Rockhampton Rugby League’s Ollie Howden Medal winners

Only five players have twice won the Ollie Howden Medal, awarded to the competition’s best and fairest. FULL LIST OF MEDAL WINNERS HERE.

Steve Crear ended his celebrated rugby league career by leading Brothers to a Rockhampton Rugby League premiership.

It was a fitting final chapter for the classy five-eighth, who scaled the heights of the game, going on to represent Queensland and Australia.

Crear was captain/coach of the Brethren outfit that beat Norths 30-13 in 1981.

Steve Crear (left) in action at Browne Park in August 1970.

It was the same year in which he received his second Ollie Howden Medal as the competition’s best and fairest player.

He won his first 10 years earlier after his first full A-grade season with Norths.

Crear is part of a select group of players to have twice won the medal in its 68-year history.

The others were Railways’ “Sugar” Ray Robinson (1955, 1960), Fitzroys’ Graham Horstman (1973, 1999), Brothers’ Hugh Stanley (1999, 2002) and CQU Norths’ James Waterton (2004, 2005).

Steve Crear (centre) with Rod Reddy and Greg Reynolds at the CQ Team of the Century awards night in 2008.

Crear, 69, said the dual honour was something special.

“The first one was most enjoyable of course,” he said.

“To be recognised by your peers as the best player in town, that’s a big achievement.

“It’s wonderful to win anything in your career.

“When you’re playing you don’t go out thinking you’re going to win the medal, you go out to compete and to be the best you can.

“I was just lucky enough to get the nod twice.”

Ollie Howden Medal winners

1954 Cec Cooper (Brothers)

1955 ‘Sugar’ Ray Robinson (Railways)

1956 Ken Jenkins (Norths)

1957 Alf Bawden (Fitzroys)

1958 Ollie Smith (Brothers)

1959 Cyril Connell Jnr (Norths)

1960 ‘Sugar’ Ray Robinson (Railways)

1961 Neville Willie (Fitzroys)

1962 George Golding (Norths)

1963 Ron Dutton (Fitzroys)

Garth Budge.

1964 Garth Budge (Norths)

1965 Brian Hammond (Fitzroys)

1966 Des Tracey (Railways)

1967 Glen Whitfield (Norths)

1968 Peter Stark (Brothers)

Ray Laird.

1969 Ray Laird (Railways)

1970 Max Anderson (Norths)

1971 Steve Crear (Norths)

1972 Les Bunda (Norths)

1973 Graham Horstman (Fitzroys)

1974 Len Brunner (Norths)

1975 Les Williams (Fitzroys)

1976 Tony Perkins (Brothers)

1977 Graham Horstman (Fitzroys)

Greg Reynolds.

1978 Greg Reynolds (Norths)

1979 Malcolm Horstman (Fitzroys)

1980 Con Marrinan (Brothers)

1981 Steve Crear (Brothers)

1982 Bruce Applewaite (Railways)

1983 Greg Smith (Brothers)

1984 Peter Gilbert (Brothers)

Troy Evans.

1985 Troy Evans (Railways)

1986 John Jenkins (Yeppoon)

1987 Greg Upkett (Norths)

1988 Robert Crow Jnr (Brothers)

1989 Pat Busby (Brothers)

Paul Iles.

1990 Paul Iles (Brothers)

1991 Troy White (Brothers)

1992 Robbie Schmidt (Norths)

1993 Graham White (Norths)

1994 Matt Barclay (Brothers)

1995 Gavin Ryan (Brothers)

1996 Robbie Graham (Brothers)

1997 Zane Fraser (Norths)

Paul White.

1998 Paul White (Brothers)

1999 Hugh Stanley (Brothers)

2000 David Ahern (Brothers)

2001 Michael Wakeman (Fitzroys)

2002 Hugh Stanley (Brothers)

2003 Gerard Parle (Brothers)

2004 James Waterton (CQU Norths)

2005 James Waterton (CQU Norths)

Guy Williams.

2006 Guy Williams (CQU Norths)

2007 Stephen Lill (Brothers)

2008 Garrett Field (Yeppoon)

Tom Simpson.

2009 Tom Simpson (Brothers)

2010 Tim Harlow (Yeppoon)

Gavin Duffy.

2011 Gavin Duffy (Brothers), Ben Faulkner (Yeppoon)

2012 Jakk Kavanagh (Yeppoon)

2013 Rhys Chapman (Brothers)

Peter Rogers.

2014 Peter Rogers (Biloela), Luke Guinane (Norths)

2015 George Grant (Yeppoon)

2016 Mitchell Power (Brothers)

Dean Allen.

2017 Dean Allen (Norths)

2018 Sam Holzheimer (Yeppoon)

2019 Dean Blackman (Yeppoon)

2020 No competition due to Covid

2021 Kazzi Doyle (Norths)