A year of near-misses and the promise of great achievements to come.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It was a spectacular year in Illawarra sport, showcasing the ability of the region’s top talent across a wide variety of sports.
Some have been born and bred on the South Coast, others have come to call the Illawarra home.
And the Mercury is celebrating their talents with the 2017 Illawarra Sportsperson Of The Year.
There will be two awards, announced on Saturday, December 30.
The people’s choice award will be determined by a public vote, closing on Boxing Day, at 5pm, Tuesday, December 26.
The Mercury Sportsperson Of The Year will be decided be our expert panel.
Voting for the sportsperson of the year has now closed.
The sportsperson of the year and winners of the Nitro Circus tickets will be announced on the Illawarra Mercury Sport Facebook page.
KEZIE APPS
Kezie Apps is on the verge of becoming Australian women’s rugby league’s first true superstar.
Originally from Bega, Apps found her feet on the national stage while playing for the Helensburgh Tigerlillies and is now a Dragons ambassador, as the club pushes to be part of the inaugural Women’s NRL competition next year.
A devastating ballrunner, Apps was crowned the Dally M Women’s player of the year in 2016, before fracturing her left fibula and tearing the ligaments in her knee.
She recovered in time to play a key role in NSW’s second ever interstate challenge victory over Queensland at WIN Stadium in July.
Apps then went on be part of the Jillaroos World Cup success, alongside fellow talented Illawarra and South Coast players Ruan Sims and Maddie Studdon.
JAKE BIRTWHISTLE
It’s Australia Day at Belmore Basin and Wollongong Wizards talent Jake Birtwhistle’s Aquathon crown is under threat more so than at any time in the past four years.
He’d pulled himself out of Wollongong Harbour more than 20 seconds behind the leaders.
But the 22-year-old produced all his world class running ability to power to the finish line, beating Olympian Ryan Bailie.
Now Birtwhistle has set his sights on a Commonwealth Games medal, after securing Australia’s first position at the World Triathlon Series event at the Golf Coast in April.
ROTNEI CLARKE
Long after he retires, Clarke will be remembered as an Illawarra Hawks great.
The NBL is littered with American talent who have come and taken the Australian competition by storm, as Clarke has in winning an MVP, leading the Hawks to last season’s grand final series – where they were beaten by Perth – and an impressive start to this campaign.
Such Clarke’s class and professionalism, he turned being benched last season into a positive and is some career-best shooting form in 2017, standing among the NBL’s top pointscorers with Jerome Randle, Casey Prather, Perry Ellis and Bryce Cotton.
A championship is about the only prize left for Clarke. Maybe 2018 will bring it.
CAITLIN FOORD
If there’s ever a Mercury sportsperson of the year hall of fame, Foord is the first one inducted.
The 23-year-old is a permanent nominee for this award, a tribute to her remarkable international career and the rise of the Matildas, who have dominated Brazil – Foord scored against them earlier this year – the US and China in recent times.
And every year the Mercury forms the shortlist, the realisation hits. Foord is still only (update age each year,. currently 23)!
Foord has played in top leagues in America and most recently in Japan with Vegalta Sendai, troubling the opposition with her pace, width and goalscoring ability.
Foord helped the Matildas take out the Tournament of Nations against Japan, the US and Brazil.
They loom as a genuine Asia Cup (2018) and World Cup (2019) threat.
TYSON FRIZELL
An NRL finals campaign and State of Origin glory may have again eluded him, but Corrimal's Tyson Frizell enhanced his standing as one of the game's best forwards by playing in Australia's World Cup victory last month.
Frizell declared the 6-nil victory over England the toughest game he'd played in his life, as he extended a personal unbeaten streak to 10 games when wearing the green and gold.
With his ability to play front and second row roles, Frizell came off the bench in Australia's campaign and joins the ranks of Kiama's Brett and Josh Morris as recent World Cup winners.
Frizell started in all three Origin games for NSW this year, a series which started with such promise with a 28-4 win at Suncorp Stadium and ended in disappointment in the decider in Brisbane in July.
He also showed remarkable durability, playing 22 games for the Dragons despite ongoing back, rib cartilage and ankle problems, to even make it to a World Cup campaign.
EMMA MCKEON
Wollongong’s Emma McKeon added another record to her growing list of international achievements by winning six medals at this year’s world championships, the most ever by a woman.
After winning bronze in the Rio Olympics 200m freestyle final, McKeon, made further gains on superstar American Katie Ledecky when finishing in a tie for silver at the world titles.
McKeon also took out silver in the 100m butterfly and a swag of relay medals as part of her packed schedule.
After a dominant display at the Australian Short Course Championships, McKeon took out the national ‘swimmer’s swimmer’ award at the annual gala dinner, reflecting the high standing she is regarded within her peers.
McKeon is the joint reigning Mercury sportsperson of the year with Tyler Wright.
TY OXLEY
Frustration turned to elation last year for Wollongong’s Ty Oxley.
Hull damage in 2014 and rudder damage in 2015 resulted in Oxley and the PerpetualLoyal crew limping to an early Sydney-to-Hobart retirement.
A yacht rated the fastest racing super maxi in the world was yet to live up to its potential.
And then, fortunes changed.
Owned and skippered by Sydney accountant Anthony Bell, Oxley was one of the masterminds behind PerpetualLoyal setting a new record of one day, 13 hours, 31 minutes and 20 seconds in the race to Hobart, almost five hours quicker than the previous mark.
Oxley has returned this year, part of a new team named InfoTrack in the hunt for back-to-back titles when they leave Sydney Heads on Boxing Day.
ALEX VOLKANOVSKI
Former Warilla rugby league player turned mixed martial arts star Alex Volkanovski has continued his rapid rise up the UFC ranks with his third victory in November.
While the knockout eluded him, Volkanovski was a dominant winner over debutant Shane Young, with the judges scoring the fight 30-27 and two 30-26 decisions.
Volkanovski has made a staggering transition from an amateur front-rower who won a premiership with Warilla at 97 kilograms to a featherweight fighter at 66kgs.
He’s had 15 wins and one loss in his mixed martial arts career, before launching an unbeaten UFC career.
Volkanovski is the reigning Mercury sportsperson of the year people’s choice winner.
TYLER WRIGHT
Layne Beachley won six world titles in a row. Steph Gilmore claimed four in a row and six in eight years.
Now South Coast surfer Tyler Wright is eyeing a similar streak of success after taking out her second successive World Surf League crown, at the final tour even in Hawaii.
Wright bowed out in the semi-finals, against Gilmore, but it mattered little after securing the title the previous day, when here biggest rivals, fellow South Coast surfer Sally Ftizgibbons and American Courtney Conlogue had already suffered early exits.
This year, Wright only won one event, but made the final in another was in the semi-finals on four occasions.
The consistency was enough to secure the crown.
It was a big year for the Wright family, after brother Owen made an emotional comeback to the tour following a brain injury from a heavy fall while surfing.
Wright is the joint reigning Mercury sportsperson of the year with Emma McKeon.
JORDAN ZUNIC
From the breathtaking third round where he flirted with carding the near mythical round of 59, to the heartbreak of watching a playoff putt lip out.
Jordan Zunic’s performance at the Australian PGA was a rollercoaster ride, but also a reflection of his immense potential on the international stage.
Zunic had missed the cut at the Australian Open in Sydney the previous week, but was in extraordinary touch at Royal Pines on the Gold Coast.
He carded 11 birdies in 16 holes on the Saturday, before finding the sand on the final two holes and finishing with bogey and double for a round of 64.
A three shot leader heading into the final round, Zunic was unable to resist the consistent charge of winner Cameron Smith at the second playoff hole.
Having missed the final round of European Tour qualifying school, the former New Zealand Open and Northern Territory PGA winner is on the verge of bursting into the elite ranks.