Carmen wins second successive men’s A-grade top award, Dixon and Carne tie for women’s A-grade MVP gong

Brodie Dixon and Danielle Carne have tied for the women’s A-grade most valuable player honour, while for the second straight season Caleb Carman has been named the men’s A-grade best player.

The Albany Basketball Association announced the award winners for the 2021-22 season on Monday night and Dixon and Carne could not be separated.

Dixon is a rising star in the senior ranks and the talented shooting guard was a key part of her side Bethel Breakers finishing fourth this season. Carne, a tenacious guard, brought welcome experience to a young Griffins outfit.

The pair finished with 30 votes to tie for the women’s A-grade MVP crown, well clear of runner-up Indianna Weeden (21 votes) from Infernos.

Sonics Blue’s Telikah Collins, Barking Owls’ Kathryn Jennings and Sonics’ Aleesha Narkle were next with 17 votes and were closely followed by Owls’ Abbi Gibson and Sonics Blue’s Casey Griffiths on 15.

Carman won his first men’s A-grade top award last season and backed that up after another stellar campaign with Ambassadors who finished fourth.

The veteran forward was again a prolific scorer in the competition and collected 24 votes to edge out young star Jordi O’Neill (18) from Barking Owls.

Infernos big man Kye Griffiths was next with 17, followed by Sonics’ David Arthur and Infernos’ Lewis Bosch on 16.

The Albany Advertiser All Stars were also named for the women’s and men’s A-grade competitions.

O’Neill, Hamish McMorran (Owls), Griffiths, Carman and Luke Wilson (Denmark) make up the starting five for the men while Evan Delbene (Owls) and Arthur were named reserves.

In the women’s A-grade, Dixon and Carne both featured in the starting five alongside Collins and Infernos duo Isabella de Giambattista and Charlotte Edwards.

Narkle and Sonics teammate Shianne Arthur were named reserves.

James Watters from Tigers won the Haydn Kirkwood Medal after receiving the most votes as an under-18 player in the men’s A-grade competition with 11.

Dixon won the under-18 award in the women’s A-grade competition.

Other major award winners were Kira-Lee Dimer (Charlie Upson Memorial Junior Sportsperson Award), Tim Turnbull and Vincent Perich (Reside Family Award) and Adrian Masters (Morris Robertson Raiders Coach Award).

Other senior grade fairest and best winners were Tiarna Delli-Benedetti and Tamika Coyne (women’s B-grade division one), Reini Henrickson (women’s B-grade division two), Felicity Brelikreuz and Henrickson (women’s vets), Jason Ford (men’s B-grade division one), Shane Ugle (men’s B-grade division two), Rivah Bocian (men’s B-grade division three) and Carman (men’s vets).