHIP TROPHIES
Women’s Premiership Winner – The Linnett Family Perpetual Trophy
Tony and Shirley Linnett are both Life Members of the Sawtell/Toormina Juniors and the AFL North Coast.
Amaia Wain won the 2024 Grand Final Best on Ground Medal as well as the AFL North Coast’s Women’s Best and Fairest and Youth Girls 17s Best and Fairest awards. Amaia is pictured here with Shirley Linnett.
