FORMER Gold Coast, St Kilda and West Coast ruck Tom Hickey, and crosscode netball star Steph O’Brien have been crowned Queensland’s best state league players at last night’s best and fairest awards ceremony.

Hickey – now at Palm Beach Currumbin – was adjudged the best player in the QAFL competition, having dominated through the ruck for the Lions and earned his first J.A. Grogan Medal. The ex-AFL player impressed enough to take home the Coaches MVP as well as be named starting ruck in the Team of the Year.

O’Brien – who balances her time between her football with Southport and her netball with HART Sapphire Series club Ipswich Jets – added yet another accolade to her ever-growing cabinet. The reigning Emma Zielke Medallist made it back-to-back wins in the league, while also taking home the Coaches MVP and captaining the Team of the Year.

Her young bottom-age teammate and Suns Academy member Dekota Baron was named the QAFL Women’s Rising Star, with Maroochydore’s Ty Gallop – a top-age forward out of the Lions Academy and Alllies program – was awarded the QAFL Rising Star.

Aspley supplied both leading goalkickers with Connor Stackelberg and Jessica Stallard winning their respective awards. Redland Victoria Point coach Phil Carse and Southport mentor Peter Doherty were named the coaches of their respective league’s Team of the Year.

Among other familiar faces in the Team of the Year are ex-AFL players Hickey, Liam Dawson, Nakia Cockatoo, Matt Hammelmann, Rhys Mathieson, Garrett McDonagh and Josh Wagner. For the QAFLW team, recently recruited Kaylee Kimber, and Queensland State Academy members Georja Davies and Laura Roy feature.

QAFL AWARDS:

J.A. Grogan Medal: Tom Hickey (Palm Beach Currumbin)
Rising Star: Ty Gallop (Maroochydore)
Leading Goalkicker: Connor Stackelberg (Aspley)
Coaches MVP: Tom Hickey (Palm Beach Currumbin)

TEAM OF THE YEAR:

B: Matt Doran (Surfers Paradise) – Adrian Williams (Redland Victoria Point) – Ethan Sekac (Palm Beach Currumbin)
HB: Josh Wagner (Maroochydore) – Liam Dawson (Aspley) – Joshua Govan (Maroochydore)
C: Garrett McDonagh (Morningside) – Will Fletcher (Sherwood – captain) – Blake Erickson (Broadbeach)
HF: Nakia Cockatoo (Morningside) – Connor Stackelberg (Aspley) – Aiden Fyfe (Labrador)
F: Blair Rubock (Palm Beach Currumbin) – Matt Hammelmann (Redland Victoria Point) – Benjamin Woodburn (Surfers Paradise)
R: Tom Hickey (Palm Beach Currumbin) – Rhys Mathieson (Wilston Grange) – Tom Simpson (Labrador)
INT: Mitchell Conn (Noosa) – Jay Foon (Labrador) – Tommy Horne (Morningside) – Matthew Payne (Aspley)

Coach: Phil Carse (Redland Victoria Point)

QAFLW AWARDS:

Emma Zielke Medal: Steph O’Brien (Southport)
Rising Star: Dekota Baron (Southport)
Leading Goalkicker: Jessica Stallard (Aspley)
Coaches MVP: Steph O’Brien (Southport)

TEAM OF THE YEAR:

B: Sara-Jane O’Grady (Maroochydore) – Kaylee Kimber (Southport)
HB: Jasmyn Davidson (Bond University) – Ayla Fetahagic (Coorparoo) – Gracie Roy (University of Queensland)
C: Lucy Schneider (Coorparoo) – Jessica Davy (Aspley) – Keyshia Matenga (Wilston Grange)
HF: Ella Calleja (Bond University) – Steph O’Brien (Southport – captain) – Summer Hamilton (Wilston Grange)
F: Maddy Baldwin (Southport) – Jessica Stallard (Aspley)
R: Georja Davies (Southport) – Madeleine Watt (Southport) – Louise Tyson (Aspley)
INT: Jane Childes (University of Queensland) – Lucia Liessi (Aspley) – Laura Roy (University of Queensland) – Courtney Sexton (Bond University) – Chelsea Winn (Yeronga South Brisbane)

Coach: Peter Doherty (Southport)