Kieran O'Donnell wins the 2023 AWFA Star Player award
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00:00 One vote, Colborne, Bill Parkett.
00:03 Two votes, Tom La Spina, Myrtleford.
00:07 Three votes, Tom Chaplet, Myrtleford.
00:11 We have a look at our final and sally leaderboard.
00:15 The boomers, picture up there really.
00:19 Martin Svoboda and Josh Perry, 14 and 15 respectively.
00:27 Andrew Grove at 18, what a great season by him.
00:31 Jacob Schwaber, really pulled well through the middle part
00:35 as well, Jack McGiffin, great behind him
00:37 in the competition this year, 23 votes.
00:38 Bill Parkett, 23 as well.
00:41 So the Roar Boys doing nicely, both up in the top three.
00:44 Not the Roar, the Michael, 26,
00:45 and your Stephen Haney star player,
00:47 here we are, Tom La Spina.
00:49 (audience cheering)
00:52 (audience applauding)
01:20 - Here he looks nice and greased up, he's fired up.
01:23 Hey, congratulations, boy, what an impact,
01:26 clearly, that you've had on the competition.
01:29 Again, in terms of record, it's a little bit hazy,
01:32 but I believe the first Roar man to some degree to do it.
01:35 But since 2015, interestingly,
01:38 five out of those seven years,
01:39 the person that's won the gold-picking award
01:42 has also gone on to win the star player award,
01:44 and Virgil did it twice in that time as well.
01:46 So it seems to be a good correlation between the two of them.
01:49 So how do you feel right now, mate, taking up this award?
01:51 - Yeah, I feel privileged.
01:53 I'm back again, apparently.
01:55 But nah, it's a great honour,
01:57 and it's a nice little individual award.
02:00 If I could swap it for that grand final,
02:02 in a heartbeat, of course,
02:04 but I'm happy on a personal level, yeah, of course.
02:07 - I'm gonna touch on shortly what got you over here.
02:09 I believe Bill Parkett might've played a little part.
02:11 I don't know if Bill's regretting that right now,
02:13 because you might've just stopped him
02:14 from actually winning the award himself, mate,
02:16 with Melky there as well.
02:17 But was there any sort of battle
02:18 between you two blokes coming down,
02:20 or any of the boys who might poll the most?
02:22 - Nah, no battle, because this man assists me.
02:25 You can't score goals if I assist,
02:26 and he puts them on a plate for me every time,
02:28 so I can only thank him for getting me out here
02:31 and doing what he does,
02:32 from the meals and training and everything.
02:35 This man has individually got me up on this stage,
02:38 so I can't thank him enough, and it's a privilege.
02:40 (audience applauding)
02:43 - So tell us about that,
02:44 because I believe also, back home,
02:46 there's a couple of former Cockrom players as well
02:48 that you played with.
02:49 So tell us that actual full connection
02:51 and how you ended up on the rules doorstep.
02:53 - I don't know how I'm here, to be honest,
02:55 but yeah, there's a bit of a Brock and Ives,
02:57 Cockrom connection,
02:59 which seems to be working well at the moment,
03:00 with Smithy, Archie, Mitchell, Specie, Poise,
03:02 a couple of years back.
03:03 And yeah, it's an honor to be here,
03:06 and it seems to be working, so why not carry on?
03:09 - Now, very popular member of the group,
03:12 but you've also really, you know,
03:15 bought into the culture that is at Cockrom.
03:17 I believe they get a lot of you guys
03:18 to get involved coaching ones.
03:19 You're coaching the 13s at the moment as well.
03:21 So how much have you enjoyed being immersed
03:24 within the Royal community this year?
03:26 - Oh, it's been unreal.
03:28 I didn't expect it to be how good it was.
03:31 Coaching that under 13s has been a privilege.
03:33 Like, the boys are unreal.
03:35 All the young lads, it's an honor.
03:37 It's hard not to laugh at this little man over here
03:40 in the white shirt, bless him.
03:41 I've done his trim as well.
03:43 But apart from that, yeah, it's been an honor.
03:45 It's so good, such a good time.
03:47 - Speaking to a number of people at the Royal,
03:49 you're very, very popular at the club.
03:50 But there's one thing I don't like about you,
03:53 and that's your choice of music.
03:54 Is this correct?
03:56 - Nah, it's a lie, it's a myth.
03:57 I only play good tunes.
03:59 - Are you in charge of the pre-warmups,
04:01 sort of music-wise, or anything like that?
04:03 Or do you have the boys,
04:05 I believe they're not too happy with some of your choices.
04:07 - I don't know who said that, but I can, yeah.
04:10 There was a really bad DJ previous,
04:12 and I had to step in and teach him a bit of this
04:15 English culture, bring it over this side.
04:17 - Okay, now, we're not at all your games, obviously.
04:21 But when we do live stream,
04:22 you seem to really look for a gold celebration.
04:25 You seem to be very aware of where the camera is.
04:27 I'm not sure how you go, but the boys do.
04:30 I do have it on good authority that you take
04:32 special privilege in your celebrations.
04:34 Do you put a lot of thought into them?
04:35 Is it sort of pre-planned?
04:37 'Cause you love a celebration, mate.
04:39 You do some of the best in the club.
04:41 - I appreciate that.
04:42 Nah, I live with a group of lads,
04:44 and sometimes, the night before games,
04:46 we plan a little celebration.
04:48 If it's a bit out of order, I apologise,
04:50 but some of them are mainly contained.
04:53 But, yeah, not really.
04:55 It's not really planned sometimes, but not really.
04:59 Yeah, I apologise to all the goalkeepers in the league,
05:01 and defenders, if I've done a really bad celebration.
05:05 I apologise, but it is what it is.
05:08 - How have you found the level of competition?
05:11 This year, in Walfa.
05:12 Has it been what you expected?
05:14 Has it been better than what you expected?
05:15 How have you found it?
05:17 - Nah, I think it's a good level of competition.
05:19 It's very different to what I'm used to back home,
05:22 but I've probably enjoyed it.
05:24 - Okay, and from Rawls' perspective,
05:26 obviously, bitterly disappointed you touched on before
05:29 that you got knocked out,
05:30 but you can't take away from,
05:32 you were second in the competition
05:33 to one of the great teams of Walfa that there has been.
05:36 So, how do you assess the Rawls' year?
05:39 - I think we were on a season-long run.
05:42 We got very unlucky with injuries.
05:45 One, I was not ready for a Q&A up here, personally,
05:48 but yeah, we had so much potential,
05:52 and we could have gone a lot further,
05:55 and we were very unlucky, so great one next year.
05:57 - Cup final on Saturday night,
06:00 United against Vertel Fili.
06:02 Are you prepared to pick an upset?
06:04 Can we see an upset here at all?
06:07 - Yes.
06:08 - For me, there'll be, for me, what I played against,
06:11 there'll be no, I'm feeling a lot of pressure up here,
06:13 by the way, I apologise.
06:14 (audience laughing)
06:15 But for me, United dominated the game,
06:20 and Murdoch would have to be very much on their date,
06:23 because United and us are,
06:27 I think, the best two teams in the league,
06:28 and for me, I see United win.
06:30 - Yes. - Yay!
06:32 (audience applauding)
06:32 - Right, so thank you for this, yeah?
06:34 Can I ask you for a score?
06:36 - A score?
06:37 - A score?
06:38 (audience laughing)
06:41 I'm not really a predictor, but I don't know, maybe,
06:46 it depends how many Murdoch players
06:48 have been recorded this season,
06:49 that's maybe a three or four one United.
06:54 - Oh, very good, very good.
06:56 Plans for you next year,
06:57 what will we see you back here in the competition,
07:00 or from us?
07:01 - I think we'll be back in the competition,
07:02 here in the competition, or from us,
07:04 we'll need to discuss that a little bit.
07:07 - I'm waiting on where I'm traveling,
07:09 or where I'm going, I'm not too sure at the moment,
07:11 so very undecided, but I love Cumberland Moor
07:14 with all my heart, and yeah, I love the club,
07:16 and I love the people, and the community,
07:18 it's just someone I've never seen before,
07:20 so it's brilliant.
07:21 - Well, congratulations, mate, that's everyone,
07:23 that's whether they've been in the Parliament
07:25 or played with you this year,
07:26 and obviously the fans, you're a delight to watch,
07:28 you're clearly a star player,
07:29 you've won the award tonight,
07:30 I'll allow you to thank whoever you like.
07:32 - Thank you, I feel like I've done all the thank yous,
07:35 all the rounds of thank yous,
07:36 so I apologise if I haven't thanked my family yet,
07:39 so thank you, but apart from that,
07:42 I love you all, and thank you, sorry.
07:44 (audience laughing)
07:45 (audience applauding)
07:49 (applause)
07:51 (applause)