17 November 2017 | Tennis West

In a coup for WA tennis, two West Australian finalists have been named across the fifteen award categories at the 2017 Newcombe Medal, Australian Tennis Awards, to be held in Melbourne on Monday 27 November.

Riverton Primary School was named alongside 2 other schools in the Most Outstanding School Category, and Onslow Park TC stalwart James Edwards was named as a finalist in the Volunteer Achievement Award category.

James Edwards – Volunteer Achievement

Mr Edwards has held the position of Club President for the last 13 years, and under his leadership the Onslow Park TC has been transformed into a thriving club, with connections throughout the Shenton Park and Subiaco community.

Mr Edwards’ vision has reinvigorated Onslow Park from an all-grasscourt club, breaking even, with less than 100 members, into a 4 hardcourt, 7 grasscourt club with thriving juniors, pennants, adult memberships and social memberships. Onslow Park now has 240 members and is looking to convert 2 underutilised grass courts into flood-lit hard courts to enable Onslow Park to grow further.

The club’s nomination of Edwards was not only based on the transformation the club has experienced, but also on the countless hours he invests in club activities, with no club task considered too large or trivial for Edwards to fit it into his otherwise busy professional life. This includes coming down to the club on his weekends to fix dilapidated pergolas, attending junior awards ceremonies to present trophies, and welcoming new international members to his home to enjoy some Australian hospitality.

Humble in his accolade, Mr Edwards is delighted to be recognised, but also credits the work of his committee.

“This award is not only a reflection of my efforts, but the commitment and support of the committee members and many dedicated volunteers” Mr Edwards said.

Riverton Primary School – Most Outstanding School

The Most Outstanding School Award recognises schools that have aligned with a Tennis Australia qualified coach, have a dedicated staff member assigned to tennis, have strong links with the local club and coach, and have incorporated tennis as part of the curriculum.

Since 2014 Riverton Primary School has taken up every possible opportunity to provide tennis experiences for their students. The school has been a National Schools Partnership Program (NSPP) School for 3 years and has had the highest combined participation rates in WA for the ANZ Tennis Hot Shots Red Ball Gala and the Boys and Girls Academy Plate competitions.

Riverton Primary School has developed a strong and multi layered partnership with Corinthian Park Tennis Club and the club coach, which is aimed at increasing student participation in tennis. The coaches visit the school for three terms of the year, conducting before school and in-school programs for all ages, ranging from kindy right through to year 6.

Recently, Riverton Primary School has also resurfaced their new multipurpose courts to include line markings for 6 orange ball tennis courts, so that their students can play tennis all year round.

The Volunteer Achievement Award and Most Outstanding School Award will be presented alongside 13 other categories, including the Newcombe Medal, as part of the Australian Tennis Awards.

Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said the event would celebrate an inspiring and positive 12 months of tennis.

“We look forward to honouring the contribution of our tennis stars on and off the court at the Australian Tennis Awards.

“We recognise the exceptional achievements of our athletes but also celebrate the influence our coaches, clubs, schools, volunteers and communities have had on the game across Australia during the past 12 months.”

The Newcombe Medal will take place on Monday 27 November at Crown Palladium, Melbourne.

Newcombe Medal nominees

Ashleigh Barty (Qld)
A return to tennis in 2016 after an 18-month break, Barty has enjoyed a breakout year in 2017. Starting the year ranked outside the top 200, the 21-year-old reached a career-high ranking of 17 at year’s end and the mantle of Australia’s number one player. Barty’s 2017 highlights included her first WTA singles title in Malaysia in March and defeating four top 10 seeds on her way to the final of the Wuhan Open in September.

Daria Gavrilova (Vic)
In June, Gavrilova took the mantle of Australia’s number one female, overtaking Sam Stosur who had held the position for 452 consecutive weeks, before relinquishing it to Barty last month. She continued her strong run of form into August’s New Haven event where she won her first WTA singles title. Gavrilova reached two other WTA finals in 2017.

Nick Kyrgios (ACT)
Kyrgios’ win in Mexico where he defeated Novak Djokovic and Cincinnati where he overcame Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinal were two of the biggest highlights of his year. It was his performances representing Australia at Davis Cup and Team World at the inaugural Laver Cup where Kyrgios’ talent came to the fore in 2017.

John Peers (Vic)
Matching his 2016 form, Peers won four ATP doubles titles alongside Finnish partner Henri Kontinen. The pair kicked off 2017 with a Grand Slam championship at the Australian Open and followed up with ATP titles in Washington, Beijing and Shanghai. Peers reached a career-high doubles ranking of No. 2 in April.

Jordan Thompson (NSW)
Thompson reached a career-high ranking of 63 in February and made it to the second round of both the Australian and US Open. Partnering with Thanasi Kokkinakis (SA), Thompson won the Brisbane International for his first ATP doubles title. He was a member of Australia’s Davis Cup semifinal team. One of the biggest highlights of Thompson’s year was defeating world No.1 Andy Murray in the first round of Queen’s.

Full list of finalists for the Australian Tennis Awards are as follows:

Coaching Excellence High Performance
Finalists: Nicole Kriz (NSW), Anthony Richardson (Qld), Des Tyson (NSW), Craig Tyzzer (Vic)

Coaching Excellence Club
Finalists: Frank Calabria (Canberra, ACT), Rufus Keown (Malvern, Vic), Helen Rice (Belair, SA)

Coaching Excellence Talent Development
Finalists: Luke Bourgeois (Homebush, NSW), Graeme Brimblecombe (Graceville East, Qld), Sam Wall (Aberfoyle Park, SA)

Female Junior Athlete of the Year
Finalists: Destanee Aiava (Berwick, Vic), Jaimee Fourlis (Preston, Vic), Michaela Haet (Longueville, NSW)

Male Junior Athlete of the Year
Finalists: Alex De Minaur (Sydney, NSW), Blake Ellis (Bellbowrie, Qld), Alexei Popyrin (Pymble, NSW)

Most Outstanding Athlete with a Disability
Finalists: Heath Davidson (Rosebud, Vic), Archie Graham (Ipswich, Qld), Ben Weekes (Strathfield, NSW)

Volunteer Achievement Award
Finalists: James Edwards (Perth, WA), Shirley Peake (Fawkner, Vic), Charles Webb (Darwin, NT)

Most Outstanding 35+ Tennis Senior
Finalists: Adrienne Avis (Avalon Beach, NSW), Ros Balodis (Canberra, ACT), Glenn Busby (Eltham, Vic)

Excellence in Officiating
Finalists: Phillip Goodman (Mill Park, Vic), Glenn Toland (Engadine NSW), Emma Walter (Swinger Hill, ACT)

Most Outstanding Club
Finalists: Boroondara Tennis Centre (Vic), City Community Tennis (NSW), Redland Bay Tennis Club (Qld)

Most Outstanding Australian Ranking Tournament
Finalists: 2017 Federation Cup Foundation Bronze Women’s AMT and Girls’ JT (SA), 2017 Glenorchy Open (Tas), Melbourne Wheelchair Tennis Open 2017 (Vic)

Most Outstanding Professional Tournament
Finalists: ACT Clay Court International 2017 (ACT), Hutchinson Builders Toowoomba International 2016 (Qld), Mildura Grand Tennis International 2017 (Vic)

Most Outstanding School
Finalists: Brisbane Boys’ College (Toowong, Qld), Giralang Primary School (Giralang, ACT), Riverton Primary School (Riverton, WA)

– ends –

For more information about the Newcombe Medal, Australian Tennis Awards please click here.

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