Check out these great award winners in amazing year

The stars who defied COVID and who is tipped to make an impact in 2021. Relive the highlights and sad moments.

The Richmond Tigers celebrate winning the 2020 AFL Grand Final at The Gabba. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

BOMBER’S BLAST

Anthony Breeze

ALTHOUGH 2020 has been a difficult year for all sports around the world, sport maniacs like me should be grateful that we got to see some sport locally, nationally and internationally.

With this being my last column for the year, I have decided to hand out my awards.

Team of the year: This was a hard one with several sides putting their hands up for this honour.

The Goodna Eagles swept all before them in winning the Volunteers Cup rugby league competition.

The Melbourne Storm won the NRL title after relocating to the Sunshine Coast for a large chuck of the season.

Liverpool supporters finally got to celebrate an English Premier League title.

The Queensland Maroons were supposed to lose the Origin series to the Blues but no-one

told this rookie team who produced a superb series victory.

The Ipswich Jets Sapphire Series side made it to the grand final in only their second season.

The LA Lakers came out of the wilderness to win the NBA title.

However, I have opted for the Richmond Tigers winning the AFL flag

after living on the Gold Coast for the season and playing only one home game.

Official of the year: I couldn’t go past Peter V’Landys who got the NRL back onto the field first after the COVID break. This man has been an asset for rugby league and without him the season may not have restarted.

Event of the year: The AFL Grand Final at the Gabba was a tremendous success with Queensland’s Richmond Tigers supporters getting a chance to watch their team win the flag.

Next big star: A boxing sensational goes by the name of Brock Jarvis. This kid can box and will be contending for a world title shortly.

Sportsperson of the year: Sportstars from around the world did some amazing things in these trying times but I have stayed close to home and picked basketballer Nathan Sobey who carried the Ipswich Force into Queensland State League finals. This man is a serious talent.

Bullets and Australian basketballer Nathan Sobey playing for the Ipswich Force in the 2020 Queensland State League competition.

Organisation of the year: The Ipswich Vigoro Association’s 90th anniversary celebrations were thrown into turmoil in March but it didn’t deter them from presenting a livestream of their presentation night and recently celebrating and naming a quality 90 year team.

Liked: The form of Ipswich Hornets players Jack Woods and Ellie Johnston. Both players are stars on the rise.

Rugby League Ipswich, who put on a superb Volunteers Cup series where all teams and players were thrilled with the event.

Watching champion greyhound Simon Told Helen win four Group 1 races and be placed in several others.

All the different sports who had to adapt to some tough protocols just to see action on the field.

Tim Tszyu and the massive progress this star has made in the ring. He will

win a world title in 2021.

The form of Dustin Martin in the AFL final series. When the big stage arrives, he turns it up 10 notches.

Disliked: The boofheads from all sports who broke outside their bubble and put their respective sports in jeopardy.

The two flogs who ran onto the field in the AFL Grand Final and interrupted play. Make the fines higher to discourage this yobbo mentality.

The start by the Brisbane Heat in this year’s Big Bash League. It is this going to be another barren season by them.

Not getting to watch the Olympics from Tokyo an event I look forward to every four years.

Watching the sad demise of the once mighty Ipswich Musketeers. I am sure they will be back better in coming years.

Being a NSW Origin supporter, I hated the form of Cam Munster who tore the Blues

to threads in Game 3. This man is the best player in rugby league at the moment.

Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers. Picture: Harry How/Getty Images

RIP: The sporting world lost several champions from many different sports during 2020 and we will forever be indebted to what thrills these champions gave us as a player or an official.

Ipswich rugby league lost two stars in internationals Noel Kelly and Gary Parcell. Long-time official Ken Boettcher also passed away.

The soccer world mourned the loss of one of their best in Diego Maradona.

Cricket saw the passing of the great Dean Jones.

Olympian Alex “Chumpy” Pulin was a big loss.

The AFL was saddenrf when John Kennedy Snr died in June.

US Basketball said goodbye to the man who built the league in official David Stern.

Kobe Bryant’s passing was felt around the world.

Many other players and officials left us in 2020 and will be sorely missed in their respective sports.

2021 Crystal ball: The Parramatta Eels make the grand final but I can’t quite see if they win their first title in 35 years.

The Richmond Tigers again claim the flag and stamp themselves as one of the best AFL teams in recent times.

Roger Federer wins one more Grand Slam and retires as the greatest of all time.

Prince of Arran goes from a perennial placegetter to a Melbourne Cup winner.

The Australian Open goes off without incident in February with Alex de Minaur making the finals.

Keep watching

SPORT doesn’t turn off over the Christmas-New Year break with plenty of action to watch as you sit back and relax.

The cricket Tests against India will be in full swing.

The Sydney to Hobart will sail on Boxing Day.

The Big Bash League action will be on at the Gabba.

English Premier League soccer continues.

NFL action from the USA is on.

There is also some great horse racing and greyhound action.

Whatever your sport, I hope you received some thrills in a year that almost didn’t happen. Lets hope 2021 gets back close to normality and all sports return to the field with spectators in the stands.

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