Sturt’s Chelsea Brook, North Adelaide’s Alex Starling claim Premier League’s top honours
STURT young gun Chelsea Brook and North Adelaide import Alex Starling have taken home SA’s Premier League basketball’s Halls and Woollacott medals.
STURT young gun Chelsea Brook has backed up Adelaide Lightning’s decision to re-sign her for the upcoming WNBL season after claiming SA Premier League basketball’s Halls Medal on Sunday.
Brook switched from Norwood to the Sabres at the start of this season and claimed the women’s best and fairest title with 38 votes at Basketball SA’s end-of-season awards at the Stamford Grand, Glenelg.
The 19-year-old forward missed only one minor round and was instrumental in Sturt’s second-placed finish, averaging 17.18 goals and 11.29 rebounds.
Brook’s medal win comes 10 months after she claimed gold with the Emerging Opals at the World University Games.
She edged out North Adelaide US import Leah Metcalf, who polled 29 votes in the medal count.
The Halls Medal is voted by the referees under a 3-2-1 voting system.
North Adelaide’s Alex Starling took home the Woollacott Medal for the men’s best and fairest.
It was the second time Starling had won the award.
He became Woodville’s first player to claim the league’s highest individual honour in 2014 and then went on to help the Warriors to a title.
The 29-year-old forward averaged 23.47 points a game and 12.53 rebounds to pip the Tigers’ US import Calvin Turnage (33 votes).
Starling is one of the competition’s most decorated imports, having won two championships.
The American claimed one with Southern in 2016 and could snare another this year with the Rockets.
In other awards, Central Districts’ Jimma Dau won the men’s rising star, while Metcalf was named the women’s the Best Defensive Player.
THE WINNERS:
WOMEN
Halls Medal: Chelsea Brook (Sturt)
Merv Harris Medal (best player under-21): Chelsea Brook (Sturt)
Most Valuable Player: Leah Metcalf (North Adelaide)
All-Star Five:
Leah Metcalf (North Adelaide)
Carmen Tyson-Thomas (Eastern Mavericks)
Sam Simons (Forestville)
Chelsea Brook (Sturt)
Olivia Thompson (Forestville)
Best Defensive Player: Leah Metcalf (North Adelaide)
Coach of the Year: Brenton Johnston (North Adelaide)
Phil Yuill Memorial Trophy for Referee of the Year: Adam Gillings
MEN
Woollacott Medal: Alex Starling (North Adelaide)
Frank Angove Medal (rising star award): Jimma Dau (Central Districts)
Most Valuable Player: Alex Starling (North Adelaide)
All-Star Five:
Sam Johns (Southern)
James Legan (West Adelaide)
Bryan McGriff (Norwood)
Calvin Turnage (Southern)
Alex Starling (North Adelaide)
Best Defensive Player:
Greg Mays (Southern)
Tim Klaosen (Sturt)
Coach of the Year: Corey Maclean (West Adelaide)
Phil Yuill Memorial Trophy for Referee of the Year: Nathan Durant
