Miller's medal

by LES EVERETT

THE interconnectedness of Fremantle football was very much in evidence at the presentation of the 2003 Herald Medal at East Fremantle footy club last week.

The evening brought together representatives of the East Fremantle, North Fremantle, South Fremantle and Fremantle football clubs as well as WAFL boss Grant Dorrington and East Freo mayor Jim O'Neill.

First the Dale Kickett award was presented to North Fremantle amateurs Mr Fixit Stanley Whipp.

Dale's always been aware of the contribution made by club volunteers and told the gathering that as the father of a couple of Auskickers his admiration of those who do the little things had grown.

Stanley told of some of the battles he'd waged during his time with the East Fremantle junior council and said he was proud to win the award named in honour of the Docker great.

Then came the Herald Medal and the most amazing count in the 11 year history of the award - even closer than the 2001 dead heat. With one vote left to be counted four players were locked on 34 votes - that vote went to Shark Kris Miller and made him the medallist.

The medal was presented by Old East legend and dual Sandover Medal winner Ray Sorrell and that's where the connections came in.

It turns out that Stanley Whipp was one of Ray's early junior coaches. And Ray then completed the loop by revealing he'd met Kris Miller just a week earlier when he sold a house to Kris's girlfriend.

Shark Jason Morgan and Bulldogs James Byrne and Daniel Gilmore were the players who finished one vote behind the winner.

Herald Medal 2003

All the votes

Winner: Kris Miller (EF) 35

Runners up: Jason Morgan (EF), James Byrne (SF), Daniel Gilmore (SF) 34.

Others: Wayne Roser (EF) 29; Brad Bootsma (SF), Matthew Clucas (SF) 27; Andrew Siegert (SF)23; Mark Piani (EF) 22; Craig Treleven (EF) 20; David Dwyer (EF), Zane Parsons (SF) 19; Brent Staker (EF) 17; Marty Atkins (SF), David Morgan (EF)16; Ricky Mott (SF), Phillip Read (EF) 15; Michael Brown (SF), Brett Peake (EF) 14; Shane Tipuamantamerri (SF) 13; Steven Dodd (EF), Joe McLaren (SF) 12; Scott Thornton (SF) 11; Michael Saunders (EF), Keren Ugle (SF) 10; Kasey Green (EF) 9; Tom Bottrell (SF), Scott Simister (EF) Gavin Wilbraham (EF) 8; Ray Smithers (SF) 7; Gerard Wilkie (SF) 6; Clint Jones (SF), Tim Malseed (EF), Luke McPharlin (EF), Ashley Sampi (SF) 5; Michael Collica (EF), Chad Inrisie (EF), Steven O'Brien (EF), Aaron Sandilands (EF), Ryan Webb (SF) 4; Damien Gaspar (EF) 3; Brent Doswell (SF), Nic Chidgzey (EF), David Gault (SF), Jaymie Graham (SF), Jacob Surjan (SF), Shaun Tinsley (SF) 2; David Argall (EF) 1.

From the Fremantle Herald.

Herald Medal winners...

1993Cliff Collard (South Fremantle)

1994 Peter Bell (South Fremantle)

1995 Craig Treleven (East Fremantle)

1996 John Porter (South Fremantle)

1997 Haydon Kilmartin (East Fremantle)

1998 Martin Atkins (South Fremantle)

1999 Paul Hasleby (East Fremantle)

2000 Matthew Clucas (East Fremantle)

2001 Tim Malseed (East Fremantle) & Darryn Rennick (South Fremantle)

2002 Scott Chisholm (South Fremantle)

2003 Kris Miller (East Fremantle)

Votes cast by Herald observers at each East and South Fremantle game on a 5,4,3,2,1 basis.

2003 Herald Medal winner Kris Miller

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