Veteran champ receives second reserves honour
By Brendan Rhodes
EXPERIENCED Nor-West Jets veteran Stephen Chase capped a sensational comeback from retirement when he stormed home to win the Hibbins Medal for the reserve grade best and fairest at Panthers North Richmond late last month.
Chase, 33, a hero of the club’s 2005 and 2006 premiership teams, retired at the end of 2008 to coach his son Lachlan’s under 10 Hawkesbury Saints team, had just 18 votes after round 11, but powered home to finish on 61 votes and win by 17 from captain Michael Gray, while early pacesetter Chris Collins held on for third with the 37 votes he accumulated before his retirement to join the Navy after round nine.
One of the pre-count favourites, Peter Richardson, finished fourth on 34 votes, Adam Jarvie was fifth on 31, while Luke Bell (27), first year player Seb Goldrick (26), Matthew Davidson (26), Scott Braid (23) and Adam Scott (22) rounded out the top 10 in a count that saw a whopping 42 players poll votes.
Chase, who also played his 100th match for the Jets early in the season, only led by three votes going into the thrilling final round win over Manly-Warringah, but piled on 14 of a possible 15 votes in that game to Gray’s none to take his second reserves club best and fairest (his first was in 1999 for the Saints, before it was renamed after Paul Hibbins), in an emotional moment for a man who has bled for the club for the best part of two decades.
“It means a lot, especially because it has Paul’s name on it and he was one of the foundation board members of the club,” Chase said.
“He still makes time to come down and see all of us and I have a lot of respect and appreciation for the time he has put into the club.
“I won the reserves in 1999 as well, but I appreciate this one a lot more knowing I was young and dumb when I won the first one.
“It’s not that I worked harder for this one, it just seems to mean a lot more in the way the club is set up now – it’s one big family and there’s much talent.
“To beat guys of the stature of Sunny (Gray), Jesse Pinder, Pirate (Richardson), Collo (Collins) – he only played a few games but he polls so well.
“I didn’t think I was chance with all the talent we have now but I was hoping I might get into the top three or four.
“Going into the last round three in front, and after the first votes were called out I thought, ‘hang on, I’m in with a bit of a shot’, but Sunny had a great game so it was still up in the air – it wasn’t until the last votes were read that I knew I had it.
“I was stunned, I just couldn’t comprehend for a second that I had actually got it - when guys like Pirate, Sunny, Bruza, Cindy (Scott Braid), guys that can play footy, use their voices and get in there and have a go - it’s hard to comprehend beating them and winning an award like this.”
Chase, who described the two years he spent in retirement as ‘agonising’, is already champing at the bit for a 17th campaign in 2012 and is confident the Jets can take the next step back towards the pointy end of the ladder.
“When I was coaching the boys it wasn’t hard, but watching the seniors run out after we finished training, that was really tough and I wanted to be there with them,” he said.
“There’s no regrets, the 10s needed a coach, but I couldn’t just sit back, in the second half of the second year I had to bite my lip, but my head down and walk away – it was an extremely easy decision to come back, and I thank (my wife) Marnie for putting up with me on Sundays and making it possible for me to play.
“I’m already looking forward to next year and I’m always itching to have a kick of the Sherrin with the boys.
“For this club, no-one plays for first grade or reserves, we play for blue and white, and that’s what makes it so enjoyable – there’s 44 guys there week-in-week-out who want to be there and want to play football and be round their mates, we’re just one big family.
“That includes all the staff on the sidelines – Allie (Harding), Taryn (Marchant), Jelder (Jo Elder), Ellen (Skitmore) – the player’s wives and girlfriends that strap us and run water, they’re integral to getting us out there each week, and the club umpires deserve a good wrap as well.
“That’s what makes people come back, that’s why I keep playing .”
AWARD WINNERS
Hibbins Medal: Stephen Chase
Runner Up: Michael Gray
Most Consistent: Chris Collins
Most Improved: Aaron Skinner
Leading Goalkicker: Andrew Travers
HIBBINS MEDAL
61 – STEPHEN CHASE – 5,5,5,5,5,4,4,4,4,4,4,3,3,3,2,1
44 – MICHAEL GRAY – 5,5,5,5,4,4,4,3,3,2,2,1,1
37 – CHRIS COLLINS – 5,5,5,4,4,4,4,4,2
34 – PETER RICHARDSON – 5,5,5,3,3,3,3,2,1,1,1,1,1
31 – ADAM JARVIE – 5,5,4,4,4,3,3,3
27 – LUKE BELL – 5,5,5,5,3,2,1,1
26 – SEB GOLDRICK – 5,5,5,4,3,2,1,1
26 – MATTHEW DAVIDSON – 4,4,3,3,3,2,2,2,1,1,1
23 – SCOTT BRAID – 5,3,3,3,3,2,2,1,1
22 – ADAM SCOTT – 4,3,3,2,2,2,2,2,1,1
20 – LUKE ALLAN – 5,5,4,3,2,1
19 – MATHEW LAURENCE – 4,4,3,3,2,2,1
17 – JESSE BRAY – 5,4,4,3,1
17 – STEPHEN DAVIDSON – 5,4,4,2,2
16 – AARON SKINNER – 5,3,2,2,2,1,1
15 – JESSE CASS – 5,4,3,3
14 – ADAM FOX – 5,5,4
14 – MICHAEL YEE – 5,4,3,2
13 – DANIEL GRAHAM – 5,4,3,1
12 – ANDREW TRAVERS – 5,4,2,1
11 – BROCK GIBSON – 4,3,3,1
10 – SCOTT ALLAN – 5,4,1
10 – JOSH HOWE – 5,3,2
8 – DAMIAN BROWN – 4,4
7 – SCOTT LONGMAN – 4,3
7 – TONY JOYCE – 2,2,2,1
6 – DEAN BRAID – 4,2
5 – STEWART POTTS – 5
5 – CHRIS AHEARN – 3,2
5 – WARWICK SMITH – 3,2
4 – STEVE STASZEK – 3,1
3 – JOSH JAMES – 2,1
3 – TOM ROBERTS – 2,1
2 – BRETT CARROLL – 2
2 – EVAN DUTTON – 2
2 – BRENDAN SEIDEL – 2
1 – ROD BAYNE – 1
1 – JASON BORG – 1
1 – RYAN BOWEN – 1
1 – DANIEL LANGFORD – 1
1 – GERARD SMITS – 1
1 – JAROD THOMSON – 1
ROUND BY ROUND VOTE BREAKDOWN
Round 1 – Bensons Lane – NWJ 8.10.58 v UNSW-ES 10.12.72
5 S Davidson, 4 M Gray, 3 B Gibson, 2 M Yee, 1 M Davidson
5 M Yee, 4 M Laurence, 3 P Richardson, 2 S Davidson, 1 R Bowen
5 M Gray, 4 C Collins, 3 M Yee, 2 S Goldrick, 1 D Langford
Round 2 – Bensons Lane – NWJ 11.13.79 v Holroyd-Parramatta 13.11.89
5 S Braid, 4 S Chase, 3 M Davidson, 2 M Laurence, 1 P Richardson
5 S Potts, 4 S Chase, 3 P Richardson, 2 M Laurence, 1 J Bray
5 M Gray, 4 M Yee, 3 P Richardson, 2 M Davidson, 1 J Borg
Round 3 – Trumper Park & Waverley – UTS – Match Abandoned
Round 4 – Bensons Lane – Macquarie University – Match Abandoned
Round 5 – Bye
Round 6 – Bensons Lane – NWJ 7.8.50 v Manly-Warringah 5.10.40
5 A Fox, 4 D Brown, 3 A Scott, 2 J James, 1 M Gray
5 A Fox, 4 D Brown, 3 S Longman, 2 A Scott, 1 J James
5 M Gray, 4 A Fox, 3 J Bray, 2 C Collins, 1 no vote
Round 7 – Rosedale Oval – NWJ 8.7.55 v Moorebank 13.10.88
5 C Collins, 4 J Bray, 3 S Braid, 2 S Chase, 1 A Skinner
5 S Chase, 4 C Collins, 3 S Braid, 2 P Richardson, 1 M Davidson
5 A Skinner, 4 A Scott, 3 S Chase, 2 M Davidson, 1 S Braid
Round 8 – Mona Park – NWJ 9.10.64 v Auburn 12.17.89
5 C Collins, 4 M Laurence, 3 P Richardson, 2 M Gray, 1 S Allan
5 C Collins, 4 S Allan, 3 M Laurence, 2 E Dutton, 1 P Richardson
5 S Allan, 4 C Collins, 3 B Gibson, 2 M Gray, 1 D Graham
Round 9 – Dukes Oval – NWJ 9.10.64 v Penrith 15.12.102
5 S Goldrick, 4 C Collins, 3 M Gray, 2 A Scott, 1 T Roberts
5 S Goldrick, 4 M Gray, 3 C Ahearn, 2 T Roberts, 1 A Scott
5 L Allan, 4 C Collins, 3 A Skinner, 2 C Ahearn, 1 S Goldrick
Round 10 – BYE
Round 11 – Bensons Lane – NWJ 13.4.82 v UTS 8.5.53
5 Jesse Cass, 4 S Goldrick, 3 M Davidson, 2 A Skinner, 1 L Bell
5 S Goldrick, 4 J Bray, 3 Jesse Cass, 2 L Bell, 1 P Richardson
5 P Richardson, 4 Jesse Cass, 3 S Goldrick, 2 B Carroll, 1 L Allan
Round 12 – Village Green - NWJ 10.11.71 v UNSW-ES 13.10.88
5 P Richardson, 4 S Chase, 3 L Bell, 2 A Skinner, 1 A Scott
5 A Jarvie, 4 S Chase, 3 S Braid, 2 A Scott, 1 L Bell
5 P Richardson, 4 S Longman, 3 A Jarvie, 2 S Braid, 1 S Chase
Round 13 – University Oval – NWJ 8.8 56 v Macquarie Uni 20.15 135
5 L Bell, 4 S Davidson, 3 A Jarvie, 2 M Davidson, 1 M Laurence
5 L Bell, 4 A Jarvie, 3 S Staszek, 2 D Braid, 1 T Joyce
5 L Bell, 4 A Jarvie, 3 Jesse Cass, 2 T Joyce, 1 S Staszek
Round 14 – Bensons Lane – NWJ 8.3 51 v Penrith 14.14 98
5 L Bell, 4 B Gibson, 3 S Chase, 2 T Joyce, 1 P Richardson
5 J Bray, 4 L Allan, 3 A Scott, 2 S Davidson, 1 P Richardson
5 L Allan, 4 S Davidson, 3 S Braid, 2 A Scott, 1 S Goldrick
Round 15 – Bensons Lane – Moorebank – Match Abandoned
Round 16 – Gipps Rd Oval – NWJ 15.8 98 v Holroyd-Parramatta 14.7 91
5 A Jarvie, 4 D Braid, 3 M Davidson, 2 J Howe, 1 M Gray
5 J Howe, 4 A Jarvie, 3 S Chase, 2 B Seidel, 1 A Skinner
5 M Gray, 4 M Davidson, 3 A Jarvie, 2 A Scott, 1 S Braid
Round 17 – Bensons Lane – NWJ 18.10 118 v Auburn 3.5 23
5 A Travers, 4 S Chase, 3 M Gray, 2 L Allan, 1 B Gibson
5 S Chase, 4 M Gray, 3 M Laurence, 2 S Braid, 1 R Bayne
5 S Chase, 4 A Travers, 3 L Allan, 2 A Skinner, 1 J Thomson
Round 18 – Weldon Oval – NWJ 11.4 70 v Manly-Warringah 10.6 66
5 D Graham, 4 S Chase, 3 J Howe, 2 W Smith, 1 A Travers
5 S Chase, 4 M Davidson, 3 D Graham, 2 A Travers, 1 G Smits
5 S Chase, 4 D Graham, 3 W Smith, 2 T Joyce, 1 M Davidson
Last Modified on 24/02/2012 15:05
