Wests Sports Council Awards 2019
The Best in the Southwest
Wests Group Macarthur’s Sports Council awards the sporting stars of the Macarthur Region.
“These young people are an inspiration and we are proud to be able to support them in their sporting endeavours.”
– Tony Mathew, CEO Wests Group Macarthur
Darcey Malone, aged 15, was named the Wests Sports Council Elite Sports Person of the Year on Friday night. Malone, a local girl and talented soccer player, was nominated by the Macarthur Football Association, for her outstanding skill, sportsmanship and dedication to football.
Introduced to the stage by MC and former Olympian, Sarah Ryan OAM, Ms Malone’s achievements in the field of football are truly outstanding. At her young age, she has already been named as a member of the Junior Matildas for the 2019 qualifier in Laos and is working on cementing a spot in the 2020 under-17s FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Ms Malone started her soccer career at Mount Annan, before moving to the region’s representative team, the Macarthur Rams. Last year, she represented NSW as the youngest soccer player in the under-17s and is now a member of the Football NSW Institute.
“This is an honour and I would just like congratulate my fellow nominees on their outstanding achievements, and to thank the Macarthur Football Association and Wests Group Macarthur for all of their support,” stated a humble Malone upon accepting her award.
Another big winner on the night were the Campbelltown Camden District Cricket Club’s First Grade Women’s Team, ‘The Ghosts’, who were named the Elite Sports Team of the Year. The Ghosts won the 2019 Cricket NSW Premier Women’s Premiership for the first time in 31 years.
Coach James Broadbent was amazed at the talent the squad contained. “All of them have played serious representative cricket,” he commented, “They are disciplined, they train well and manage their work loads and routines responsibly. These girls are outstanding role models for any young female athlete.”
In edition to the Elite Sports winners, the Awards night also honoured the achievements of junior sports people, young sports teams and individuals that showed tremendous sportsmanship and commitment to their clubs. Additional major winners include:
- Junior Sportsperson of the Year (U12) – Brayden Brook from the Wests Hockey Club
- Youth Sportsperson of the Year (12 – 16yrs) – Matthew Browne from the Magpies Cricket Club
- Senior Sportsperson of the Year – Suzie Haddad from the Mount Annan Swim Club
- Club Sports Team of the Year – Under 13C’s Airds Lyrebirds Netball Club
- Spirit of Sport – Tiarne Martin from the Eaglevale Netball Club
The Wests Sports Council is an association run by Wests Group Macarthur and its affiliate sporting club members. The Wests Sports Council currently consists of 27 sporting clubs from many different codes, and executives from these member clubs are encouraged to nominate from within their ranks; individuals and teams that have demonstrated outstanding skill and sportsmanship. These achievements are then recognised through a Monthly Awards program, culminating in the Annual Awards Dinner.
“The Council was formed many years ago by our Club as a way to provide support for local sporting clubs in a more meaningful way than just writing a cheque,” stated Wests Group Macarthur CEO Tony Mathew. “These awards give us the opportunity to really recognise the achievements of our local sporting clubs and individuals and we are very proud to be able to contribute.”
This year’s awards were held at Wests League Club and were hosted by Olympian Sarah Ryan OAM. Special guests included former Australian Footballer and spokesperson for Macarthur FC Brett Emerton, Campbelltown Deputy Mayor Darcy Lound, Member for Macquarie Fields, Anoulack Chanthivong MP and Member for Camden Peter Sidgreaves MP.
“It is fantastic to see grass roots sports so tremendously supported and its exciting to see the talent and enthusiasm for sport in this region,” stated Ms Ryan on the night.
“We are proud of this program and of the support it receives from the community as well. In addition to promoting a healthy lifestyle, we feel that sports help children develop social skills, resilience and discipline, skills that will help them later in life,” stated Mr Mathew.
In addition to the award’s programs, Wests Group Macarthur also provides a substantial amount of funding each year towards the ongoing success of each member club.
