Star midfielder Guy Knight has been rewarded for a stellar campaign by claiming the George Naylor Medal as Bulli dominated the Illawarra Premier League’s major awards at the Villa D’Oro on Friday night.
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Knight played in every regular season game for Bulli and was at the centre of the club’s charge to another League Championship crown and Bert Bampton Cup title.
He pipped Tarrawanna’s influential attacker Ricky Goodchild for the top individual prize in Illawarra football.
Bulli coach Matt Bailey was named coach of the year in his debut season in charge of the northern suburbs club.
Bulli were within touching distance of a memorable title treble under Bailey’s tutelage, but fell to Port Kembla in a dramatic penalty shootout on the biggest day of the campaign.
Port boss Noel Spencer was runner-up for the coaching gong after guiding the Zebras to that surprise grand final success.
Bulli keeper Yuya Kuwata won the Premier League’s Golden Glove while Olympic’s Yuseke Ueda (25 goals) finished the season as the Golden Boot.
Wollongong United’s Jackson Brooks was the IPL Youth Grade player of the year, with Kemblawarra’s Cody Waller banging in 30 goals to snag the Golden Boon.
Tarrawanna’s Toby Drain won in the under 18s leading player crown as United’s Sam Adnum (18 goals) led all scorers.
In District League, Fernhill talisman Andrew Keep took out the Neville Arrowsmith Medal as he helped the Foxes take out the region’s second tier.
Helensburgh’s Luke Wyatt was runner-up.
Foxes coach Dan McGoldrick, who was announced as the new man in charge at Woonona Sharks earlier this week, won the coach of the year.
Ben Wunsch, of Oak Flats, was the Golden Glove winner while Helensburgh’s Kato Naruyuki (24 goals) won the Golden Boot.
In District League Youth Grade, University Alex Coetzer claimed the player of the year.
AWARD WINNERS
George Naylor Medal – Guy Knight (Bulli)
PL Coach of the Year – Matt Bailey (Bulli)
PL Golden Glove – Yuya Kuwata (Bulli)
PL Youth Player of the Year – Jackson Brooks (United)
U18 Player of the Year – Toby Drain (Tarrawanna)
Neville Arrowsmith Medal – Andrew Keep (Fernhill)
DL Coach of the Year – Dan McGoldrick (Fernhill)
DL Golden Glove – Ben Wunsch (Oak Flats )
DL Youth Player of the Year – Alex Coetzer (University FC)