FINAL STANDINGS in the Race for MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

Another season has come and gone for the Newcastle Dodgeball League, and while the playoffs are yet to be decided, the best performing players have been confirmed.
Below are the nomination points for the entire regular season, with Refs Best votes contributing a single point towards a player's total tally, and a team-based vote contributing two points to the tally. The six players with the highest vote count at the end of the season are the Team of the Season, while the player with the highest single vote tally is crowned Most Valuable Player for the campaign.

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1 MVP POINTs

- Brady Deacon (Shortland)
- Morgan Willis (Kotara)
- Emilia Flaherty (Belmont)
- Nic Price (Belmont)
- Gordon Murray (Raymond Terrace)
- Laura Bailey (Kotara)
- Andrew de Souza (Waratah)
- Lewis Foot (Bar Beach)

2 MVP POINTS

- Heath Kepreotes (Raymond Terrace)
- Luke Fuller (Shortland)
- Lachlan Craig (Hamilton)
- Dan Janczuk (Bar Beach)
- Joe Davis (Kotara)
- Gracie Slater (Bar Beach)
- Thomas McCallum (Hamilton)

3 MVP POINTS

- Rynell Williams (Raymond Terrace)
- Nathaniel King (Waratah)
- Doug Byrne (Hamilton)
- Callum Foot (Bar Beach)

4 MVP POINTS

- Georgia Graham (Waratah)
- Jaimi Bubb (Belmont)
- Joseph Maynard (Hamilton)
- Katrina Hailstone (Raymond Terrace)
- Keagan Jones (Belmont)
- David Franklin (Raymond Terrace)
- Isaac McIntyre (Hamilton)
- Maddie Jordan (Belmont)
- Zac Gardner (Cooks Hill)
- Tom Loosemore (Shortland)
- James Billingham (Shortland)
- Luke Deacon (Shortland)
- Jacinta Mantle (Kotara)

5 MVP POINTS

- Lucas Fowler (Bar Beach)
- Brady Ainsworth (Shortland)
- Rowan Toole (Belmont)
- Luke Mallet (Kotara)
- Eva Bailey (Waratah)
- Benjamin McIntyre (Hamilton)

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Most Valuable Player Contenders

Harry Gibson was a key factor in Hamilton's second seed heading into playoffs in Season 11.

Harry Gibson, Hamilton - 6 points
> One of Hamilton's longest serving veterans, having played all eleven seasons in the Newcastle Dodgeball League and been involved in the Stags' record-breaking five titles, Gibson is always in the mix for the Most Valuable Player nomination, and even went on to become the only player to earn the claim the top gong twice. However, the Season 3 and 9 MVP had to contend with Hamilton's dip in form in the tail end of the season, as did many of the Stags.
Nominations: 11-4 win vs Raymond Terrace (RD3), 12-4 win vs Bar Beach (RD7), 9-8 win vs Kotara (RD11).

Jakub Lunarzewski embraces Aiden Gauthier post-match.

Jakub Lunarzewski, Waratah - 7 points
> Another long-serving member of their club, Jakub Lunarzewski earned a place in the Season 11 TOTS after a shining tenth campaign, but in his eleventh season in the competition the Cobras stalwart was forced to share his points with a number of his red-hot teammates. Despite that, Lunarzewski was a key element as the team as they confirmed a third seed ahead of the finals, in part due to the major victory in the opening round against rivals Hamilton.
Nominations: 7-6 win vs Hamilton (RD1), 11-4 win vs Raymond Terrace (RD5), Refs Best in 9-6 win vs Cooks Hill (RD9), 10-4 win vs Bar Beach (RD11).

Liam Janczuk has taken on a commanding role within Belmont this season.

Liam Janczuk, Belmont - 8 points
> Belmont's best for Season 11 came just two points, and one nomination, from confirming himself as one of the six best in the league, but despite that Janczuk will still be happy with how his campaign has panned out - early dominance in the first half of the season helped the Beavers stay in the battle at the top of the table, although Janczuk's form flagged - like most of Belmont - in the final rounds as they tumbled to back-to-back defeats and were punted to fourth place. If Belmont's leading forward can return to early season form the Beavers may have a return to the grand final, and a second chance at the title, in their future.
Nominations: 10-4 win vs Bar Beach (RD1), 10-4 win vs Kotara (RD3), 4-9 def. vs Hamilton (RD5), 13-5 win vs Kotara (RD10).

Dylan Hunt slipped into Waratah's cohesion perfectly, returning them to strong form.

Dylan Hunt, Waratah - 8 points
> The first of the MVP contenders to also be in his rookie season, Waratah's new explosive signing has proven that he can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best of them, as he missed a TOTS berth by just a single nomination, and shone bright in two of Waratah's biggest victories - their 4-set win over Shortland early in the season, and their come-from-behind one-set triumph over Belmont in the final round of the regular season to confirm third place and the leading quarter final seed in playoffs.
Nominations: 9-5 win vs Shortland (RD3), 9-6 win vs Kotara (RD6), 9-4 win vs Raymond Terrace (RD12), 7-6 win over Belmont (RD14).

Isaac Davis found form early in the league, setting the pace for the Kings.

Isaac Davis, Kotara - 9 points
> Another rookie that fell just inches short of claiming Team of the Season silverware in his opening campaign in the Newcastle Dodgeball League, Davis was a lynchpin for the Kings in their early rounds, as he set the tempo for the new organisation ahead of their burst towards finals. Alongside the core of the Kotara outfit, Davis was crucial to allowing the Kings to play their fast-paced, exciting brand of dodgeball, and all eyes will be on his contribution in the finals.
Nominations: 4-10 def. vs Belmont (RD3), 11-5 win vs Cooks Hill (RD5), Refs Best in 8-10 def. vs Shortland (RD7), 12-7 win vs Raymond Terrace (RD8), 7-10 def. vs Shortland (RD9),

Hannah Trypas was a key part of Shortland's charge to the first seed in their debut season, guiding the squad from deep on the court with game-changing catches.

Hannah Trypas, Shortland - 9 points
> As Shortland marched to first place in their first season in the Newcastle Dodgeball League, many of their players proved they were among the best in the league, but key catcher Hannah Trypas shone brightest among the top-seeded squad in Season 11. Trypas was often called upon to bail the Scotchies out of tough situations where they had fallen behind, and many of her catches would turn the tide of a match, enough so that Shortland were able to recover for the win, and their eventual two point buffer atop the Season 11 standings heading into the finals.
Nominations: Refs Best in 10-6 win vs Raymond Terrace (RD2), 8-6 win vs Belmont (RD4), 13-5 win vs Bar Beach (RD5), 9-6 win vs Belmont (RD11), 14-2 win vs Bar Beach (RD12).

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** TEam of SEASON 11 **

Dan Jenkinson was one of the the best Raccoons of the season, leading them to fifth place.

Dan Jenkinson, Raymond Terrace - 9 points
> Dan Jenkinson rose to the challenge of taking Raymond Terrace back to the finals in Season 11, after a strong Season 10 built the platform for his personal success. Known for his deadly thrown balls and inch-perfect catches, when Jenkinson was on-form in S11 the Raccoons were in with a major chance for a victory - although two of his nominations came in defeats against Shortland and Belmont, the close nature of the games could be marked through his Herculean contributions.
Nominations: 6-10 def. vs Shortland (RD2), 13-4 win vs Bar Beach (RD6), Refs Best in 6-11 def. vs Belmont (R7), 7-12 def. vs Kotara (RD8), 6-9 def. vs Belmont (RD9).

Molly Walker had one of the most meteoric rises in form the league has seen, turning a solid Season 10 into a top-tier Season 11 and leading Waratah to a third-place finish.

Molly Walker, Waratah - 10 points
> After taking a season to settle into Waratah, Molly Walker has found her feet in the league, improving in leaps and bounds to claim the first place in the Team of the Season for S11. Catches, eliminations and dodges - as well as a fair heaping of sportmanship - are at the heart of Walker's improvement, with her massive efforts across the season contributing to the Cobras' third seed that the club confirmed in a blockbuster clash against Belmont in the final week of the regular season.
Nominations: 4-10 def. vs Belmont (RD2), Refs Best in 11-4 win vs Raymond Terrace (RD5), Refs Best in 9-6 win vs Kotara (RD6), 13-4 win vs Cooks Hill (RD7), Refs Best in 5-12 def. vs Hamilton (RD8), 10-4 win vs Kotara (RD13), Refs Best in 7-6 win vs Belmont (R14).

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Zac Oke had an amazing back-end of Season 11 - perhaps one of the best in the competition when at his best. If his form continues, Kotara may be able to claim a key quarter final upset in playoffs.

Zac Oke, Kotara - 10 points
> Although there were many in Kotara that started the season strong, Zac Oke's was a tale of developing throughout the campaign - the Kings' flanker didn't collect a single MVP vote until round seven of the competition, but once he did the flood gates opened.
After bagging his vote two-point collection against Shortland in an eight-set thriller in round seven, Oke then scored three two-point votes in rounds nine, ten and eleven, including against S10 grand finalists Belmont and Hamilton back to back, and confirmed his place in the top six for the season.
Nominations: 8-10 def. vs Shortland (RD7), 7-10 def. vs Shortland (RD9), 5-13 def. vs Belmont (RD10), 8-9 def. vs Hamilton (RD11), 10-6 win vs Bar Beach (RD14).

Alexander McIntyre was again one of the best performers for Hamilton, claiming back-to-back TOTS honours as the Stags hunt a sixth title.

Alexander McIntyre, Hamilton - 10 points
> Alexander McIntyre has returned to the ranks of the Team of the Season after continuing his strong 2018, and was the best performing Hamilton player as they look to defend their dynasty against a host of new and rising organisations in the Newcastle Dodgeball League. McIntyre's strength came in his consistency, as nominations came six times between the third and twelfth round, a virtue the Stags will be looking for as they prepare for their playoff campaign and a hopeful return to the finals next week at Oakdale Arena.
Nominations: 11-4 win vs Raymond Terrace (RD3), 9-4 win vs Belmont (RD5), Refs Best in 12-4 win vs Bar Beach (RD7), Refs Best in 12-5 win vs Waratah (RD8), 11-5 win vs Raymond Terrace (RD10), 3-10 def. vs Belmont (RD12).

Last season's MVP continued his red-hot 2018 form, dominating for much of Season 11 and guiding the Raccoons back to the playoffs as they hunt for their first silverware.

Peter Goldthorpe, Raymond Terrace - 11 points
> Last season's Most Valuable Player continued his dominant 2018 form, guiding Raymond Terrace back to the finals for the second time in the organisation's history, and once against clocked up double digit MVP points to slot straight into the TOTS. This season, however, he was overshadowed despite putting in a similar performance from his S10 form, and was forced to sit as the second most-voted for player across the league as the Raccoons head towards another quarter-final berth.
Nominations: 10-6 win vs Kotara (RD1), 4-11 def. vs Waratah (RD5), Refs Best in 13-4 win vs Bar Beach (RD6), 7-12 def. vs Kotara (RD8), 4-9 def. vs Waratah (RD12), 14-6 win vs Bar Beach (RD13).

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** MOST VALUABLE PLAYER - SEASON 11 **

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QUEEN OF DODGE: Emma Hawes came into the Newcastle Dodgeball League on fire, quickly becoming the favourite to be named player of the season - an early promise she delivered on.

Emma Hawes, Bar Beach - 14 points
> Never before has the Newcastle Dodgeball League seen a player click so quickly, and become a leading light for their squad - the last time a first-season player claimed the title of Most Valuable Player was in the formation year of the league, when Timothy Leishman guided Stockton to the inaugural title and etched the Hunters' names in history.
Now Hawes has announced her arrival in the NDL in a massive way - sweeping aside last season's Most Valuable Player and claiming the top gong by a massive three point buffer. Despite the fact Bar Beach as a whole found difficulty finding competitive points across their first season in the NDL, Hawes' performances were nothing short of unstoppable as she quickly settled in to a mid-court catching role for the Boomers.
Incredibly, Bar Beach's leading lady managed to secure herself MVP nomination points in half of all regular season games she played this season, and went on a month long run between rounds 6 and 9 where she was the clear best player in the competition, grabbing an 8 point haul in that time against Belmont, Raymond Terrace and twice against defending champions Hamilton.
Nominations: 4-10 def. vs Belmont (RD1), 4-13 def. vs Raymond Terrace (RD6), 4-12 def. vs Hamilton (RD7), 5-8 def. vs Belmont (RD8), 0-18 def. vs Hamilton (RD9), 6-14 def. vs Raymond Terrace (RD13), 6-10 def. vs Kotara (RD14).

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Sportmanship Award for Season 10
- Callum Foot -

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