REVEALED: Mackay’s top 10 A-Grade Rugby League talents

Get to know some of the players in the running to win the 2019 Bill Paton Medal

Four of the 10 nominees for the 2019 Bill Paton Medal, A-Grade men's player of the year award. (Right to left) Dan Moevao (Sarina), Kyle Kennedy (Sarina), Schae Mawer (Souths) and Corey McGannon (Magpies). Picture: Aidan Cureton

THE TOP 10 players in the Mackay A-Grade rugby league competition have been selected.

Cutters, rep players and new additions to the league all brought a unique skill set to the 2019 season, testament to the diversity of the competition.

Get to know some of the players in the running to win the 2019 Player of the Year title, the Bill Paton Medal.

Corey McGannon

Magpies’ star front rower proved the benefits of a running start when he surged into the season off a good pre-season with the Mackay Cutters.

Corey McGannon moved from Souths to Magpies three years ago and said it had only improved his footy.

“That put me in front with my fitness and gave me a lot more to go off through the year,” he said.

McGannon is a Mackay-born product and rose through the ranks as a Souths Sharks junior. He stayed with the Sharks until three years ago when he made the switch to Magpies where he felt he came into his own as an athlete.

This year is his first time being nominated and the Magpies player said if he was to win the award it would be the second highlight of his year under getting married two months ago.

“It’s just the cherry on top really … It would be something to remember forever, show your kids and whatnot.”

Dan Moevao

If playing A-Grade footy was like work, Sarina player Dan Moevao would be approaching long service leave.

Former Mareeba Gladiators A-grade player Dan Moevao took out the Best and Fairest Award during the 2018 season. Picture: Bronwyn Wheatcroft

Moevao has 11 years experience playing A-Grade across competitions in Canterbury New Zealand, Cairns and Mackay.

He played with the Canterbury Bulls while playing in the New Zealand National competition and helped the side take out the premiership in 2014.

He first played at an A-Grade level when he was 16. Now 27 the veteran’s know-how was invaluable to the Sarina side this season.

The lock loves playing “old school” football and put his body on the line each week in the Mackay competition.

“I’m all about doing the simple things right, and that’s the kind of footy I love,” he said.

“I’m proud already to be named in the 10, to take it out I’d be overwhelmed. I have worked hard this year so to come away with something like that would be special.”

Schae Mawer

Another new face to the region, Mawer became an instant hit in the Mackay competition.

Schae Mawer, with Katie Green. Both were selected into the men’s and women’s Northern Marlins squads.

One of only five players to gain selection into the North Queensland Marlins the Souths Sharks player left a big impact.

Mawer came to Mackay from Brisbane at the beginning of this year for a lifestyle change.

While the northern competition was new to him he quickly was selected into the Mackay City v Country competition, the Mackay Foley Shield team and then the North Queensland Marlins squad.

“Starting of with Foley Shield and Marlins, then being named with some of the top names in the league is a good finish to the year for me,” he said.

Mawer said each player nominated in the top 10 played excellent footy and deserved the praise.

“It’s pretty crazy; there’s a lot of talent among those other nine players,” he said.

Mawer said the range of clubs, positions and experience in the top 10 proved how tight this year’s competition was.

“There wasn’t an easy game, even Norths who finished last gave us a red-hot go twice in the year,” he said.

Kyle Kennedy

Homecoming hero Kyle Kennedy never expected to finish his first season back in Mackay in the running to be player of the year.

Kyle Kennedy was signed with the Mackay Cutters this year for his first season back in Mackay since 2012.

Kennedy intended to hang up the boots upon his return home, but fate had other plans and he ended up signed with the Sarina Crocs before Round 1 and eventually was signed with the Cutters in the Intrust Super Cup.

“I’m happy to be back, returning home had made me feel the love for footy again,” he said.

While he never debuted, Kennedy took the training with Mackay’s best and brought that back into the local league.

The Mackay-born player was surprised that he was nominated for the honour after a few injuries had sidelined him this season.

“I was out for four weeks with my shoulder (injury), had a good run without injury and then hurt my ankle at the end of the year and am just coming back from that now,” he said.

Kennedy was a Souths Sharks junior and played with them He played with the Cutters Under-18 team before moving south in 2012.

In his time away from home he played with Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and Newcastle Knights for Under-18 and 20s competitions. He signed with Q-Cup team Tweed Heads for the 2019 pre-season but returned home before season start.

With the Cutters, Kennedy said he had the rare chance to train with the best.

“There is a heap of NRL experience here. Jayden Hodges with the Cutters and all the boys who come back like Mitch Dunn and so on,” he said.

Bill Paton Medal – 2019 A-Grade Player of the Year nominees

Brothers – Dan Kelly

Brothers – Matthew Skaife

Magpies – Corey McGannon

Moranbah – Joshua Stevens

Proserpine – Ash Little

Proserpine – Clint Broomham

Sarina – Dan Moevao

Sarina – Kyle Kennedy

Souths – Schae Mawer

Wests – Darcy Cox

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