Sport
7 October, 2024
Matt Duggan creates a Wattles record
Wattles Warriors star Matt Duggan is the club’s 2024 Player of the Year - putting his name on The Clifton Courier Shield for a record seventh time.
Duggan received the honour at Wattles’ 59th annual Presentation Banquet held in the F. E. Logan Hall at Clifton on Friday night.
Presentation of the award to Matt Duggan broke a record he had established previously.
In 2022 he was the club’s Footballer of the Year, becoming the first to take the prestigious title for a sixth time.
Friday night’s event was well attended by players, club officials, sponsors and supporters.
Apart from awards presented to players in the club’s Under 19, Reserves and A grade sides, a series of presentations recognised the huge contribution made by a number of others to ensure the ongoing success of the combined Allora/Clifton rugby league club.
Matt Duggan was named A Grade Players’ Player in a joint award to him and Nicholas Van Der Poel.
Van Der Poel also received the Lew Platz Cup as A Grade’s Best & Fairest Player.
The evening started on a solemn note when the gathering listened while MC Glyn Rees paid tribute to the long and impressive record of Wattles’ stalwart Jack Duggan who passed away the previous week.
Those in the hall then stood and observed a minute’s silence in memory of the late Mr Duggan.
Another Duggan featured heavily during the night.
Reserve Grade player Jack Duggan scooped a range of awards.
He was the Reserve Grade Players’ Player, took away the Glass Family Trophy for Reserve Grade Best & Fairest and the Patron’s Trophy as Wattles Most Serviceable Player.
The Terry Doyle Memorial Award for Junior Footballer of the Year went to Reuben Sullivan.
A man who over the years has played a significant role in Wattles senior and junior clubs is Peter Cavanagh who presented his trophy for Colt of the Year to Tyson Stevens.
The Geoff Slatter Memorial Trophy for the club’s Highest Try Scorer for 2024 was presented by Heather Slatter to Matthew Christensen, who also won the A Grade Best Back trophy.
The Jim Gleeson Memorial Trophy for Community Clubperson of the Year went to Paul Duggan.
The Terry & Michael O’Halloran Memorial Trophy for Loyalty and Service to the Wattles Club went to Alex Morris.
Dorothy Christensen was named the club’s Female Volunteer of the Year while the award for Male Volunteer of the Year was shared by Nick Adamson and Neil Christensen.
The club’s 2024 Women in League Award was presented by Wattles president Amanda O’Halloran to Emily Henry.
