2020 Awards

2020 FCC Awards

Chairman’s Award

Nominated by David Howes 

Brigit Doyle - in recognition of her continual work throughout the year with the Canoe Polo Juniors at FCC.  

• Developed junior canoe polo program at FCC from scratch
• Sustained the program during COVID by:
  • maintaining a weekly online training session since March giving paddlers involved a real focus. 
  • helped paddlers connect with each other on a weekly basis - a really important thing during COVID-19 lockdown. 
• Either side of lock down, she has made herself available for Polo training and does this with energy, good humour and focus.
• Developed a real sense of team among the juniors – including making junior canoe polo FCC logo, hoodies
• organised guests to come to some sessions to share information and change things up. 
• Has initiated and run junior canoe polo camps at FCC
• Put together junior canoe polo progression system which we’re now looking at as a model for wider paddler progression
• Organised university/ intervarsity canoe polo in Victoria last year, with game day at FCC, building polo back up in the University community after many years hiatus.
• Has played on Aust womens team for 3 years including representing aust in Toronto 3 years ago
• Developed womens canoe polo at FCC, leading group
• Has now joined the paddle Vic board

Coaches Award

Nominated by Bridget Doyle

Kate Henry - Kate is aged 14 and has been playing canoe polo for 2 years. She always puts in lots of effort, and is very friendly and enthusiastic, dedicated and persistent. Kate is very supportive of other players and this year she has continued to work and improve during lockdown. She has gained a really good grasp of the rules and is well on the way to becoming a qualified referee.

Nominated by Alex Boyd

Aiden Han for his consistent commitment to training throughout COVID-19 Lockdowns, regardless of whether he could paddle or not (he completed plenty of home-gym and running throughout the periods where the club was closed or outside of his 5km radius) and his success at the 2020 Sprint National Champs winning 3 medals in K4 events (one Gold for his 200m) combined with Michael Fan from Trinity, a SASI paddler and a Manly Warringah Paddler (NSW).

Under the Yarra Award

Michael Kane

The Under the Yarra Award was initially established as a “fun” award to recognise a humorous incident or a specific characteristic of a club member.

The first award went to our dear Rose Curtis renown for her ability to chat through an entire race. Other notable winners were Steve Gadsden who won it one year for turning his back and running the lawn mower into the river and Bobby Bateson got it for promptly removing as rubbish, all the bouys that had been freshly painted and tied to exposed logs to warn paddlers of potential snags. 

This year Tony Payne has nominated Mick Kane for his courage and fortitude in the face of peril by steering his K1 to the bank after a Tiger snake mounted the front of his hull during a training run down to Studley Park. 

It was near Bellbird Park that Robin spotted a snake coming across the river and yelled out. Mick was the closest to the snake and initially didn’t see it but then found it up against his boat. He stopped paddling and we all kept looking for the snake to appear either at the front or back of his boat. But alas it decided to get more acquainted with Mick and slid up on to his front deck, about midway between the nose and cockpit. Of course in true Mick fashion he remained completely calm and kept asking the snake what it was going to do. From Robin's and my perspectives it looked quite relaxed on the deck of Mick’s boat – such a shame we didn’t have a camera. Anyway whilst Mick was chatting with the snake his boat drifted slowly toward the far bank, the snake said thanks for the ride and promptly slid off into the bushes."

Both snake and Mick parted ways amicably and Mick was able to continue his paddle unscathed. See a full description.