A look back at the early years of the Geraldton Guardian Mid West Sport Awards

The 50th annual Geraldton Guardian Mid West Sports Awards are fast approaching, with more than 11 categories to reward those committed to making sport thrive in the region.

While this awards season is set to be the pinnacle gala event on the sporting calendar, it is very different to the very first awards held 50 years ago.

At the inaugural awards in 1972, there was just one category for senior sports star of the year which was awarded to Rod Marsh for his contribution to hockey, which he is still involved in today.

Not only were the awards different but the sports were too. For example, back in 70s hockey rules a ball in the air could be caught with a hand and immediately released, while all games started with a bully to contest the ball.

This was the only award on offer for the first five years of the competition until the junior sports star was added in 1979, with Michael Thompson taking out the inaugural award for his efforts in badminton.

Badminton would dominate the early years of this award, winning five out of the first six years and Karen Jupp winning from 1981 to 1984.

It wasn’t until 1985 that a new award was added, which was the first not based on achievements on the field.

Rather, it was to reward those who enlivened the experience of sport — the sports personality of the year, which is now named the Brian “Putter” Smith Memorial in honour of the veteran broadcaster.

It was won by Judy Millward, whose contribution to netball is hard to miss given the Geraldton netball centre is named after her.

While she was a fine player in her own right, she is perhaps remembered more for her persistence in pushing the court-building project — even talking her parents into guaranteeing a loan to build the arena.

Without Millward, it may have taken some time to establish a dedicated facility for netballers in the region.

Success in sport is so often a team effort and in 1989 the team of the year award was added and taken out by the Batavia Buccaneers.

That was the first year the State Basketball League was formed and they took out the minor premiership with a 19-3 record before losing to the Perth Redbacks in the finals.

It was also the first time coach of the year was awarded, which went to Rob Houwen who coached the WA Country Football side from 1987 to 1989 and led the GNFL to the Wesfarmers country championships in 1987 and 1989.

David Crothers was awarded administrator of the year as president of the Geraldton Hockey Association. He is still involved to this day on the GHA board and is the main sponsor for the senior sports star of the year.

The recognition for Indigenous contribution to the sporting landscape began in 1996 with the senior Aboriginal sports star of the year and was awarded to Jason Simpson for his efforts on the football field.

He was a gun midfielder in the winning country week side that season and part of Mullewa’s successful 1996 premiership campaign and the WA Country Team.

He tragically died in 1997 and the award was named in his honour, although it and the junior Aboriginal sports star, which was also introduced in 1996 and won by Zane Ugle, are no longer awarded.

The official of the year award was added in 1999 and was jointly won by Murray Stevens for football and Ian Heberle for basketball.

From humble beginnings, the awards have grown to what they are today to recognise all facets of the Mid West sporting landscape.

It is once again time to add to that rich history, with nominations for this year’s Geraldton Guardian Mid West Sports Awards now open through the Mid West Sport Federation website.