The inaugural Mitsubishi Motors NBL1 Heritage Round kicks off this weekend as the clubs and conferences will celebrate the rich history of Australian state basketball this week.
The highest honour in the NBL1 Central each season is the Halls and Woollacott medals, the respective women’s and men’s awards for the Fairest and Most Brilliant player in the respective divisions.
The @Nbl1Central Awards saw Mikayla Williams and Jawan Stepney take the Halls-Woollacott medals ?
Watch the #NBL1CentralFinals this weekend via https://t.co/NEk1I7kIKG, NBL1 App & @kayosports Freebies ? pic.twitter.com/L10DWlJQFW
While every other conference just has an ‘MVP’, NBL1 Central has named these awards and there is no better week to look into the reasons why.
(Men’s) Woollacott Medal:
The Woollacott Medal was donated by the Basketball Association of South Australia on behalf of Noel Woollacott's Emporium. Noel Woollacott was killed in action during World War II.
Originally given to the Best and Fairest player in the District competition, the Noel Woollacott Trophy eventually evolved into the Woollacott Medal and was upgraded to Fairest and Most Brilliant in the early 1970s.
The votes are cast by referees post-game on a 3, 2, 1 basis.
Some of the notable names to win the award are:
West Adelaide: Leroy Loggins (1983)
Sturt: Phil Smyth (1978)
West Adelaide: Al Green (1982), North Adelaide (1985)
South Adelaide: Mark Davis (1986, 87, 88, 89, 92)
South Adelaide: Scott Ninnis., Adelaide: Greg Olbrich (1995)
West Adelaide: Daniel Johnson (2013)
See the full list here.
(Women’s) Halls Medal:
The first Halls Medal was awarded in 1964. Prior to that, Woollacott Medals were awarded.
As the women wanted a separate medal acknowledging women's basketball, a sponsor was sought. Halls, manufacturers of soft drinks agreed to sponsor the award. Henceforth, the Halls Medal was awarded to winners of the Best and Fairest player in the District Women's competition.
Like the Woollacott Medal, it was upgraded to the Fairest and most Brilliant player in the early 1970s.
The votes are cast by referees post-game on a 3, 2, 1 basis.
Some of the notable names to win the award are:
West Adelaide: Rachael Sporn (1989, 1993)
West Adelaide: Suzy Batkovic (2002)
Eastern Mavericks: Alex Wilson (2017)
Adelaide Southern: Vikki Kelson., Noarlunga City, Narelle Lindsa., Norwood: Kristen Veal (1999)
See the full list here.
