Rob Hancock Memorial Award Previous Recipients

Year	Name
2025	Anna Rogacki
2024	Rueben Berg
2023	Monica Chang & Dan Rule
2022	Michelle Phillips
2021	Greta Murdoch & Michael Rubock
2020	Matt Hill & John McNaughton
2019	Michael Canci
2018	Kath Adlard and David O’Brien
2017	Mat Ryan
2016	Kim Holmes
2015	Tom Rogacki & Steve Campbell
2014	Lisi Moore
2013	Owen Shepherd
2012	Melissa Gangemi
2012	Chris Warris
2011	Rachel Grindlay
2011	Jason de Rooy
2010	Nicole Footer
2010	Andrew (Temple) Stanley
2009	Shavawn Donoghue
2007	Steve Baker
2007	Bruce McNaughton
2006	Nikki Shires
2005	Sandra Poon
2005	Piers Truter
2004	Simon Farrow
2003	Fiona Macrae
2003	John Greenfield
2002	John Damiani
2002	Jemery Day
2001	Leon Smith
2000	Jonathan Potts
2000	Tom Brennan
1998	Padi O’Neill
1997	Simon Wood
1996	Vicky Colliver
1995	Doug Bryers
1994	Sally Basten
1994	Sandy Castleden (Jarvis)
1992	James Garvey
1991	Andrew Morris
1990	Gail Lynch
1989	Leigh Bird
1988	Martin Ryland-Adair
1987	Brian Allen

Anna Rogacki (2025)

Anna Rogacki’s contribution to Australian ultimate is extraordinary in both scope and impact. Over more than two decades, she has shaped the sport at every level — as an elite player, coach, mentor and leader. Her influence spans national teams, club programs, athlete development and coach education, with a legacy that extends far beyond results. Through her pioneering work in mental fitness training, her commitment to developing people, and her unwavering dedication to the ultimate community, Anna has helped shape the culture and success of Australian ultimate for an entire generation.

Anna’s journey in ultimate began in Queensland before she became a driving force in Victorian ultimate. As a player, she represented Australia at the 2004 World Championships in Finland and helped establish pathways for women’s ultimate through her leadership of Ishtar, a club she co-founded in 2005. As captain and coach, she played a key role in developing the standard of Victorian women’s ultimate while balancing elite competition with family life, helping normalise the presence of young families within the sport.

While Anna’s playing career was impressive, it is her coaching achievements that have cemented her place as one of the most influential figures in Australian flying disc history. Widely regarded as the most decorated coach Australian ultimate has produced, Anna has led teams to some of the nation’s greatest international successes. In 2010, she coached the Stingrays Women’s Under-23 team to Australia’s first and only gold medal on grass at the World Championships in Florence, earning Coach of the Year honours. She later guided the Crocs to silver medals at the World Games in both 2013 and 2022, coached the Barramundis to a silver medal at the 2016 World Championships, and played a key role in the Firetails’ historic bronze medal performance in 2024, Australia’s best-ever result in the women’s division.

Yet Anna’s impact cannot be measured solely through medals and results. Throughout her coaching career, she has become renowned for her ability to bring people together, develop confidence, and create environments where athletes can thrive both on and off the field. Many of Australia’s leading players and coaches credit Anna as a mentor whose influence shaped not only their sporting careers but also their personal growth and leadership. Her teams became known for their culture, connection and resilience, reflecting the care, empathy and belief she consistently invested in every individual she worked with.

Perhaps Anna’s most enduring contribution to Australian ultimate has been her pioneering work in mental fitness training. Long before sports psychology and mental performance became commonplace in ultimate, Anna championed the importance of developing the mind alongside physical and technical skills. Through years of innovation, education and mentorship, she fundamentally changed how Australian athletes approach performance, helping establish mental fitness as a core component of elite programs across the country. Today, many of the practices now considered standard within Australian ultimate can be traced back to Anna’s leadership and vision.

Beyond her achievements as a player and coach, Anna has dedicated countless hours to mentoring athletes, supporting coaches, strengthening clubs, and helping build a more inclusive and connected community. Her influence is reflected not only in the teams she has led, but in the hundreds of players, coaches and leaders who continue to carry forward the lessons, values and belief she instilled in them. Through her service, leadership, innovation and lasting impact on the people around her, Anna Rogacki exemplifies the values of the Rob Hancock Memorial Award and is a thoroughly deserving recipient of this honour.

Rueben Berg (2024)

It is with great enthusiasm and deep respect that we congratulate Rueben Berg for the prestigious Rob Hancock Award for 2024. Rueben is an exceptional individual who has demonstrated unparalleled contributions to the flying disc community both on and off the field. His achievements across multiple disciplines, his dedication to the Spirit of the Game, and his relentless commitment to the development of the sport make him a deserving candidate for this honour.

Rueben’s journey in flying disc sports began in Brisbane 2001, and since then, he has become a standout player, coach, administrator, organiser and ambassador. Remarkably, he is the only person in the last three decades (potentially ever) to have represented Australia in three distinct flying disc disciplines: Ultimate, Guts, and Disc Golf. This alone is a testament to his versatility, athleticism, and commitment to excellence.

In Ultimate, Rueben’s competitive career spans over two decades, marked by his
participation in Australian Nationals since 2004. As a player, he has represented teams such as the Moreton Bay Buggers, Heads of State, and Phat Chilly, among others. Internationally, Rueben has competed in prestigious tournaments like the World Ultimate Club Championships (2006, 2010), the World Masters Ultimate Club Championships (2014, 2018), and the World Masters Ultimate Championships in the Grand Masters division (2020). His leadership shone as a captain and main team organiser during the Asia Oceanic Ultimate Championships in 2007.

In Guts, Rueben was a member of the Australian Ironbarks team at the World
Championships in 2012, showcasing his ability to adapt and excel in another flying disc discipline. In Disc Golf, Rueben has claimed the title of National Champion twice (2021, 2022) and was a key contributor to Team Australia’s silver medal performance in 2024. These accomplishments reflect Rueben’s extraordinary talent and passion for flying disc sports.

Rueben’s impact extends far beyond his personal achievements. As a coach, he has contributed to the success of multiple Australian teams, including the Dingoes (2008, 2012) and the Crocs (2009). He is also the founder of the Indigenous Ultimate Association, which sought to increase Indigenous representation and participation in Ultimate. This initiative embodies Rueben’s commitment to inclusivity and his belief in the power of sport to bring people together.

Additionally, he has organised numerous leagues and showcase games, including the Mixed Premier League (2012-2014), the Ultimate Victoria All-Star Game, and the AFDA Cultural Diversity Showcase Game (2019). These events have enriched the Ultimate community and promoted the Spirit of the Game. Reuben was also the President of the Victorian Flying Disc Association for many years, as well as founding and running the Groundhog Day Ultimate Club across many events throughout Melbourne.

Whilst Rueben’s contributions to the Australian Ultimate community are already enough to warrant this nomination, Rueben’s influence across the sport internationally set him apart from all prior recipients of this award. Rueben’s impact on the administrative and regulatory aspects of flying disc sports is unparalleled. As the Chair of the WFDF Ultimate Rules Sub-Committee since 2009, Rueben has been instrumental in shaping the rules that govern the sport globally. He has written the rules for multiple editions (2009, 2013, 2017, 2021) and developed the Rules Accreditation process, which ensures players and officials uphold the highest standards.

Rueben’s innovations, such as the BE CALM strategy, the SOTG Captains initiative, and the WFDF hand signals, have enhanced the clarity, fairness, and spirit of the game. His leadership as Chair of the WFDF SOTG Task Force led to the introduction of Game Advisors in 2013, a significant milestone in maintaining the Spirit of the Game at elite tournaments. Rueben has also served as a WFDF Rules Official and Game Advisor at numerous international events, including The World Games (2013, 2017, 2022) and the World Ultimate Club Championships (2018, 2022).

Through his extensive contributions, Rueben epitomises the highest standards of the Spirit of the Game. His dedication to fair play, inclusivity, and community development aligns perfectly with the values of the Rob Hancock Award. Rueben’s tireless efforts to grow and improve the sport have left an indelible mark on the flying disc community in Australia and beyond.

Dan Rule (2023)

With an unwavering passion for Ultimate, Dan Rule’s impact on the Australian Ultimate community will be felt for years to come. Early on in Dan’s Ultimate journey, he was identified as a talented and athletic youngster, being invited to play for Australia in 2004 at his first World Championships at the junior level. In the years that followed, Dan won the Australian Ultimate Championships in 2005 and went on to further represent Australia in 2006, as co-captain of Thunder, and in 2008, at 21 years, played for the Australian Dingoes.

Competing as a player at the highest level was not enough for Dan. At the top of his game, Dan could deliver everything that he would ask of himself on the field. But it was his ability to also contribute off the field, with a genuine desire to improve and give back to the Ultimate community, that won Dan over within the Ultimate community.

Dan began his career in Creswick, Victoria in October 2002, by starting Creswick Ultimate Team. This then led to several career achievements which included his first tournament in 2003, The Big Wet, becoming coach of Ballarat Uni Ultimate Frisbee in 2005, joining the AFDA Board of Directors in 2007, and co-founding Ultimate Victoria in 2009.

Since then, Dan has been employed by State and National associations to help develop the sport, often committing his passion beyond his remit to make sure other young or new athletes get the best experience, while also ensuring that they enjoy playing Ultimate. Dan’s roles as a mentor and coach have shaped the careers of numerous aspiring athletes. The camaraderie he has built and the knowledge he has shared have paved the way for other aspiring coaches for numerous representative teams.

Dan’s ability to seamlessly blend his creativity with his deep understanding of Ultimate has resulted in some truly unforgettable moments. With the following accomplishments showcasing just some of dan’s accomplishments:

Road a bicycle from Creswick to London. Along the way spent time in India and became the first Head Coach for the U24 Indian Mixed Team and took that team to London to compete at the 2015 WU24s

Has experienced 14 World Championships (as a player, a coach, and team management support), and in some key capacity excelled across multiple campaigns including Beach, Guts, Juniors, U24s, Senior Rep Teams, and World Games

Was appointed as the first High-Performance and Game Development Manager for Ultimate Australia, including oversight across 33 campaigns per 4-year cycle

Has developed national Coaching and Athlete Pathways, along with coach education resources and coach courses

Wrote and implemented the Ulti-Mates and Fly Programs included in the Sporting Schools Program. Ultimate was the first non-funded program to be included in this initiative and now delivers Ultimate programs Australian-wide to over 80,000 participants.

With the aforementioned, it is evident that Dan has been at the forefront of so many “firsts” for disc sports.

But it’s not just the grand successes that define Dan Rule – it is his patience, humility and genuine nature that truly stand out. Dan Rule’s incredible journey showcases how he has elevated the sport of Ultimate and those around him. His legacy isn’t just a collection of achievements; it’s the lives he has touched, the relationships he has built, and the inspiration he has ignited in countless hearts.

Dan Rule is seen by many as a mentor, a leader, a coach, a teammate a colleague, and most importantly, a friend. It is with all of this, and more, that makes Dan a worthy recipient of the Rob Hancock Memorial Award.

Click HERE to read through testimonials from the Ultimate community in support of Dan and his contribution to Disc Sports.

Monica Chang (2023)

Monica is regarded as a pillar of the Ultimate Community; she is known by players and representatives throughout Australia, with her work helping improve the player experience of everyone who has played disc sports in NSW over the last 16 years. Having spent majority of her 16 years as part of the sport, Monica has played with, coached, administrated for, and generally facilitated players from school level and league level all the way through to international representatives.

As a volunteer, Monica has logged a phenomenal number of hours over the years. Most recently, Monica has continued to dedicate her time to volunteering, while also balancing full-time work as well as part-time study, never once letting her own high-standards and professionalism slip. As well as her significant role for NSW Ultimate, Monica has volunteered, or is currently volunteering, on the Hills League Board, 2010 to 2017, and the Northern Suburbs League, now Northern Suburbs Ultimate Board (NSU), 2014 to Present.

As a player, Monica has been at the top of the game for over a decade, having played every iteration of Division one women’s nationals since 2007, with 16 consecutive Division one nationals booked, all through clubs such as GWS, Rogue and Southside, and most recently Manly. During this time, Monica earned medals at multiple nationals. Likewise, Monica has played the mixed game both at Division one & two, winning several pieces of silverware in the process.

Representing Australia, Monica has played at the Asia-Oceania tournament Taiwan and helped the Australian team on their way to a silver medal. Again, representing the green and gold at WUBC 2017 in Royan, Monica contributed massively to an excellent team, by bringing home bronze from a world’s event. 2022 saw Monica play a key role in a team that took to the fields of Ohio at the pinnacle of club ultimate WUCC.

In addition to Monica’s successes on the biggest stages of disc sports, she is well recognised around the local leagues of NSW, having played or captained teams at Northern Suburbs, Inner West, Manly, Hills, Darlinghurst, and Wollongong.

As a top-level player, Monica has a lot to give in terms of her knowledge of the game and how to play effectively. Monica has taken this knowledge and applied it in both formal and informal coaching roles. Early in her Ultimate career Monica became a schools coach on behalf of NSW Ultimate, traveling the length and breadth of Sydney to spread the word about Ultimate to schools and schoolchildren who may never have heard of it otherwise.

Moreover, Monica makes a conscious decision to play Division two in the mixed season and sees this as an ideal time to help run, organise and coach young and/or developing players. Affectionately known as “mum” by a lot of the younger players in Wollongong, Monica has helped to nurture and develop a lot of inexperienced players in their ultimate community for a few consecutive seasons. For the 2022 Mixed season, Monica was part of the organisational team that saw Northern Suburbs Ultimate field their first team at mixed nationals.

Monica has encouraged and welcomed new players to every league and team she has played in, at every level, on every medium. Always giving practical advice and taking new players under her wing to help advance their skills in Ultimate. She has been an intrinsic part of the drive to promote rules knowledge at league and state levels as NSU and NSW Ultimate.

With regards to administration, Monica has been a board member for New South Wales Ultimate for 16 years and held the roles of Events Coordinator, Vice President, Women’s Development Officer, and Members Protection Officer. Throughout her tenure on the Board, Monica has strived to make development, transparency, and compliance her mission.

As Events Coordinator Monica has overseen the inception and running of a vast number of state level competitions happening on a yearly basis, as well as multiple national level events such as the Australian Youth Ultimate U22’s national tournament.

Monica Chang has committed herself to improving Australian Ultimate over the years, including today; she works tirelessly within the framework of NSW Ultimate to try and help the body become the responsible and well governed representative that the players in NSW deserve. With, Monica’s personal initiatives assisting her in enacting and improving the transparency and governance of the NSW body.

Event after reaching the pinnacle of the sport, you can still find Monica playing and helping at pick up tournaments, hat tournaments, lower-level league games and sporadic throw together sessions always with the same air of encouragement and good will towards her fellow players. Her spirit is always exemplary.

Monica has long taken a holistic view of Ultimate, with the inclusion of the community paramount in her decision making. It is her connection to administrators, captains, and players around the state and around the country that make Monica the exceptional Ultimate contributor that she is. It is also how she remains so relevant for so long in a sport that continues to evolve. This Rob Hancock Memorial award serves as a tremendous thank you to Monica for her years of accomplishments and hard work dedicated to the disc sports community.

Michelle Phillips

The Rob Hancock Memorial Award (RHMA) is given by the Australian Flying Disc Association (AFDA) for outstanding contributions to flying disc sports. Rob Hancock Award Winners are granted Life Membership of the AFDA.

The RHMA is one of the most prestigious forms of recognition within the AFDA. It is awarded to the select group of people most deserving of recognition for their contributions on and off the field with the highest standards of execution. This elite group epitomises the highest standards of the spirit of the Game and dedication to helping develop the sport.

AFDA is thrilled to announce Michelle Phillips as the the Rob Hancock Memorial Award winner for 2022. Michelle’s record of sustained elite level performance and commitment to share her passion by helping others have easily met the criteria for the award.

Michelle has been regarded as one of the most dominant pure athletes in Ultimate sport’s history. Her efforts in the sport of Ultimate have contributed to Michelle becoming the first Australian to win two world championships, 12 years apart.

Michelle’s love for the game has grown to be more than just a highly decorated playing career, with Michelle giving back to the disc sport community through formal coaching roles at a primary school and Australian teams level. On top of this, Michelle has also invested hours of her own time to grow disc sports at a grassroots level by providing support and encouragement for young players to join teams and take part in events.

In addition to her contribution to disc sports, Michelle has been a leading advocate for women in the sport and a pioneer in growing the disc sports community. Through her own efforts, Michelle has connected Australian Ultimate to countries across multiple continents. These countries include the USA, Japan, and Colombia where Michelle played Ultimate at an elite level. Michelle’s tireless work in connecting Australian Ultimate with countries from all around the world has kickstarted the process of opening up opportunities for those who are looking to follow in her footsteps.

Michelle is an inspiration to all and a worthy winner of the Rob Hancock Memorial Award.

Greta Murdoch

Greta Murdoch is most deserving of the Rob Hancock award. Over the last 20 years, she has spent endless hours as a player, administrator and coach, growing the sport, and more importantly, growing the people involved.
Greta’s impact as a teammate or coach doesn’t end at the culmination of the season or tournament, it lasts forever. Whether that is through the encouraging words that Greta spoke that keep ringing true when times are tough, or through the regular checking-in that Greta does well after the event has passed. The positive influence on each individual Greta comes into contact with, is never-ending.
We’ve done our best to list all the things that Greta has done throughout her 20-year long ultimate career, but there will no doubt be things we have missed.
But please, don’t get caught up with the overwhelming number of teams, tournaments and clubs that Greta has been involved with. Whilst these alone are enough to be worthy of a Rob Hancock award nomination, as we mentioned above, it’s the personal impact that Greta has had on so many lives that makes her the perfect recipient.

Playing/Coaching/Administration Career:

2002
Founding member of CULT, the Creswick (Vic) Youth Team

2004
WUGC with Southern Terra in Turku, Finland (Athlete)
AUC with Pepper (Athlete)

2005
AYUC with CULT (Athlete)

2006
WJUC with Southern Terra in Boston, USA (Athlete) – Bronze Medal
AYUC with Creswick (Athlete)
AUC with Honey Bees (Athlete)
AMUC with Southern Thunder (Athlete)
AUG with Ballarat Uni (Athlete)

2007
AUC with Team Box (Athlete)
AUG with Ballarat Uni (Athlete)
AYUC with Church St Ultimate (Coach)

2008
AUC with Team Box
AUG with Ballarat Uni (Coach & Athlete)
National Junior Training Camp (Support Staff)

2009
AUC with STBAU (Athlete)
National Youth Ultimate Training Camp (Coach)
AUG with Ballarat Uni (Athlete)

2010
AMUC with Bathurst Bulls (Athlete)
WUCC with Sultry in Prague, Czech Republic (Athlete)
WU23UC with Stingrays in Florence, Italy (Assistant Coach) – Gold Medal
WJUC with Southern Terra, in Heilbronn, Germany (Assistant Coach)

2011
AUC with Squadron (Athlete)
AMUC with BUUF All Stars (Athlete)

2012
AUC with Squadron (Athlete)
WUGC with the Barramundies in Sakai, Japan (Assistant Coach) – Silver Medal
WJUC with Southern Terra and Aussie Thunder in Dublin, Ireland (Team Manager)
Employee of Ultimate Victoria (State Development Officer)

2013
AUC with Squadron (Athlete)
Employee of Ultimate Victoria (State Development Officer)
Ultimate Victoria Board Member (Vice President)

2014
Ultimate Victoria Board Member (Vice President)

2015
Ultimate Victoria Board Member (Vice President)

2016
WUGC with the Dingoes in London, UK (Assistant Coach) – Bronze Medal
Ultimate Victoria Events Subcommittee (Chair)

2017
SRUC & AUC D2 with Ballarat Gold Diggers (Head Coach)
VMUC with Ballarat (Athlete)
The World Games with the Crocs in Wroclaw, Poland (Assistant Coach)
Ultimate Victoria Events Subcommittee (Chair)

2018
SRUC & AUC D2 with Ballarat Gold Diggers (Head Coach)
WJUC with Aussie Thunder in Waterloo, Canada (Assistant Coach)
Fed College Inferno (Head Coach)

2019
VMUC with Ballarat (Athlete)
AU22UC with Victoria Open (Head Coach) – Gold Medal
AOUGC with the Dingoes in Shanghai, China (Assistant Coach) – Silver Medal
NZUC with the Goannas in New Zealand (Assistant Coach) – Gold Medal
WU24UC with the Goannas in Heidelberg, Germany (Assistant Coach)
AUL with the Melbourne Flames (Head Coach)
Fed College Inferno (Head Coach)

2020
WUGC with the Dingoes (Assistant Coach)
Fed College Inferno (Head Coach)

***

Greta’s administrative roles for Ultimate began when she started playing Ultimate: in high school. In her early days of involvement (2002-2005), Greta assisted with creating a regional Victorian youth team, CULT (Creswick Ultimate); assisted with delivering the annual tournament ‘The Big Wet’, and assisted with logistics to help CULT’s youth team members to attend interstate competitions. In those days, CULT did not have a team manager and did not have a coach – the team was run by the youth players. Greta and her teammates coordinated all aspects of campaigns, with some parental support, that saw them attend regular events in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. Greta was contributing to the sport from the time she commenced participating as a 14-year-old.
Upon commencing her studies at the University of Ballarat (from 2006), Greta quickly became involved in the off-field administration of the ‘BUUF’ club, including fulfilling roles on the club committee and selection panels. At this same time, Greta was giving back to youth Ultimate by assisting with the delivery of regular youth games in Creswick (now called: Church St Ultimate) and filling coaching and management roles to successfully get the Church St team to Sydney to compete at AYUC. These early experiences in Ultimate administration paved the way for Greta to share her expertise on a broader level in later years.
Greta is highly organised. In 2011/12, as a 24-year-old, Greta was the sole Manager of both the Open (Thunder) and Women’s (Terra) U20 Australian teams. Managing any world’s campaign is complicated enough, but doing it as a solo manager for two junior teams brings with it a lot more complications. Finding billets for numerous interstate camps, a Trans-Tasman Test Series in New Zealand, a week pre-tour through the UK, before finally a week of the tournament in Ireland. Greta not only organised all of this, but did it whilst upholding the responsibility of having a duty of care for 40+ teenagers, and remember, she was only 24 years old at the time. The manuals and documentation that Greta created for this campaign were relied upon heavily by managers of future junior Australian teams.
Greta continued her ultimate administration as ‘Development Officer’ of Ultimate Victoria throughout 2012-2013. Greta streamlined the process of sourcing and training players to deliver school coaching by putting together the Ultimate Victoria coaching manual, and subsequent coaching kits. As well as managing all the day-to-day operations of the State Association, Greta focused particularly hard on helping clubs across the state improve their governance.
After moving on as an employee, Greta joined Ultimate Victoria in a volunteer capacity as Vice President of the board between 2013-2015. During her time as Vice President, Ultimate Victoria set up their school-aged program ‘VicFlick’, and also began their partnership with Sports Marketing Australia. In 2017, Greta returned to assist Ultimate Victoria with their employment processes, including shortlisting and interviewing candidates for the Development Officer role. Greta also held committee roles with her local club team Ballarat Ultimate Inc during this time.

You can read an extensive list of testimonials supporting Greta’s nomination here.

For two years (2016-2017), Greta was the Chair of the Ultimate Victoria Events subcommittee. This committee was tasked with overseeing the running of all Ultimate Victoria’s major events. Greta again streamlined this process by developing templates and guides for clubs to apply for and host the State competitions. Greta has herself been the Tournament Director for many events, including the 2016 Southern Regional Ultimate Championships and 2020 March Madness.
Greta’s unique combination of administrative and coaching expertise, combined with her willingness to volunteer, has enabled her to successfully contribute to numerous selection processes. Greta has held roles on selection panels for multiple years for each of Ballarat Ultimate, Ellipsis Ultimate and Ultimate Victoria’s state teams. As an indicator of her credibility as a selector, in 2021 Greta is currently a selector for the Australian World Games team.
Not only has Greta’s involvement as an administrator helped the ultimate community at that time, but the processes, templates and manuals that she helped develop have, and will continue to, improve the running of teams, clubs, events and associations going forward.

Michael Rubock

Michael Rubock’s dedication, commitment and participation in all aspects of Flying Disc Sports has been exceptional, and he has been a driving force in the development and growth of the sport at all levels, for 40 years.
In all Michael’s years and roles – as a player, teacher, mentor, organiser, administrator, communicator, marketer, leader, coach, ambassador, team member, and more – he has not only excelled in his contributions to the growth and development of the sport, he has done this displaying the attitudes, qualities and characteristics which embodies the ‘Spirit of the Game’.
Michael’s involvement began in 1976 (the same year that the sport of Flying Disc started in Australia) when Michael met Leigh Bird at university in Tasmania. They became lifelong friends when Leigh introduced Michael to a Super-Pro Frisbee™ (which he had received in a Christmas stocking) and spent a couple of years mucking about with the Frisbee on the front lawn of their university accommodation.
In 1979 Michael bought a 141g World-Class Frisbee™, and later that year filled in the form which was enclosed with the Frisbee™, paid his $5.00 and received in return a blue T-Shirt, a certificate signed by Dan Roddick to say he was now an official member of the International Frisbee™ Association, and an invitation to the 1980 Australian Frisbee™ Championships.
Michael’s long history with Disc Sports began with his first tournament in 1980 at the Australian Frisbee™ Championships in Melbourne.
Whilst he missed the Frisbee™ Golf event at Princes Park (because he couldn’t find it), he made up for that the next day when he borrowed some discs and surprised everyone, including himself, by making the Distance Final, finishing in a commendable 4th.
He had so much fun that he convinced Leigh Bird to accompany him to the following year’s event, and the rest, as is said, “is history”.

In 1991, at the AFDA Championships in Queensland, Michael sustained a serious injury (tearing his hamstring off the bone) during an Ultimate practice game. Whilst the injury curtailed his player participation in Disc Sports for some time, Michael continued to play an
active role in the promotion of Disc Sports all over Tasmania – teaching, demonstrating, coaching, marketing, mentoring and, eventually, back to playing.
A brief summary of Michael’s on and off-field achievements:

Participant Australian Frisbee™ / Flying Disc Championships – 1980 – 1991 (placement overall 2nd – 6th);
Ultimate Team Member – Tasmanian Ultimate Team – where Tasmania fielded a team and/or a participant playing with other teams;
Participant World Flying Disc Golf Championships Sweden (41st place) / Seppo Nieminen Finnish Flying Disc Golf Classic Helsinki Finland (2nd place);
Founding member Tasmanian Flying Disc Association – 1984;
Poimena Disc Golf Course – supporting Leigh Bird in design and development – 1985;
Organising Committee – AFDA Championship – 1986;
Director – AFDA – 1987-1991;
Co-editor ‘Australian Delay’ – AFDA Magazine – 1988-1991;
Tournament Director – Australian Flying Disc Championships – 1989;
Course Designer – Burnie Disc Golf Course 2018;
Tournament Director – Burnie Flying Disc Golf Championships 2018-2019;
2018-2020 – Reclink Australia Volunteer – conducting Disc Golf Clinics, including schools;
Multiple winner of the coveted Ann-Marie Bottomley trophy.

Michael’s life and work in Disc Sports have been, and continues to be, outstanding, and he is certainly worthy of the Rob Hancock Memorial Award.

Statements of Support
Michael was a driver of Flying Disc Sports in Australia in the 1980s and 90s. After throwing Frisbees™ at university, he joined the Australian Frisbee™ Association in 1980 by answering a flyer in a Frisbee™ he bought. He became an active member and driver of the sport in the 1980s and 1990s. Michael contributed to the administration of the sport nationally and at a state level. He was heavily involved in organising and running the 1986 and 1989 Australian Flying Disc Championships in Tasmania. He was also instrumental in the organisation of the Poimena Disc Golf Course in Hobart.
Michael was a fierce but fair competitor, attending many of the national and state events in the 80s and 90s. He actively promoted the sport and the values of fairness and fun associated with disc play. I would thoroughly endorse a move to redress an oversight by the Australian Flying Disc community in recognising Michael’s contribution to the sport and recommend Michael for the Rob Hancock Award.
Leigh Bird
Rob Hancock Memorial Award Winner 1989
Disc Golf Hall of Fame Winner 2012

I fully support and endorse Michael Rubock’s nomination for the AFDA Rob Hancock Award. I have known Michael for 35 years and believe he completely embodies the values and principles that Rob Hancock demonstrated during his time involved in Flying Disc Sports and for which the award is based on.
Michael has been a highly credentialed competitor, who as well as being highly skilled, always managed to have fun whilst playing, and his presence at events made these events more enjoyable than would otherwise be.
Michael has also demonstrated a long-term commitment to advancing Disc Sports by:

Being involved as an administrator through the 1980s and 1990s at both state and national levels;
His significant contribution to the development and activation of the Burnie Disc Golf course in recent years.

I believe Michael’s sustained involvement in playing, promoting, teaching and administrating Flying Disc Sports makes him a worthy recipient of the 2020 Rob Hancock Award.
Michael Canci
Rob Hancock Award Winner 2019
(Current Secretary of Perth Disc Golf Club)

Having known Michael for an excess of years through various musical theatre endeavours, a casual conversation during one of those productions has resulted in the City of Burnie having a fully-fledged 18-hole Disc Golf Course and a growing number of new converts to the sport. As a Councillor on the Burnie City council, I was looking for a project that could enhance an otherwise unsuitable site and had canvassed the idea of Disc Golf.
Knowing of Michael’s passion for the sport, I solicited his thoughts on how that might be achieved. What followed was a whirlwind of activity as Michael accepted a voluntary role to oversee the design and implementation of a 9-hole course. His experienced take on what the layout should encompass and his ability to liaise with all aspects of the Council works team, led to the course being developed on time and on budget.
Once that was in place and commissioned, Michael’s drive to enlist new players and promote the sport, led to wide acceptance that we needed to add another 9 holes, making it only the 2nd complete 18-hole course in Tasmania. Several local championships later, Burnie is in line to host the 2021 State Championship, all due to Michaels advocacy for the sport and willingness to share his love for the game with anyone who shows the slightest interest. Once you have had a round with Michael, you are hooked.
The success of the sport in North West Tasmania, along with the existence of a fully-fledged 18-hole course, can be solely attributed to Michael’s enthusiasm, knowledge and passion for the sport.
Chris Lynch
Councillor – City of Burnie, Tasmania

Michael’s ongoing contribution to Flying Disc Sports in Australia spans a period of 40 years, where he has shown that not only is he a great player, he is also committed to the development of the sport and its players.
In all this time Michael has demonstrated the qualities and attributes which exemplify the ethos of the Rob Hancock Memorial Award, and importantly he has done this with integrity, friendliness, and humility not often seen.
I consider that it is important that we honour Michael and his considerable contributions as a recipient of the Rob Hancock Memorial Award 2020.
Gail P. Lynch
Founding member Australian Disc Sports
Rob Hancock Memorial Award Winner 1990
Disc Golf Hall of Fame Winner 2018

I first met Michael in the early 1980’s at an Australian Championship in Sydney. He had an infectious smile, a mop of shaggy hair and different brightly coloured socks on. He bounced up to me and shook my hand and said “G’day” and I knew instantly I had a new friend. Michael has been a true ambassador for the sport of Flying Disc for many years. As a teacher he shared his love of the sport with all his students and now retired, continues to actively promote the sport on a local community level.
Stephen Manning
Long-time flying disc enthusiast

When I consider a Rob Hancock Memorial Award nominee I like to think, “Does this person embody the spirit of the award”. And Michael Rubock certainly does.
Michael has a long, long history with Disc Sports and along his journey, he has always approached the sport with a smile on his face and a friendly demeanour. He has excelled as both an athlete and an administrator. He has brought others into the game. He has competed and excelled at the highest level. He was a key figure in the ‘early years’ of Disc Sport growth and continues to be involved with the recent development of the Burnie Disc Golf Course.
There are few that have Michael’s longevity, enthusiasm and infectious passion for the sport. And he does all this whilst always wearing odd socks!
I’m sure that Rob Hancock would feel honoured to share the podium with Michael.
Michael would indeed be a most worthy recipient of the 2020 Rob Hancock Memorial Award.
Brian Vanallen
Founding member Australian Disc Sports
Rob Hancock Memorial Award Winner 1987

Matt Hill 2020

Matt has been a constant contributor to the growth and improvement of ultimate frisbee in Australia since 2005. As a coach, player and administrator, his impact is hard to measure.

Matt has an incredible passion for teaching ultimate. He has demonstrated this in many different capacities over the years, most notably as a coach of Australian representative teams. His elite coaching resume is second to none, including appearances at Worlds events in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2017 and 2020, and numerous roles in the domestic season. Matt has coached Thunder, the Barramundis, the Dingos and the Crocs, and has achieved enormous success through these campaigns including a silver and bronze medal at WUGC. On top of coaching at the Australian level, Matt has also been a regular coach at the domestic level. In particular, he was the inaugural coach of the Ellipsis Women’s team and has continued contributing to this team in various coaching roles over the last 5 years.

Matt’s commitment to sharing his love of ultimate goes far beyond the elite level, and far beyond his official duties. Through compiling this nomination, many examples have come to light where Matt’s enthusiasm and love of the game has left a lasting impression on his communities. Some stories are highlighted here, with many more provided in the form of personal references.

While coaching Thunder in 2008 and 2010, Matt devoted huge amounts of additional time and energy to mentoring and supporting local Terra players. He spent countless hours driving, throwing, teaching, and inspiring these young players, and ultimately helped Terra to a silver medal and a win over the USA. Matt’s support of this group of players also played a significant role in developing the legacy of strong female players coming out of Victoria.

Matt continued to be heavily involved in the youth scene following his involvement in these Australian campaigns. In particular, he was instrumental in the development of the current format of the Australian Youth Ultimate Championships, moving to a state-based competition rather than club based. This change has led to a clear pathway for youth players to reach the elite level, and a huge growth in player and coach development opportunities.

As well as his coaching accolades, Matt has demonstrated excellence as a player in his own right. He has represented Australia at the U19 and U23 levels and has played at 9 Division 1 AUCs. Matt is one of few Australians to have won multiple prestigious international events as a player, having won the AOUCC and the US Open. His ability as a thrower has been integral to many of his teams’ successes.

Matt’s dedication to ultimate administration has been unrivalled over the last 15 years. He has volunteered at all levels of our game and has been exceedingly generous with his time. He has helped boards, clubs and individuals upskill in administration, event management and leadership, has developed processes and organisations to improve and grow our sport, and has constantly developed creative ideas to take ultimate in Australia to the next level.

Arguably Matt’s most significant contribution to our sport is his involvement in the creation of the Australian Ultimate League. The AUL is a ground-breaking milestone for our sport, demonstrating a level of professionalism, innovation and creativity not seen before in the Australian Ultimate scene. The league, founded on values of gender equity and Spirit of the Game, provides a successful model for bringing new fans and sponsors to our game. Matt’s commitment to the AUL has been enormous. From sharing his ideas for the league, to spending hour after hour after hour editing footage, planning logistics, setting up memberships and creating online products, Matt has stamped his style on every part of the league. There is absolutely no doubt that the league would not have got off the ground without Matt’s efforts.

As a tournament director, Matt has consistently run events to the highest standard. Starting with the Australian Mixed Ultimate Championships in 2011 and culminating in the Australian Ultimate League, Matt has always looked for opportunities to create better events for players. He has brought in new sponsors, developed meaningful relationships with councils, introduced new filming companies to our sport, and focused on providing great value events for players. Matt has regularly looked for opportunities to create new events in the Victorian Ultimate calendar, always aiming to ensure that the needs of the player base are met. On top of this, Matt has trained many new tournament directors in Victoria, providing opportunities for them to shadow him and patiently sharing the knowledge he has gained over the last decade.

Matt was involved in founding three separate domestic clubs; Heads of State, Ellipsis and the Geelong Mudlarks. Matt has served on the Ellipsis board for the last 6 years, and his expertise has been invaluable in setting up processes and strategy for the club to succeed. During his time on the board, Matt has worked tirelessly to nurture innovative ideas and to work towards a culture of growth and empowerment within the club. Matt’s work behind the scenes has been critical to Ellipsis’ successes locally and internationally, with his strategic mind, experience and mentoring an influential part of the development of club members.

In addition to these contributions at a club level, Matt has volunteered as an administrator at the state and national level. He was the Ultimate Victoria development officer for a number of years, spending his time coaching, growing the Victorian high school championships, and introducing new members to our sport. From there, he went on to serve on the AFDA board of Directors.

It is impossible to capture the enormity of Matt’s contribution to our community. He has been instrumental at every single level of our sport and has left a lasting impression on players all around the country. Matt’s impact is perhaps best captured in the following testimonials:

Oliver Loughnan – Player, Aussie Thunder, Ellipsis, Geelong Mudlarks
Matt has the ability to inspire and help all individuals around him. I’ve had the privilege of spending numerous hours driving, playing frisbee and general hanging about with Matt of recent years, and not once has there been a dull moment. His ability to create inside jokes and individualised conversations with each person, makes everyone feel valued, included and loved. As a young individual on Matt’s teams, he has helped me experience an incredible role model whom I admire, have learnt ample physical, mental and all-round human skills.

Cat Phillips – Player, Aussie Crocs, Firetails

The impact Matt has had on myself, and so many others, is profound. He has taught us all to constantly rethink what’s possible in our sport. His ability to dream big, and then to execute his dreams, sets him apart. The Australian Ultimate community is lucky to have been the recipient of Matt’s passion for the last decade.

Georgia Egan-Griffiths – Player, Firetails

Matt is an incredible advocate of Ultimate. Each time I have a conversation with him, my passion for the game grows and I come away with several new ideas on how we can take the sport to the next level. Matt has always brought this energy to Ellipsis, and has been pivotal in taking the club from being a group of friends who wanted to play Frisbee together, to being a group of committed athletes who are the measure of excellence in Australian Ultimate.

Ewan Wymer – Previous President, Ultimate Victoria.

I have had the pleasure of working with Matt Hill in a number of roles, or benefitting from the work that he has done before I have come on the scene. When I became President of Ultimate Victoria it was clear that a number of the systems that the organisation relied on were set up by Matt when he had been the Development Officer, and the smooth running of the organisation was down to his vision, thoughtfulness and practicality across a wide range of areas.

With Dan Rule, Matt started a private organisation called Ultimate victoria to engage in developing the sport of ultimate by starting a schools development program. Along with Dan, his coaching would have been the first time many now veteran Victorian ultimate players ever touched a disc. The success of Matt and Dan’s programs resulted in the state organisation, then called the VFDA, adopting the name and branding of Ultimate Victoria.

Matt has been crucial in setting up the infrastructure for running the Ultimate Victoria organisation. He developed a professional and practical website that has lasted for years well after his time and continues to serve its function well. He was the first development officer in Victoria to present at the ACHPER conference (The Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation), bringing ultimate to physical education teachers in accessible ways and broadening the scope of ultimate in Victoria by ‘teaching the teachers’. This also helped future development officer’s broaden their networks and has been a great link for UV to help reach into schools. He created a huge amount of documentation that has served Development Officers well after his time. His passion for ultimate mixed with attention to detail and a huge range of administrative skills set a very high bar for administrative professionalism, and showed me that even with small budgets Ultimate could punch well beyond its weight in delivering quality products to players new and old, teachers, youth and the public. He has run and taught volunteers to run high quality events ranging from the national and state championships to week night leagues. His focus on delivering high quality events that were profitable benefited both the Ultimate Victoria organisation and its players.

What I think makes Matt a most deserving Rob Hancock award winner though is his dedication to helping the organisation and the sport of ultimate in Victoria well outside the scope of any of the official roles he has ever had. He has been one of the most generous people I have met with his time and expertise in trying to upskill people to help deliver quality administration to grow the sport.

The organisation Ultimate victoria and the state of Ultimate in Victoria would not be the same without him.

Pete Eley – Player, Dingos
I’ve known Matt since I started playing ultimate. I can’t recall our first interaction, but it would have been some time in 2007/2008. Since then, I have had the unique privilege of having played alongside Matt, been coached by Matt Hill, and have been involved in governance and organisation with Matt. Matt has consistently demonstrated an unmatched level of initiative and love for our sport in the time I have known him. From all of my experiences with Matt, he has constantly demonstrated a passion for ultimate and I cannot think of a better recipient of the 2020 Rob Hancock Memorial Award than Matt Hill.

I joined the AUL organising team of Cat Phillips, Brendan Ashcroft and Matt Hill shortly after I moved to Melbourne at the end of 2017. The AUL was in its infancy at this point. My experience of working with Matt at this time is perhaps best described with the following analogy: Matt reminded me of a child in a candy shop, who was completely full of enthusiasm, had uncontrollable energy and who needed to sit down before he passed out because he forgot to keep breathing. Matt was in his element – he has a stream of ideas and initiatives about how a league could be run in Australia to promote female athletes, to grow the sport and make it more accessible to new players, and to provide a professional experience for our top players to help them compete at the top level. What I continue to still witness from Matt in this administrative and governance space is a trailblazing attitude that we can achieve things in the AUL that no one has achieved before. Matt was convinced from the start that we could organise and run a gender-equitable league for the best players in Australia for a fraction of the price they would pay otherwise, and he achieved that in the 2018 AUL season. Working with him has been wonderful for me personally, as we have developed a good friendship and respect for each other. It’s been fun to support him in his ideas: ranging from filming a weekly ultimate chat show (Best Perspective), to booking Leichhardt Oval for the grand finals.

I was a player in the 2016 Dingoes campaign where Matt was an assistant coach. Being a new player in that season, I witnessed a dedication from Matt that I had not previously witnessed in Australian coaching. Matt always wanted to go the extra mile for the team. As an assistant coach, Matt was responsible for game day tactics, person management, organisation and running of sessions and data collection. While Matt is excellent at each of these categories, it was data collection where I think Matt has been a leader in our coaching community. He would be relentless in film and data collection which was subsequently used by coaching staff and players for feedback and improvement. More than once, Matt would be climbing onto goalposts, or up scaffolding, to set up a camera in order to get the best possible footage for the team. The way Matt used this footage and data to inform his decision making throughout the campaign sets him apart from coaching during that time. I now see all coaching staff commit similar resources to data collection and I believe Matt was a pioneer in this.

In the 2020 Dingoes campaign, Matt (a recent father) committed again to the coaching triforce with Dan Rule and Greta Murdoch. I was extremely excited at the prospect of playing under Matt again because I value his judgements and feedback on my skills dearly. However, it was not to be as the 2020 season was interrupted, and Matt chose to prioritise his family. Presumably to begin training his young son in ultimate.

Matt and I finally got the opportunity to play together for the inaugural Ellipsis men’s team at AUC Div1, 2018. Having been coached and mentored by Matt in the past, this was a wonderful experience for me. He brought with him a cool head and years of playing and coaching experience. While Matt was approaching the end of his high-level playing career by this time, he was still a vital part of our offense line throughout the year. On a team with excellent throwers, Matt proved to have a more powerful and consistent huck than anyone else. His amazing ability to get off a pin-point huck under pressure in high winds set him apart as a player all through his career. Matt is a very experienced player and it was evident from the very beginning of our season that he would play a critical role in our team. This season proved to be pivotal in the history of Ellipsis, a club extremely dear to Matt, and I am glad Matt was there to provide leadership and help shape the team.

Matt has an unbelievably infectious enthusiasm for ultimate and his passion and dedication has transformed the way ultimate can be coached, played and governed in Australia. His work in the AUL, with Ellipsis and as a coach has been a driving factor in pushing Australia to be a leader in the world in ultimate. He truly deserves to win the Rob Hancock Memorial Award and has demonstrated time, and time again that he is one of the biggest assets in Australian ultimate.

Dan Rule – Coach, Aussie Crocs, Dingos
Timill frequently travelled outside of Australia to develop his skills and understanding in sports development, sports management and sports coaching. In 2008, he travelled to Seattle to learn from DiscNW staff as they implemented their series of Seattle Youth Ultimate Camps. He was instrumental in then implementing a similar camp Australian Youth Ultimate camp in Ballarat in January of 2009, which featured a guest coach from Seattle, Jaime ‘Idaho’ Arambula. In 2014, Timill became the first Australian ultimate coach to travel to Israel to contribute his coaching skills at the Ultimate Peace summer youth camp. The UP camp is renowned for their work of bringing together muslim, christian and jewish teenagers together to develop friendships while learning to play ultimate together. In 2014, Timill travelled to India to contribute his coaching skills to the very first Bridging the Gaps camp that is designed to challenge teenagers to break down the barriers of gender, language, caste, and socio-economic status creating a transformative experience. Also in 2014, Timill travelled to USA to meet with key personnel of the youth Ultimate scene in Atlanta, and San Francisco, and then attended and presented at the Bay Area Disc Association’s Youth Ultimate Coaching Conference. At some stage (perhaps in 2012) he found himself in Istanbul delivering a version of the AFDA Level 1 coaching course to an emerging Turkish Ultimate community. Timill has travelled far and wide to research, network and ask questions of those who were having success in developing ultimate programs. He has been instrumental in implementing best practice in Australian Ultimate’s growth and development.

Timill has demonstrated his commitment to the Australian national team program over a fifteen year period through the following involvements: 2006 WJUC player, 2008 WUGC Junior asst coach, 2010 WU24UC player, 2010 WJUC asst coach, 2012 WJUC head coach, 2012 WUGC asst coach, 2015 WU24UC Selector, 2016 WUGC asst coach, 2017 World Games asst coach, and would have been an asst coach at the now-postponed 2020 WUGC. As Timill has been my teammate and assistant coach at multiple world championships I can comment that I believe he is one of the most astute tacticians in the game. He possesses a strong gut instinct that has been honed through years of match analysis. Timill has spent literally days of his life standing atop a ladder filming ultimate games and training sessions for review by himself and the other coaches, earning himself the nickname ‘Lord of the Rungs’. He has sacrificed his sleep to play a pivotal role in increasing the Australian ultimate communities’ access to the Dingoes through his video daily recaps. Always happy – and importantly, skilled enough in a variety of areas – to help, he frequently performed the work of 3 or 4 people whenever we were on tour.

Timill has demonstrated his commitment to the grassroots community clubs through being a co-founder of the Heads of State Ultimate team in 2006, as a nineteen-year-old. HoS forming was a way to continue to build on the friendships established through the 2006 world junior programs.

Timill is a gifted problem solver, tech-whiz and master networker who has always been enthusiastic about sharing the fun of playing Ultimate with young people. He has been a founding member of two of Victoria’s leading competitive clubs, developed a business to teach Ultimate in schools, developed the game as an employee or volunteer with state and national organisations, coached the national team on numerous occasions and more recently founded the AUL. Timill’s contribution to Australian Ultimate has been both diverse and immense and there are few who have contributed to the growth and development of the game in Australia as much as he has. Timill would be a worthy winner of the Rob Hancock award.

Steve Wright – Player and Coach, Aussie Thunder
Matt Hill has played a massive role in developing youth ultimate in Australia and would be an extremely deserving recipient of the Rob Hancock Award. Through being involved in Thunder campaigns in 2008, 2010, and 2012, Matt has positively influenced literally hundreds of young players from around Australia. I have had the privilege of experiencing Matt’s coaching in each of these campaigns, first as a player and then as a fellow coach. Both perspectives have given me enormous respect for his skills, and for the impact, he has had on those around him.

Matt’s passion for the sport of ultimate has always shone through in his coaching. His excellence in delivering development content combined with his great strategic mind won him immense respect from his players, inspired them, and helped foster their own love and understanding of the game. Matt also has an impressive ability to build genuine, meaningful relationships with players, while still remaining professional. As Head Coach of Thunder, it was awesome to see him create and nurture an environment where players could be themselves, have lots of fun, learn new things, push themselves, and be properly supported throughout. After experiencing such a positive environment, and being helped to improve as players so much, it’s no wonder so many players Matt has coached went on to be leaders in their own right.

Coaching beside Matt, I saw just how much he went above and beyond for the good of the team and its players. I learned a huge amount from him about all facets of coaching, and to this day can still hear his words when I myself am in particular coaching scenarios. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to experience Matt’s coaching directly, and I’m certain that all others who have had this experience would say the same.

In my opinion, the Thunder program and the youth scene in Australia, would not be what they are today without Matt’s involvement. I wholeheartedly endorse his nomination for the Rob Hancock Award.

Brett Middleton – Player, Adelaide Dragons, Australian Barramundis
I first met Matt in 2006 and have had numerous opportunities to get to know him and see his work on the Ultimate scene. I have been a teammate on Australian rep teams, a teammate on Heads of State ultimate, coached by him on Australian Squads and most recently with his involvement in the Australian Ultimate League (AUL). I have not come across anyone who has given more time, effort or emotion to our sport.

The amount sacrificed to raise our sport to new levels is unmatched and we could never give enough thanks. Seeing his work as a founder of the first gender-equitable professional Ultimate league in the AUL has been awe-inspiring. I have experienced his professional approach when dealing with the Adelaide based AUL team, the Dragons. I have also witnessed his professionalism as an AUL TD, video editor, presenter on best perspective. The list goes on as he gave every ounce of energy and time he had to make the AUL one of the most exciting and game-changing things I have ever been a part of in my ultimate career.

In my experience, I have also seen Matt give this kind of attention to many other aspects of his Ultimate journey whether on the field or as a coach. I was especially inspired by his leading approach to improve the Australian Spirit of the game during the 2016 Dingoes campaign. Australian Ultimate has progressed in many ways due to the efforts of Matt, I believe there is no one more worthy of the Rob Hancock award.

Joshi Philip – Player, Geelong Mudlarks
There are very few people like Matt Hill on the planet and we are very blessed to have had him as a founding member of the Geelong Mudlarks. Not only is he an integral member of our team on the field but also off it, mentoring younger and less experienced athletes, managing the team/accommodation/tournaments etc. Wherever he goes, success seems to follow. He embodies the spirit of Ultimate Frisbee. Ultimate Frisbee in Geelong, Australia and the world is much richer for having Matt Hill.

Amanda Fung – Previous AFDA Board Director, AUL Director

Matt cannot help but think about ways to grow and develop ultimate and can always be counted on to have infinite unique and insightful ideas

Gavin Moore – Player, Aussie Crocs, Dingoes

Matt has been pivotal in driving the Dingoes’ value of connecting with and giving back to our community. I appreciate his service to both the Dingoes and his community

John McNaughton 2020

John started playing Ultimate Easter 2000 when he was just 13 years old, on the back of his older brother Dan’s discovery of the sport at the University of Queensland. With the joint enthusiasm of Dan and his father Bruce, John quickly became immersed in the sport, with a huge dose of object disc golf tossed in to help develop throwing skills.

John’s first tournament was Halibut 2000, and his first nationals was AMUC 2001 held in Brisbane followed by 2002 in Sydney. His first AUC was in 2003 in Canberra, and there are only two AUCs that John has missed since then.

Playing pedigree

AUC – 2003, 04, 06 – 10, 12 – 19
AUMC – 2001, 02, 05, 08, 13, 15, 17
World Championships
- WJUC 2004, 06
- U23 2010
- WUGC Mixed 2016
WUCC 2006, 18 (co-captain)
Asia Oceania Ultimate Championships (AOUC), 2015 Mens
AUL – 2018, 19
Australian University Games – 2005, 2007 & 2008, including being selected for the Green & Gold team in 2007
Other – Ring of Fire (USAU), Kaimana Klassic, Halibut, SMO, BCI, Melbourne Hat

In summary, there are very few elite and social levels of ultimate that John has not played in, and he’s travelled & played in a plethora of countries to achieve this.

Coaching Experience

John has a passion for improving not only his own skills and capabilities, but also those of anyone he has contact with. He is highly appreciative of the support he has been shown by others, and has been a strong advocate and supporter of youth development, and the establishment and growth of a strong elite competition; with his key strategies for Queensland being the founding of the Brisbane Firestorm club and of the Brisbane-Canberra Invitational (BCI) to provide high-level playing opportunities and focus for elite player development.

AFDA Coach Course Accredited Presenter (since 2008)
Firestorm – 2007-2015
Mammoth – 2016-2019 (AUC champions 2019)
WJUC 2010 Strength & conditioning
AOBUC 2019 Women
Monstars
Queensland schools program 2008 – 18
Ultimate Peace (Israel) x 2

Selector and development

UQ Lovers
Firestorm – 2007-2015
Mammoth – 2016-2019 (AUC champions 2019)
Monstars
WJUC 2008
AOUC 2015 Mens & Womens
World U23 2010, 15

Even when not playing during isolation due to COVID-19, John has stepped up to share tips and his knowledge to the Ultimate community through online videos.

Administration

UQ Lovers club – 2005-2008
Firestorm – 2007-2015 (founder)
Brisbane Canberra Invitational (co-founder)
QUDA President 2013-2014
QHat tournaments
Brisbane Ultimate Parity League
Northern Ultimate Championships

Correspondent

John has been a prolific author online with news topics, and on his favourite topics of strength and conditioning, and spirit of the game. He has contributed to the WFDF rules subcommittee and been a member of the WFDF Athletes Commission (2018).

John also provided a very insightful piece regarding on-field safety and contact prevention/personal space management following a period of unacceptable injuries in the sport; and has been active in discussions on development across Australia with regular attendance at ADFA conferences.

While not administering some tournaments/events (such as Halibuts, Queensland-based nationals/mixed), John provided substantial assistance with establishing rosters, pools, rules, etc to the volunteer administrators, and was always prepared to assist with the burden of marquees, and other physical logistics.

Recognition from his Peers

Recognition from one’s peers speaks volumes in any sport or endeavour, and speaks to the substantial contribution that John has made to Ultimate.

QUDA Hall of Fame ‘Ultimate Legend’ – 2009, 13

TESTAMONIALS

Brett Matzuka – UQ Lovers, Buggers, Ring of Fire, USA multiple world championship representative

UQ Lovers: I can’t remember his technical position at UQ, but he was instrumental in assisting in both the organizational side and the on field components of the UQ lovers program. When I started, there wasn’t a huge program, more just organized pickup with info on leagues. Matt Boevink and Carl (last name ?) were helpful in getting things going forward. John joined UQ after we had just got the league off the ground, but brought a fervour and passion to use his knowledge, expertise, and experience to making it the best possible experience. He was always helpful both in pushing our organization to improve, and in assisting new and experienced players improve themselves. He was part of every level of the organization from our beginner league, to the intermediate mixed league, and lastly, BPL. We managed to grow from a 3-4 team league to a 8-10 team beginner league, 2 teams in intermediate league, and 2 teams in BPL. John was always encouraging and enthusiastic to help grow and cultivate UQ frisbee, but also Brisbane ultimate.

I personally was not an extremely thought out and organized individual, but John generally helped give guidance and direction when my excitement needed a focused path.

Outside of UQ, I can’t say enough good things about John. I admit I am biased as he is my best friend, but more important than his contributions to Australian and international frisbee are his characteristics as an individual. John is a driven and passionate individual who has always valued the collective over himself. He has spent his life investing in the betterment and improvement of those around him. He does it while being humble, hardworking, courteous, and kind. He is loving and kind-hearted, focused but supportive, fun loving but growth oriented, silly but striving for excellence. These are all exemplified on the field. John has invested body and soul into improving, honing, and tailoring his game to be the best possible version of himself. He utilizes his skills to put his teammates in better positions and help them be successful. He is one of the best throwers I have ever had the privilege of playing alongside or against, and I have been very fortunate in my career to play with a multitude of people. I personally am a better player and thrower due to my time around John, helping me improve both the way I see the game and improving my skills as a thrower and cutter.

My confidence as a player peaks when John is on the line with me. Not just am I confident in having an experienced veteran with the composure to face any situation, but a guy who will put everything on the line to make it easier on the rest of his teammates and facilitate success. John has played in quarterfinals of nearly every tournament he has attended since I’ve known him including USAU club championships, World ultimate and guts championships, and world ultimate club championships. He is a world class handler and thrower, but also an extremely versatile and skilled downfield cutter using his height, speed, agility, and field awareness to both devastate teams with his throws as well as his cuts. The only perceived weakness is the frustration that can sometimes be seen; however, if you know John, this too is not weakness or a negative as his frustration is very rarely with his teammates or team, but comes from a place of passion and dedication, knowing he still has areas to grow and improve, and a desire to get there.

Within Brisbane ultimate, he has held a multitude of positions as both members of QUDA and UQ ultimate, but also within teams as asst. captain and captain. He has always put maximal energy into making Qld ultimate a welcoming, positive, but also successful frisbee community. Lastly, John has always put spirit, respect, and sportsmanship above on field accolades and success. He always plays with an immense respect and appreciation for the opponent, the game, and his teammates by abiding by the rules in a courteous and upright way.

Nikki Shires – Rob Hancock Award recipient 2006

John McNaughton, Young Legend

I would like to speak from the perspective of a coach and mentor of this young man. I have had the privilege to watch his growth and see his contribution to our sport over the last 15 years. He started out as an enthusiast of the game in a player’s role but quickly moved into much, much more. I think he immediately saw the essence of Ultimate, its emphasis on spirited play, teamwork and the power of a community of like-minded people, and wanted to share that with the world.

John came into the sport as one of only three Queensland juniors to make the Australia Junior team in 2004 and because of this relative isolation, I feel, has always felt it so important to raise the profile of Queensland Ultimate. This led to representing Australia at Worlds a number of times as well as building his own men’s club team Firestorm, from which the Mammoth team emerged, going on to be the first team from Queensland to win Division 1 Open team at the Australian Nationals. When he isn’t developing Ultimate locally, he is involved in a number of opportunities to promote Ultimate around the world.

I don’t feel like he is slowing down anytime soon. I am very proud to have mentored him and observed his growth and success over these years and, as a Rob Hancock award winner myself, I feel that John has all of the characteristics that are embodied in this worthy award.

Mat Ryan – Rob Hancock Award recipient 2017

John McNaughton (JMac) is without doubt one of the finest Ultimate players, administrators and community members to have come out of Queensland.

A true child of Ultimate, John started as an early teen and has since dedicated most of his teenage and adult life to the achievement of excellence in his chosen sport.

His passion and commitment to personal and team improvement is legendary and have led to multiple successes in various teams at local, national and world level.

But one does not receive a Rob Hancock award for being just a great player.

There are many brilliant players who worked hard and took advantage of the labours of others who captained and coached teams, ran leagues, managed clubs and recruited new players.

John stands out because he has always been more than just a participant: He is a fantastic player, a fearless leader and a tireless servant for the sport of Ultimate.

His contributions to Ultimate (particularly but not exclusively in Qld) span the administration and management of the sport at every level. It would have been easy for John to have committed all his energy to personal and team improvement, and enjoy the prestige of being an elite player on an elite team, however, he isn’t built that way: John’s passion extends far beyond personal interest. John is deeply committed to the growth and development of the Ultimate community, with a particular focus on grass-roots Ultimate.

John’s contribution to Youth and School Ultimate is massive and mostly underappreciated. He was one of the first Queenslanders to sit and receive his Level 1 coaching certificate and has been one of the longest-serving schools’ coaches in Queensland, and over the span of his career has introduced thousands of school students to the sport.

John’s achievements as an administrator are also highly significant. John didn’t just occupy administrative positions in clubs and associations; he has been an active and effective agent for true change and growth. John has bought genuine professionalism and capability to the office of the QUDA president and the State association. He was instrumental in consolidating the funding allocation that Qld Ultimate received from the state government and also for securing permanent office space at Sports House in Brisbane.

His ability to connect and communicate with people, to build networks and to identify opportunities are all fundamental to the development of productive relationships with the local and state sports ministries including the Qld Olympic Committee, Q Sport and the Qld Department of Sport and Recreation. These relationships have helped to bring much-needed credibility and legitimacy to Ultimate and will continue to bear fruit in the future.

John understands the value of connecting with the development teams from other sports and learning from both their successes and their mistakes. He has always aimed to have Ultimate viewed and treated as a legitimate sport, professionally and properly managed, yet without sacrificing or compromising those unique and special and sometimes intangible qualities that define Ultimate.

John is also well known for his singular, sometimes quirky attitudes and habits, which have provided years of amusement to his teammates and friends. However, everyone who knows John will also recognise that his eccentricities sit atop an unshakeable and uncompromising moral code that runs through everything he says and does. He doesn’t follow the pack or do what is trendy. He is and has always been his own man. John is a true gentleman of the sport with a deep belief in the fundamental values of the sport of Ultimate and the people who play it. He is more than just a wonderful player; he is a wonderful Human and represents the best of Ultimate. We are honoured and privileged to know him.

Michael Canci 2019

Michael Canci’s Flying Disc Life

Mick Canci tends to be introduced to people as ‘the guy who held the world distance record’. But his involvement in disc sports in Australia is much longer and deeper than that. Mick started playing disc sports in 1980 when a phys ed teacher at his school (Tuart Hill Senior High School), Rob Hancock, introduced it to the school.

‘I also have a recollection that a couple of years earlier we watched a lunchtime display of a couple of American dudes during freestyle in the school quadrangle! Anyway Rob was the kind of guy who, if you expressed an interest in playing, would then come around to your house in his panel van to pick you up and take you to Yokine Reserve on a Sunday morning to play disc golf followed by MTA/TRC/Distance and maybe ultimate if we had enough people. A lot of my school mates got involved in the sport, James Bellesini, Stephen Manning and their younger brothers Carl and Wayne so we would all be in the back of the van most Sunday mornings.’

Mick’s first tournament was the 1980 WA Titles, where he met Brian Allen and Mark Powers, who were, at the time, employed by Toltoys to promote frisbees.

‘Toltoys made the Wham-O style disc under license here in Australia. I played disc golf with my mate James and we were in a group with the famous Kim Holmes who was reigning Australian champion and had recently been to a world championship – suffice to say we were awestruck. Mostly by the number and variety of discs he had: including the fabled numbered moonlighter golf discs. Both James and I played with a 141gram World Class disc, my first disc – which I still have in my possession. From there my interest (obsession) grew and for the next year James and would practice just about every day after school, usually doing freestyle for a couple of hours. James was fantastically gifted both creatively and athletically and a far better freestyler than I ever was – although my throws probably had more spin on them than his to me. Rob had access to some 16mm films of Rose Bowl world championships, and we would watch them endlessly to try and copy the freestyle moves by the Venezuelan brothers Jens and Irwin Velasquez.’

Mick was also a part of the fabled long-distance country trips that Rob Hancock organised in those early years.

‘Rob organised for us to run a coaching clinic in Southern Cross, where his brother was school principal. Andrew Morris and Rob drove what seemed like about a dozen of us from Perth to Southern Cross where we ran a number of clinics with the local school children. I’m sure there were about 8 people in the back of Rob’s van not counting the discs, marker cones and metal golf poles in there as well. I seem to remember that Carl Bellesini paddidled non-stop all the way back from Southern Cross.’

Here’s a brief list of Mick’s flying disc achievements.

Started playing in 1980 whilst in high school, introduced to the sport by Rob Hancock.
Member of the initial executive committee for the WA Frisbee Disc Association from 1981 which then changed to WA Flying Disc Association.
Held every position within the WAFDA committee until about 1990, including being the club president when the Rob Hancock Memorial Disc Golf Course was installed in 1989
Member of the first Australian Ultimate Team to attend a world championship – the 1988 World Ultimate and Guts Championships in Belgium 1988
Member of the executive committee for the Australian Flying Disc Association, being Treasurer for a number of years from about 1984-1989
Authored the first Australian supplement to official Rules for events at Flying Disc Tournaments, circa 1985.
Attended 1982, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1992 Australian Flying Disc Championship’s.
Tournament Director (and competitor) for 1988 Australian Flying Disc Championship held in Perth January 1988.
Have played in the Perth Ultimate League continuously since 2002, introducing many newcomers to the sport.
Member of Australian Disc Golf since 2007
Competed in 2012 Mixed Ultimate Championships in Perth
Member of the organising committee for the 2006 World Ultimate Club Championships in Perth. Playing member of the Fear Discsonia Open Masters Team at 2006 World Ultimate Club Championships.
Re-started playing competitive disc golf in 2014. Placed 3^rd in advanced masters division at 2017 Australian National Disc Golf Championships. Placed 1^st in advanced masters 40+ at 2019 Perth Open
Member of the executive committee for Perth Disc Golf Club in 2018 & now secretary in 2019
Established and league director of the Spearwood Disc Golf League, started in 2018.
Became the first person in the world to throw more than 600 feet (182.8m) by setting the world distance record in Bunbury on April 11 1987 of 186.83m (612.9ft).

Interview with Mick

Congratulations Mick!!!

Nominated by Al Robertson/Kingsley Flett/Perth Disc Golf Club

Kath Adlard and David O’Brien 2018

Manly Ultimate Club would like to nominate Kath Adlard and David O’Brien for the 2018 Rob Hancock Memorial Award for their services to the development of youth ultimate on the Northern Beaches.

Kath and Dave have been the driving forces behind the development and growth of youth ultimate at Manly Ultimate League and schools in the Northern Beaches. They are also long-time administrators for Manly Ultimate Club’s summer, winter and junior leagues.

We would like to recognise and acknowledge their passion and commitment to youth ultimate at the club and the hard work that they undertake on a week-by-week basis in addition to their full-time work and family commitments. We have outlined a snapshot of their achievements below, as well as testimonials from current and former club players in support of this nomination.

But first, a little background about Kath and Dave:

Kath Adlard

As a teacher at Killarney Heights High School for the past decade, Kath has fostered and encouraged young Ultimate players, introducing a new generation to our sport, such as rising stars like Holly Reeve, Asaka Litoyo and Kim Spragg.

Kath has single-handedly organised school gala days, intra-mural competitions, coached school teams and chaperoned players to school and state championships for years. As well as this she has been an active player and captain for Manly women’s league and club team as well as a regular participant in Manly’s winter and summer league for the past ten years.

You will always find a kit bag in the back of Kath’s car. She is always ready to encourage our younger players, does not step away from putting her hand up to organise and help out, and will always volunteer as a chaperone to our younger team members when they play for our senior teams. She is always the last person to pick up cones, switch off the lights, send an organisational email, recruit younger players and encourage our U18 talent. She is a valuable and amazing founding member of our club as well a positive and encouraging role model to her students and our youth contingent.

David O’Brien

Dave, a former Dingo and World Games coach, has been a passionate supporter of Ultimate for the past twenty years.

Dave established Manly league in 2002 and has a long-held vision to create a vibrant and competitive Ultimate powerhouse on the Northern Beaches. This dream is becoming a reality as this year Manly is sending three teams to Div II Mixed Nationals and has a thriving men’s and women’s league.

Dave’s personal dream however, is to establish a competitive and thriving junior league, so that one day his own children can have the opportunity to compete at junior level in a sport that he has dedicated so much of his life to.

Since returning from the UK 2.5 years ago (where he was a coach and player for a competitive London men’s team), Dave has spent an enormous amount of his personal time and energy encouraging and motivating junior players through a successful schools coaching programme. On top of this, Dave established Manly’s permanent junior league which is held directly before the regular summer and winter senior league. Dave is also the league administrator for all divisions of the league and coach/captain for Manly Ultimate Club’s two senior teams at men’s and mixed level.

We hope the summary of Kath and Dave’s achievements at Manly Ultimate below provides a snapshot of all their hard work within Manly Ultimate Club.

School coaching programme

In 2017, Manly Ultimate Club – under the leadership of David O’Brien – provided coaching to public high schools on the Northern Beaches in the Combined High Schools Warringah and North Shore Zones. David organised a regular team of six coaches to visit 10 schools, twice throughout two terms as part of their Wednesday afternoon inter-school Grade Sport competition. Dave and his coaching team promoted Ultimate to around 150 students (boys and girls) each week. His primary objective was to get Ultimate to be a grade sport and to increase the number of juniors participating in Manly Ultimate’s junior sessions. The sessions were met with a lot of positive feedback, particularly about the quality of the coaching and session plans. We were pleased to see some of these children participate in our junior coaching sessions at league.

Manly Junior league

David and Kath have been the motivating force for establishing a Manly’s Junior League which takes place directly before both the summer and winter league. This league has been running since the beginning of summer 2016.

Both Kath and Dave have steadily been increasing the number of juniors involved in our out-of-school juniors’ sessions and those who play in our seniors’ league. Between the two leagues, they have encouraged around 50 players who are 18 and under, 12 of whom are girls. Over 35 of those are playing in the summer league, while the rest are just attending the juniors’ sessions, and many participate in both.

They have also organised a junior ‘showcase’ game in summer league which was well attended by nearly all the players in the senior leagues, as well as family and friends of the participating juniors.

Manly Youth Showcase team (Kath Adlard front row bottom let, David O’Brien top row, far right)

Manly League and club teams

Both Kath and Dave have been stalwart administrators for Manly Ultimate Club, ensuring both summer, winter and junior leagues run efficiently and on time. They administer all divisions, liaise with the council over field availability, administer the league and scores, organise first aid kits, run training sessions and promote both the men’s and women’s leagues.

In summary, Dave and Kath’s vision for Manly Ultimate is to drive a new generation of younger players to the club. They encourage and foster this rising talent and provide invaluable opportunities for younger players to step up within the senior clubs, to improve their skills, but crucially to play competitively with players their own age.

They have dedicated an enormous amount of their personal time to help make this happen and as a club we are enormously grateful. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions. Over the following pages are testimonials in support of Kath and Dave by members of Manly Ultimate Club, as well as former students of Kath Adlard.

Thanks for your consideration
Diana Worman (on behalf of Nikki Shires, Roger Thompson, Michael Cummings, Bradley Klose, Tanith Carroll, Tom Butler, Matt Oswald, Dominic Cummings, Holly Reeve, Asaka Iitoyo, Kim Spragg).

Testimonials

In support of David O’Brien and Kath Adlard
by Nikki Shires, Former Rob Hancock winner 2006 and Australian representative

David O’Brien

It has been a pleasure to watch Dave’s love for our sport manifest itself into the passion and drive that has grown Manly Ultimate Frisbee Club for over 15 years, but more specifically Junior Development in the last few years. Dave returned with his young family to Australia 2.5 years ago and he immediately made one of his priorities, developing and driving the Youth Development Program.

At times it has been a thankless task but this doesn’t deter Dave. He is passionate, driven and dedicated to growing our sport in our local community from grassroots through to elite level. His approach has a long-term vision which is what I think our sport needs more than anything. Through schools’ development in a larger area, embedding it into a selected school sport, he is creating a platform for long term growth of our sport and a mainline for youth development and future stars of our sport. A similar thing was done with another school zone and after a few years, it led directly to the development of many of our current NSW elite players, coaches and administrators, as well as our regular committed players. This calculated and intelligent approach to growth deserves recognition. Without players and administrators like Dave, our sport would diminish. I, for one, and very grateful to have Dave in the NSW and Australian Frisbee community because with him, our future is bright.

Kath Adlard

This ball of never-ending energy, positivity and encouragement for the youth players in the Northern Beaches of Sydney region is unfailing. I have known Kath for a long time and it amazes me that she is STILL pursuing the dream of bringing her students and interested athletes from her school and turning them into frisbee loving dedicated players. Kath was developing juniors when I was managing the NSW Gala days when they first started and she is still going! She is humble, hard-working (doing the things everyone else will pass off as too hard or inconvenient) and most of all, she truly loves the kids and they love her! Having her be a first impression on our upcoming players is pivotal to their eventual commitment and love for the game. She is an ideal role model for the youth and new players because she is always welcoming, plays with incredible spirit and is always encouraging. We can thank Kath for players like Kim Spragg and Holly Reeves, both players who not only play at a high level but are already giving back to the sport. It is only a shame we have taken this long to formally recognise her and her achievements.

Together Dave and Kath are the essence of the future of Junior Development on the Northern Beaches in Sydney. They are a great team and have so much more planned in the future but it is important to recognise them now, offering an example of how from little things, big things grow.

In support of David O’Brien and Kath Adlard
By Manly Ultimate Club member and junior coach Bradley Klose

When we talk Frisbee on the Northern Beaches area of Sydney, then there are no two better people that have provided inspiration to accelerate and grow the frisbee community league. Dave and Kath have achieved a lot of success in the last two years by providing frisbee as a sporting option into secondary schools in the area. They both have worked solidly in ensuring the youth have had excellent teaching staff who also passionate about Frisbee (like myself) to give the best mentoring to students. This is the youth in these schools were given ample opportunity to understand the sport on how it is played and the spirit behind the game. Their guidance re-enforced to us as coached how we could get students to participate and allow them to get a sense of a different type of sport that is worth trying and allowing them to engage in a friendly non-contact sporting environment. The amount of effort and time that both Dave and Kath have committed alone in getting the message and the spirit of the game out to all ages of people including the youth has been remarkable. Dave and Kath’s dedication has improved all players in the league by also creating a summer and a winter league session and they are always there to help all players improve on their own skills. This alone as has made the people joining and attending the league to play in an enjoyable sport and also to help the manly league to generate teams that compete at the tournament level. I have no problems recommending both Dave and Kath for the Rob Hancock Memorial Award because all the administration work they do to keep the league alive is outstanding. The preparation, organising and the initiative they have taken in promoting ultimate Frisbee both as a sport in school or being a mentor at the fields on game days or nights is refreshing and should not go unnoticed.

In support of David O’Brien and Kath Adlard
By Manly Ultimate Club member and parent of two Manly Juniors Tanith Carroll

I played competitive ultimate in the early-mid 2000s. I took an extended break from the sport and have rediscovered it again in the last few years (with my kids!) with thanks to David O’Brien and Kath Adlard

Dave & Kath organise a Manly Youth League over winter which introduced my kids (11 & 13) to the sport (in a way that was not uncool because it was what their parents did, but acceptably funky, because it was Dave & Kath teaching!). My daughter continued to play the summer women’s league and is enjoying the sport immensely (as long as I’m not on her team…).

Dave organised to have Manly Ultimate players coach introductory sessions at local high schools and I put my hand up to coach these sessions with various other Manly players, young and old. These sessions would have taken some serious organisation (public school red tape!) but they ran so well that we were invited back to a number of the high schools to coach additional sessions. Dave encouraged me to sit for the introductory Coaching course which I did. We are back coaching at local high schools again this year and I believe a few of the schools have introduced Ultimate as a grade sport as a direct follow on from Dave’s hard work.

Manly has also fielded competitive women’s, open and mixed teams over the last couple of years with thanks to the groundwork of Dave & Kath in steering Manly League.

Dave and Kath have been unwavering in their support for and their organisation of local ultimate. They welcome new players and have levels of patience with newcomers that is an inspiration to watch while themselves competing at top level. They are amazing ambassadors for the game and the local ultimate community is all the better for their hard work and big smiles.

In Support of David O’Brien
By Tom Butler, Manly Ultimate Club Member, Colony and NSW U18

Dave started playing frisbee a long, long time ago. Probably before I was born. He started Manly Ultimate Club (MUC) not long after that, around the time I was still learning how to tie my shoelaces. From what I understand, in the early 00’s Manly league was flourishing. That was until Dave, Di and their family moved to England.

Fast forward to 2016: MUC men had just hit an all-time low, finishing second last at division two nationals that year, without even fielding a women’s team. Manly Summer League was still misguidedly plodding along, although growth and quality were stagnating. It was around this time that I joined manly social league.

After a few weeks of playing in my new team, I soon realised I was almost the only high-school aged player in the entire league of more than 100 people. I loved league, and could not get enough of frisbee, but I yearned for some frisbee-friends my own age.

Dave and his family returned to Australia and to the misguided manly league around the end of the 2016 summer season.

Immediately, Dave set out about developing a youth league, and revisiting how manly approached the nationals season. Within six months, his Wednesday afternoon junior sessions were regularly attracting more than twenty kids. Within nine months, Dave had worked his magic, and I found myself working alongside him every Wednesday, coaching more than one hundred kids at local schools in the northern beaches area. Within one year, Manly Ultimate Club was running junior, men’s, women’s and mixed leagues every week, and were set to launch the first ever Manly winter league, behind which Dave was the driving force.

Fast forward to 2018. Not only has summer league almost doubled in size since I started, but I often find myself in the spirit circle at the end of a game, looking around the faces to realise that I am the oldest player – at age 18. Dave’s tireless work with youth development is truly paying off. Manly women placed first at nationals in 2018, and Manly men’s – a team made up largely of locally sourced and rookie players – placed ninth, far above their seeding. This mixed season, Manly is set to send three teams to mixed nationals, again including a range of young and inexperienced players, furthering and broadening the ultimate community in our area.

Not only has Dave contributed enormously to my personal development as a player, but he has been the sole driving force behind the cataclysmic growth in the Northern Beaches Ultimate scene. Although he has coached at the highest level (Crocs) in years gone by, he continues to find the time and energy to develop the inexperienced youth of today’s ultimate. Not only is his dedication and passion for our sport second to almost none, his drive to continually improve and ameliorate the quality of Ultimate Australia as a whole is unparalleled by anyone in the wider Sydney area.

As well as this, Dave has kids and works a full-time job. He is a legend.

In support of David O’Brien and Kath Adlard
By Matt Oswald, Manly Ultimate Club member

Katherine Adlard (Kyth) has been a long time member of the northern beaches ultimate community. As a player, coach and high school educator she has been instrumental in the development of juniors in our area. Her ability to deliver a steady supply of great high school players, many going on to represent Australia, is a result of her tireless enthusiasm, positivity and work ethic. I have had the pleasure of playing and working in the ultimate community with Kyth and her constant positivity and role modelling is a real inspiration. Kyth has a real ability to bring out the best in players around her, in both skill and sportsmanship.

Dave O’Brien has been a long-time member of the northern beaches ultimate community. A well-travelled national representative, Dave has been a leader of northern beaches ultimate as both a player and organiser of the Manly Ultimate League and a number of Manly representative teams. Dave has a real skill of inspiring and generating new players, somehow being able to draw players from other mainstream sports and then finding ways for them to excel at ultimate. I have had the pleasure of playing and working in the ultimate community with Dave and the breadth of his ultimate knowledge and organisational skills have been huge assets to both our club and the wider ultimate community.

In support of David O’Brien and Kath Adlard,
Dominic Collins – Manly Ultimate Player and captain, NSW U18 Men’s “Emus” in 2017, Trans-Tasman development squad in 2017

My name is Dominic Collins and I am writing in support of both David O’Brien and Kath Adlard for their commitment to the sport of Ultimate Frisbee over a number of years. Not only are these individuals both excellent at the game and have excelled in a number of different teams, leagues and tournaments but they can also claim dedication to furthering the sport. Between them they have run the local Manly league successfully organising summer and winter mixed leagues boasting numbers of 200+ players as well as single-sex and youth leagues. They have also been instrumental in providing youth with Ultimate Frisbee through targeted skills sessions as well as running coaching days at many local schools in the Northern Beaches. I can attest to their good will and patience in teaching as I have been playing alongside them for two years now, and have been able to represent at a local, state and national level due to their coaching.

In Support of Kath Adlard
By Holly Reeve, WJUC 2016/18, WUCC ‘18, WUU24C ‘18, AUC ‘17/18, AMUC ‘17, AYUC 2015-17

Kath Adlard is an extremely passionate and dedicated role model in the youth ultimate scene within Manly Warringah. Kath, as a teacher at Killarney Heights High School, introduced me (and many others) to the sport through her extra effort to ensure KHHS’ attendance of gala days and learn-to-play sessions. Her consistent energy for developing youths continues into Manly Ultimate Club, where she tirelessly contributes to the formation and running of youth learn-to-play sessions and games. With always a smile on her face, Kath relentlessly follows up on players to encourage returners, and further gives to the club with her own participation of trainings and national season. Kath’s love for Ultimate at even the rookie-est level dispels any fear many youths bring into a new sport. As I began playing more and more, Kath continued to support my endeavours, never failing to get in touch or update school newsletters of the successes. KHHS successfully creates junior and senior Ultimate teams, with Kath solely organising players, persevering with arriving before school hours to coach. Kath to me embodies the inclusive nature of ultimate, and is responsible for my exposure to the sport.

In Support of Kath Adlard,
By Asaka Iitoyo NSW U18 representative

I am a year 12 student of Killarney Heights High school and I was first introduced to frisbee in year 10 by one of the English teachers, Kath Adlard. From many years before I started, frisbee was a prevalent sport in Killarney and have produced many highly experienced players who have represented Australia and NSW in the past and present. This was all achieved by Kath and she continues to have such a significant influence on the youth of Killarney. Not only does she have a great impact on her school but she has also become a phenomenal leader in the Manly Ultimate Club of the Northern Beaches. She has helped spread this sport throughout the northern beaches and holds training sessions specific to youth during the summer with the help of David O’Brien. I strongly believe she has made such a strong impact on myself as without her I would not have had the opportunity to represent the state and Australia.

In Support of Kath Adlard
By Kim Spragg, U19 Australian Women’s Team (2012), U23 Australian Women’s Team (2013), Australian Women’s Team (2016), Australian World Games reserve (2017), U24 Australian Women’s Team (2018), Ellipsis World Clubs Team (2018)

Kath Adlard was a teacher at Killarney Heights High when I attended school there, graduating in 2012. I was first exposed to frisbee in 2011 when I was asked by Kath to be on the team she was entering into the gala day. In my final years at school Kath was dedicated in organised numerous gala day teams as well as coaching sessions and organising for external coaches to come in. I fondly remember one such session with Kath, Dan Rule and a number of the Friskee kids that gave me a taste of the frisbee community and got me hooked.

I have experienced her dedication to growing youth ultimate in Sydney first hand, but have also seen her impact as other school kids she has coached have continued on to play at university and representative levels. Kath has been teaching the love of ultimate to the northern beaches Sydney youth for many years and I believe is an excellent candidate for the Rob Hancock Memorial Award.

Mat Ryan 2017

Mat Ryan has been involved in Ultimate in almost every possible role and level since he started playing in the early 1990s. At a time of life when many have stepped back from the sport, Mat continues to be a tireless contributor now into his 40’s, doing everything from delivering school PE sessions to grade 4 kids, to leading major projects that will impact Queensland and Australian Ultimate well into the future. We believe Mat embodies the qualities honoured in the Rob Hancock Award, and have no hesitation in nominating him.

PLAYER

As a player Mat was known for his speed, endurance, athleticism and read of the disc. He was a physical defender and often given a tagging assignment on key opposition players. Mat competed as a player at numerous World Championships: as a Dingo in 2000, and as a Master in 2008 and in 2012. He was on the field in Osaka when the Wombats beat the USA – the first time a representative Australian Mens team has ever beaten a USA Mens team, and which went on to win the WUGC Silver medal. He played 4 WUCC events: in 1995 with Gondwana and then 1997, 1999 and 2002 with King Brown, with whom he won 3 consecutive World Spirit Championships in the Open Division – an incredible record unlikely to be ever repeated.

He always played his heart out for Qld in State of Origin battles, though they are sadly now consigned to history. Mat was an integral part of the first ever Qld Mens team to win an Open Mens tournament (Seeds of Doom, 2000). He was also a key contributor on Doughboy, a top tier international Mens team that competed 8 times at Kaimana Klassik, 3 times finishing in the semis and once in the Final, outperforming the Dingos both on and off the field. The enduring legacy of that team is the lesson that a bunch of reasonable Ultimate players who play for each other and with great mateship can succeed beyond their abilities.

Mat has always been a great competitor and an inspirational trainer. His team-mates write: “In January 2000 when Qld first ran track workouts, Mat would run himself into the ground in every session. It was inspiring and hard to watch at the same time, and those of us who finished the sessions were always left wondering if we had given enough. Having a team mate like that made playing Ultimate a pleasure, and made competing in tournaments more successful.”

FIELD LEADER and RECRUITER

Mat Captained the Qld Mens team at a time where inexperienced players would compete alongside vastly more experienced team mates. It was a weird and difficult sporting environment and Mat was flexible enough to accommodate all levels without giving way to frustration or lowering his level of play. He was always keen to improve a team’s defensive capabilities, and was an eager teacher of novices to the sport.

He has always been a great recruiter. He’s a natural people person and has an easy manner that welcomes newcomers. In his recruitment he always focussed on athleticism and attitude. Once a new prospect was in the system you could rely on Mat to put a bug in their ear about the next tournament, training session or elite team.

One player personally recruited and developed by Mat is a Dingos Captain, Mike Neild who writes: “My favourite aspect of the junction between Mat and Frisbee is the passion that is generated. This is a passion so great that it has created friction at times, however I know I had never considered playing anything for my country before Mat Ryan shared his passion for the experience with me. His
Dingo story of spending a week running down off the pull and raggedly applying a cup and doing it again and again lit a passion for me that continues now”.

OFF FIELD

Mat served on the board of the Qld Flying Disc Association in the 1990s as President and VP. His administrative and professional expertise helped transition QFDA into a formal and organised State Sporting association and he has continued to support the management committees of Qld and Brisbane Ultimate to this day.

Mat has been a keen supporter of competitive Ultimate and helped organise numerous tournaments in Queensland: He has been Tournament Director at 3 Australian National Championships (1999, 2004 and 2011) and 1 Mixed Nationals (2001), the Mixed Invitational and 4 Big Sky fundraiser events. His record at Halibut is unlikely to be equalled: He Tournament Directed 3 Halibuts, captained a handful of Halibut teams, won the Halibut trophy 7 times and is the only person to have played in all 20 so far.

Mat left his professional role and took the Development Officer position with QUDA when it was first created – putting the chance to develop Ultimate ahead of financial reward. He served in this role for 4 years, consistently doing far more than his paid workload as he bought his experience to support the committee while continuing to grow the sport.

Concurrent with his QUDA role, Mat was also the President of the Brisbane Ultimate Disc Association, taking over the position at a time when BUDA had fallen into disrepair. Mat presided over the restoration of the organisation, consolidating it’s finances and operation, and which now delivers Ultimate to over 500 Brisbane players across multiple leagues across multiple venues. Mat’s particular passion is securing reliable venues to compete and train and he has been instrumental in establishing and maintaining almost all the fields used to play Ultimate in Brisbane. If you play Ultimate anywhere in Brisbane, it is likely that you’re playing on a field that Mat has organised or managed.

Mat’s vision for the sport remains inspirational and he continues to work towards the big dreams: While others are seeking fields to hire week by week, Mat has been working on a join facility development project to secure a long term lease and to create a home ground for Ultimate – the first in Australia. He is also leading the initiative to host the first ever WUGC event in Australia.

As his knowledge and experience in the sport have continued to grow, so has his ideal for where the sport can go and how he can help to get it there

Kim Holmes 2016

Kim Holmes – A life in Disc Sports

Video tribute (Thanks to Steve Manning)

In the beginning

During a shopping trip in the city as a teenager, Kim bought a Whammo Frisbee and remembers enjoying throwing it on the beach in Albany with his school mates. His main sporting passion was hockey however and he pursued this at the top level during his university studies in Perth. Kim first completed his Bachelor of Laws then a Diploma in Physical Education.

Introduced to the sport 1978

Lance Stracke, who was travelling across Australia on his Mormon year of service, brought to Perth an 8mm film of the 1977 world Frisbee disc championships in California, featuring the field events at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. He was spreading a different kind of word, along with his faith, but screening the film everywhere he travelled.

The pivotal moment in Kim’s life occurred when he spied Lance Stracke’s notice about a screening of the film at the UWA campus and had his curiosity sparked.

Viewing the film, Kim was struck with the potential of this new sport and was one of a handful who met with Lance at James Oval, on the UWA campus on subsequent weekends. After Lance departed, the small group of enthusiasts continued to meet and became the WA Frisbee Club, which Kim was instrumental in forming.

The group played Ultimate, throw run catch and made an object golf course out of the trees that ringed the oval on campus. Even nearly 40 years later, Kim still has the occasional social round of disc golf with the friends from St Thomas Moore College that used to play on those Saturday mornings.

The early in-service courses 1978-1979 – Rob Hancock is introduced to the sport

Kim already had an association with the Superintendent of Physical Education in WA, Mr Len Pavey (who coincidentally is Mike Canci’s father in law) through some negotiations Kim had done to complete his Physical Education studies. Kim offered to share his passion for the sport by running in-service training for Physical Education teachers.

It was at one of these in-services in Tuart Hill that Rob Hancock, that a trainee Physical Education teacher at the time, attended with his brother.

Rob soon became more involved in the sport as the WA club became affiliated with the Australian Frisbee Disc Association and began running weekly club days at Perry Lakes. At this stage the sport was still very much inclusive of all disc events: from Ultimate, self-caught flight, accuracy, discathon and golf.

Kim also taught disc sports during the 1978 World Scout Jamboree held at Perry Lakes, and it was through this involvement he was able to secure 40 discs for the club to use in junior development.

In 1979 a distance competition was held on Heirisson Island which Kim won. He used the prize money from this to fund his trip to the national titles in Melbourne that year. At these titles he learned how he’d need to prepare if he was to compete at the highest level in the sport and went away determined to improve.

The early 1980’s and two trips to the World Championships

Working as a physical education teacher, the chronic arthritis that was to severely limit Kim’s sporting activities, had started to develop. Kim was forced to retire from Hockey, which was his primary competitive sport in those days, once the game switched to being played primarily on artificial turf.

Kim was transferred to teach in Carnarvon in 1980 and handed over the presidency of the club to Rob Hancock. In Carnarvon he founded the Ugly Duck Frisbee Club.

The first WA Frisbee championships was held at Perry Lakes in October 1980. Kim won the overall title for the event, beating Rob Hancock and a young Martin Adair. He returned to the National championships in Melbourne a much more complete player.

His performance in the National championships led to selection for the world championships in California. He attended the worlds in both 1980 and 1981.

The 1980’s. Cockman Kids and Australia’s 2^nd Disc Golf Course.

Kim stayed involved in the sport throughout the 1980’s, although becoming more physically restricted in competition due to the arthritis that was affecting his knees and his hip. He served on committee with the WA Branch of the WA flying disc association with Mike Canci as president.

At this time the hub for Frisbee sports in WA was the Cockman Park Primary school oval and the adjacent Cockman Park. Local (Cockman Kids of which John Damiani was one) kids would play ultimate and field events. In the afternoons they’d play object golf around Cockman Park. Even now, you can see around Cockman Park, that most of the baskets are located next to large trees, which were the former targets.

Kim played a significant role in the collective effort by the then committee, in having a proposal for the installation of a permanent disc golf course in the park, accepted. He collected documentation about the successful installation of other courses around the world, including the many social benefits and submitted this to the Wanneroo Shire as part of a proposal.

The Rob Hancock Memorial Disc Golf course was successfully opened in 1989.

1990’s The Long Intermission

Kim was forced to change careers because of the degeneration of his knees and hips and became a lecturer in legal studies at TAFE. He eventually ceased playing all sport, mainly due to the pain in his hips. He continued to use the Rob Hancock course although in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s he was one of the very few using the course.

He organised family disc golf days and the occasional reunion of the same crew from St Thomas Moore College who he’d encouraged to come down to play on James Oval 20 years before.

2000’s The resurrection of disc golf and Kim’s new hip

Kim had a hip replacement in 2006 which greatly improved his quality of life. The extra mobility had him throwing discs down at Cockman park again and it was here that he came into contact with the new breed of disc golfers in WA, Kris Kohout, Stewart Adams and Dave Bandy, who went on to found the Perth Disc Golf Club.

In the ensuing years, Kim has continued to assist with come and try days and school coaching from time to time, as well as being the unofficial PDGC club coach, taking many a new player through the basics to get them started.

Kim attended both the pro and amateur World Disc Golf championships in 2011 and has attended every World Amateur disc golf championship since. This coming June in Wisconsin USA will be his 9^th world championship for disc sports.

He is a revered figure among the disc golf community in Australia, famous for his ‘pram’ which most of the youngsters playing the game gave not grown old enough to need to carry their discs yet. He also remains a very competitive player; regularly winning the masters division in local events, comfortable beating players 20 years his junior. He has also won the last 4 Rob Hancock Memorial tournaments. The Rob Hancock Memorial is a dedicated Masters tournament that everyone in WA over the age of 40 tries to win.

Tom Rogacki & Steve Campbell 2015

I would like to nominate Tom Rogacki and Steve Campbell for a joint nomination on the Rob Hancock Award. Tom started playing in 1994 and is now playing his 21st year of ultimate while Steve started playing in 1996 both in Australia and in Canada. They have both been long standing AFDA members, with Tom one of the first when the number system was released in 1997 (#5).

In terms of their contribution to the growth of Australian Ultimate development and contribution to Australian Ultimate culture, they established the Chilly Ultimate Club in 2000 and essentially ran the club, coaching and training for the first number of years. Chilly Ultimate Club is the oldest Open Club in Australia and the most decorated as well. Chilly was chosen Club of the year in 2009. During the 15 year of the Club upbringing they ensured sustainable growth by encouraging and selecting younger players in both a organisational and playing capacity. Highlights include consistently having two teams at Nationals with numerous occasions fielding up to three teams at Nationals but also including WUCC 2006 in Perth. Working together Tom and Steve formed Chilly and worked hard to create an atmosphere where their leadership at training and in competitive tournaments was demonstrated with commitment, passion and hard work. This included running training sessions for up to 50 players back in the years when Chilly had 3 teams within the club, organising uniforms, balancing the chilly annual accounts and setting up social events to help with club bonding. Both are proud of the fact that in recent years the Club has formed a Chilly Committee that has further established Chilly as a well organised and progressive club whose members are provided with great opportunities to develop as players, while having fun along the way.

This year the Chilly Club celebrate its 15th anniversary. Tom and Steve are still an integral part of the board with Tom as Vice-President and Steve as Secretary. On this special anniversary landmark, we saw a record attendance at our free open day. Tom and Steve were involved in the success of this day and they make sure to mingle with the newest rookies. This lead to a very successful season recruitment with three big teams for the open season. The legacy started by Tom and Steve fifteen years ago is now enjoying a 60 plus player base for the 2015 season.

In the early days, Steve was the fittest player not only in Chilly, but in Victoria and arguably in Australia. Tom was graced with massive height, hops, agility and hands to do it all. Setting the standards by example, both would be in regular attendance and set the benchmark for athletisim for their team. From humble beginnings, they managed to evolve as players from receivers and defensive specialists to handlers and in Tom’s case World Beaters! Their passion and dedication to compete and succeed helped to drive Chilly to lay the foundations for our successful club.

Tournament achievements (Tom) :

*Open Nationals – 4 titles in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009

*Mixed Nationals – 6 titles in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2010 and 2013

*Wold Games – Silver in 2005 and 2013

*World Championships – Open 1998, 2004 (Bronze) – Masters 2012 (Silver)

*World Clubs – Open 1999 (King Brown) and 2006 (Chilly – Bronze) – Masters 2010 (Eastern Greys – Bronze), 2014 (Phat Chilly – 4th)

*Spirit winners at WUCC in 1999

Tournament achievements (Steve) :

*Open Nationals – 4 titles in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009

*Mixed Nationals – 5 titles in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2001

*World Championships – Open 2004 (Bronze) – Masters 2008 (4th) and 2012 (Silver)

*World Clubs – Open 2002 (King Brown) and 2006 (Chilly – Bronze) – Masters 2014 (Phat Chilly – 4th)

Spirit winners at WUCC in 2002

On the field both Tom and Steve have been very successful at all levels of Ultimate. Tom has also received many accolades on the world stage by winning the MVP award at the World Championships in Japan, Prague and World Games. He often has the highest number of statistics during any Worlds level tournament he plays. He is arguably one of the greatest athlete to ever play the sport and has been recognised as the only Australian (and often only international) player to be chosen in the US fantasy ultimate drafts, both in the past and the recent 2014 Skyd Disc Mock Draft (http://skydmagazine.com/2014/03/2014-mock-draft-draft-board/) were he was chosen at 43 overall and the first of only 4 international players to get selected.

Both of their success on the field was also recorded in other tournaments like the New-Zealand Open titles (twice), NUFL, Seeds of Doom, BCI, April Fools, Southern Regionals and the Melbourne Hat. I can’t count the time that heard the following sentence before the Melbourne Hat team release : « I hope I’m on Gack’s team… ».

Tom has been a captain of most teams he plays on and his leadership is demonstrated by his play on the field and in the huddle. Steve has been co-captain on many occasions and has also endeavoured to lead by example on the field and is driven to succeed. Both of them have been selectors for Australian teams as well or have been captain or co-captain of World Championships teams.

Outside their respective very successful glory on the field, Tom and Steve have both had experience as a Tournament Director (Tom for the Boarder Classic, Steve for the Melbourne Hat and both for various Chilly-run events during the early years of the clubs history). They were integral in the decision to be the first Hat tournament to move away from cotton t-shirts starting from the Daisy Hat 17th in 2005. Going back through the years they have both spent many hours helping Victorians develop as players, whether it was during social leagues or while running divisional leagues at Albert Park. Steve’s opportunities as a Physical Education teacher have allowed him to spread the game to school curriculum’s and he ran the ACHPER conference session on Ultimate for many years (this promoted and taught ultimate to PE teachers from all over the state). Tom’s status as a player in Australia saw many new players gravitate to him and he was always willing to give his time to teach those enthusiastic young players about this great sport.

Tom and Steve have organised the uniforms for Chilly, for various mixed nationals teams and more importantly for Australian Representative teams. They have worked with Gaia, VC, Five Ultimate among other companies to attempt to keep uniforms at a cutting edge for their players.

As the game of ultimate has grown over the past 15 years in Victoria both of them have had an impact on the administration that is now Ultimate Victoria. Steve was President of the VFDA for almost 3 years and Tom was also on the VFDA board for numerous years in the late 90’s to early 2000’s. During that time they aimed to advance the sport through the development of leagues, coaching opportunities and the nurturing of clubs within the state. Both of them have been league coordinators at Albert Park and they have endeavoured to make the league experience one of high calibre ultimate within a fun social setting while ensuring great spirit of the game.

Steve’s involvement outside the field do not stop here. He was awarded the inaugural Green and Gold Coach for Coaching Monash University at AUG. He organised and ran teaching courses at the annual ACHPER Conference for School Teachers to help promote Ultimate in schools and get Ultimate in school Physical Education curriculums. He was Involved in the development of the coaching accreditation program which is recognised by the Australian Sports Commission. And, as a Secondary School teacher, he has introduced students to sport who have gone on to play large roles on and off the field (ex. Matt Hui – ex. VFDA president; Ashleigh Thornton – currently sitting on the AFDA board).

Tom is well known for his love of a beverage after the game and this friendly attitude is part of what makes him such a welcoming character both within Chilly and as a represenative of Australia on the world stage. Anecdotally Tom and Steve are known for being joined at the hip at tournaments and they often act like an old married couple. They have had great fun playing ultimate together and have watched this sport grow and flourish in Victoria and on the World stage

In summary, both Steve and Tom and ticked every box in the Rob Hancock criteria having played and achieved at the highest level (both on field and in spirit), contributing to both national and local growth, administration both within clubs and on associations. They continue to do so at their ripe old ages as leaders on Phat Chilly and can not see the end in sight! For all of these reasons, I strongly believe that Tom and Steve would be deserving awardees for the Rob Hancock Award.

Lisi Moore 2014

Lisi first started playing Ultimate Frisbee in 1999 after joining the university league in Brisbane.

Lisi has always had a strong competitive drive and dedication to improving as a player throughout her Ultimate career. Her international representative career is below:

2004 – Australian Mixed team (won Spirit)
2005 – World Games reserve
2006 – Southside (WUCC)
2008 – Australian Women’s Team
2009 – World Games reserve
2010 – Pie Wagon (WUCC)
2012 – Australian Mixed team
2013 – World Games Team

Lisi has played in the Australian Ultimate Championships since 2001 except in 2011 when she was pregnant and coached Southside. During these years she was part of the leadership at:

Southside 2006, 2010 (player/coach/captain) and 2011(coach)
Sugar Magnolias in 2007 (player/coach) and 2008
Phoenix in 2012 (captain).

She won the AUC in 2004-05 with Southside and 2013 with Wildcard.

Lisi has always had a special interest in promoting the development and inclusion of women in this sport:

2000-? – Women’s development officer for QUDA
2004-06 – Women’s development officer role for UFNSW

During 2005 Lisi also moved to Armidale for 2 ½ years. During her time there she was:

The club’s President
Started local leagues and trainings
Took a team to mixed nationals

In 2005 Lisi also spent 2 months in England. During this time she won the national champion with Iceni women?s club in England. She was awarded the club?s MVP award for nationals.

Lisi was a member of the AFDA Board from for 2 years from 2006 as the Director of Development. After her time on the AFDA Board, Lisi focussed her passion in the youth sector taking on the National Youth Coordinator role, a position she held for a year.

Lisi has a love for coaching which shows in her history:

2007 – Sugar Magnolias (Coach)
2008 – Formal Coaching Accreditation
2009 – University of Sydney (Coach)
2010-11 – Southside (Coach)
2012-13 – Phoenix (Assistant Coach)
2014 – Rogue (Assistant Coach)

Lisi has always had a passion for developing skills and a culture of self improvement for women in ultimate. She was instrumental in the formation of Phoenix women?s ultimate club in 2012 where she instilled a strong focus on spirit of the game and was also pivotal in the formation of Rouge in 2014.

Lisi was part of the Mixed Programme Planning committee for 2012 WUGC, a commitment which spanned over 2 years and which also included her eventually becoming a selector and the Mixed Programme Coordinator.

Lisi is a physiotherapist and sports trainer. She was the team physiotherapist for:

2005 World Games Team
2006 Under19s Australian Boys and Girls Teams
Fitness consultant for the 2008 Australian Women’s Team

Lisi has always been willing to help her fellow athletes and is often found treating and answering athlete?s questions on the sidelines at tournaments.

Lisi has been writing and developing fitness programs for rep teams in ultimate, men?s women?s and mixed, since 2005. She has changed the way elite teams train, warm up and recovery and instituted standard routines which many national and club teams use today.

In 2012 Lisi ran a mixed invitational event as a fundraiser for ?school?s a gift? a charitable organisation.

Owen Shepherd 2013

Owen Shepherd has been a key part of the Australian Ultimate community since he started playing Ultimate many years ago as a high school student. He says that he initially started to play archery, but he didn?t really like it – it had too many drawbacks. Thankfully the same wasn?t true of Ultimate.

As a player he has played at the highest level possible, having been selected as 1 of only 6 men for the Australian World Games Team in 2005, which proudly bought home the silver medal. His other international playing achievements include representing Australia as part of the Australian Mens Team at WUGC in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012, and playing at WUCC in 1999, 2002, 2006 and 2010. As well as being involved in international competitions, he has played extensively in the Australian domestic scene, competing for many years at the Australian Ultimate Championships, Australian Mixed Ultimate Championships and Australian University Games (where he was selected for the Green & Gold Teams from 1999 to 2001). On the field Owen is known as a ferocious competitor who never gives up and is always striving to improve and he inspires teams mates with his desperation on defence. He has played a leadership role on nearly all the teams he has played on and is one of the key captains and founders of Melbourne based Mens team Heads of State.

But Owen has made just as much of a contribution to Ultimate off the field as he has on it as a player. He was one of the first players to move across to the role of non-playing coach and he filled that role at several Australian University Games: University of Sydney (2002, 2003, 2005) and Monash (2011). He has coached beginner and elite clinics, assisted with Australian Junior Team camps, and coached at the TEP Medellin coaching program in Colombia (2009). As a coach he strives to help players increase their ownership of the sport and their confidence, and he enjoys developing and trying new drills and tactics with players. He was also instrumental in arranging for Tim Morrill to come out to Australia to deliver his Explosive Ultimate clinics in 2012

He was the AFDA National Coaching Coordinator for several years and was the AFDA Coach of the Year on 2005. He has developed polices regarding national team selections and helped to develop the Ultimate Frisbee Companion Book, a resource for coaches of primary school-aged children. Owen was also a selector for the Australian Mens Team in 2008.

Along with Piers Truter he assisted in the development and implementation of the coaching accreditation program which is recognised by the Australian Sports Commission and together they have trained and accredited over 100 coaches to Level 1 (entry-level) standard

In late 2005 he was one of the first Ultimate players in Australia to start his own blog, http://thinkulti.blogspot.com.au/, from which he has been dispensing invaluable Ultimate advice on a regular basis.

His enthusiasm and passion for sharing his love of the game of Ultimate was recently on display at the Selection Camp for the 2013 Crocs when during a lunch break after an exhausting morning session, he took the time to show the visiting Beach Handball team how to throw a forehand.

In summary Owen Shepherd has made, and continues to make, a significant contribution to Ultimate in Australia, and the World, and he represents all that is great about this sport: honesty, integrity, and passion. And bad puns.

Melissa Gangemi 2012

I would be very surprised if anyone here attending Nationals does not know this receipient of the Rob Hancock Award, however, the true depth and breadth of her involvement with Ultimate is truly inspiring. Let me share the highlights with you:

She started playing in the year 2000 at Sydney University and was already volunteering at multiple levels by 2001. She was the SUFFA Treasurer and the NSL Div 4 League Commissioner that year and went on to become the SUFFA President for almost 3 years and became a student representative on the Sydney University Sports Association Board. This was to be the first of many board level roles within Ultimate for Mel Gangemi.

Mel took on her first TDing role with the AMUC in 2002 in Sydney. She then jumped at the chance to take on Australia?s largest ever Ultimate event, firstly as a member of the WUCC 2006 Board and from 2005 onwards as its Chairperson. Mel has always put the interests of Ultimate first, but most importantly, not at the expense of personal relationships or individuals. Her conciliatory management style ensured that WUCC 2006 was the success that it was. She led a team of equally dedicated individuals and led by example. Whilst having very strong views on the way things should be done, Mel was happy to listen and debate and then recommend the best course of action, an attribute of the best of leaders.

Mel’s unflappable nature and professional approach to dealing with situations meant that, even during the strongest debates, the team stayed positive and on course. Mel ensured that everyone involved in the process was rewarded for their efforts.

Immediately following WUCC, and having recently moved to Melbourne, Mel took on the AUC 2007 down there. While she was ostensibly ‘assistant’ TD, in her usual style, she took on a mountain of work and most certainly was responsible for much of the tournament’s success. Specifically, she ensured Nats 07 set new standards in environmental sustainability, and her work making sure the finances were tidily looked after was incredible. From the real TD Nicky Smith “She was the best “assistant” TD anyone could have!”

While doing all this tournament related work Mel also joined the AFDA Board in 2005. Her first position was of the WUCC Representative and then from 2007 until 2010 she was President, her current role being Secretary.

During Mel?s tenure as president the AFDA achieved a great many things and faced and few challenges as well. One of the first things Mel did was to produce the AFDA Orientation manual for new board members and employees. This manual will prove invaluable in the future and help all new volunteers and staff fit into and contribute to our sport effectively. During her first year she also reviewed all current AFDA policy and created a comprehensive review schedule and identified potential gaps. Jonathan Potts set up the AFDA?s original policy bank and Mel ensured that legacy was kept alive, relevant and extensively extended.

Mel oversaw significant changes in staff with the resignation of Jonathan Potts and the appointment of Simon Wood as the first full time AFDA employee. The appointment of Simon has made a huge difference to the responsiveness and quality of the AFDA?s work.

Financially Mel ensured the organisation was in the best position it has ever seen. The windfall gain to the AFDA from WUCC 2006 was established as a capital fund. From this capital and operating profits many new initiatives to enhance player numbers and membership experience have evolved. The biggest of these is the Grants program. This has now completed a number of successful rounds and is hopefully a permanent feature on the landscape.

During this time Mel has also been a member of two incident committees ? and has effectively chaired both. These are the most non joyous roles in Ultimate ? where you are asked to review the circumstances around incidents that have occurred off the field which have been deemed not in keeping with either the spirit of the game or the expected norms of behaviour ? particularly when playing on representative teams. You are effectively handing down a report on the behaviour of your peers ? an unenviable task in anyone’s terms.

Spirit of the game and expected norms of behaviour ? especially in Ultimate where many people are attracted to the game as the norms are different – are both subjective terms and make any determination very difficult. Mel has used her encyclopaedic knowledge of the AFDA policies ? the member protection policy in particular, and her essential sense of fair play and a fair hearing to guide the outcomes of these incident review committees

Also during this time Mel sat on innumerable other sub-committees mostly around appointments for our National team coaches and selectors, AFDA staff members and the administration of the AFDA Members Compassionate Fund.

Another key initiative during her presidency was the Volunteer recognition program that has culminated in the part time employment of Anna Hayes by the AFDA and fantastic ongoing recognition program. Mel also oversaw the development of the 2009 to 2012 Strategic Plan.

Amazingly during all this administrative work Mel actually found some time to play Ultimate as well! She won numerous EUG and AUG medals with Sydney Uni and was a member of the Nationals winning Southside women?s team in 2004 and 2005. She also played for Southside at WUCC 2006. On moving to Melbourne she was a foundation member of the Honey womens club in 2006 together with Nicky Smith and Jo Creswell. Mel is one of a handful of players to have played every year with the club (and still counting!) and forms a pivotal role both on and off the field. Mel has been a captain, treasurer, chief policy writer and is always willing to help out with any organisational activities. Her strong sense of spirit of the game contributed to Honey winning Spirit at Nationals in 2009. Mel has always been a fantastic asset as a key handler with a deadly breakforce forehand and insanely fit defender. She has also not been shy of hitting up the bar for some tequila…

Mel has also achieved the highest playing honour in representing her country at the Asia Oceanic Championships 2007, receiving a silver medal, and in the Australian Mixed Team (Barramundis) in 2008.

Mel Gangemi epitomises all that the Rob Hancock Award represents. There have been many worthy recipients over the years but few who could ?tick all the boxes? when it comes to the broad judging criteria. As I?m sure the above demonstrates Mel is a great administrator, teacher, competitor, mentor and leader.

In Ultimate we talk a lot about the Spirit of the Game. It?s easy to think of instances on the field were teams and individuals have shown great Spirit. But what Mel has consistently shown is that the ?Spirit of Ultimate? is more than just on field diplomacy, it is a way of being. A dedication to ensuring that the sport and all those involved, can participate and excel in an environment that is supportive, encouraging, competitive and above all spirited.

As a previous RHA recipient I feel honoured, and frankly dwarfed, to have Mel join these ranks and receive the highest recognition within Australian Ultimate. To close though I would like to quote Brian Vanallen the TD from WUCC 2006 and close friend of Rob Hancock, he said “Most of all, I feel certain, having known Rob, that he would feel proud to have Mel’s name mentioned alongside his.”

Chris Warris 2012

Chris Warris has been a great servant of the game of Ultimate Frisbee for the last 15 years. His efforts have encompassed every area of involvement, from grassroots development of the sport to administration at all levels. Impressively, Chris has maintained consistent involvement in local leagues, focussing on the development of new talent, while his own athletic career has risen to the elite level with numerous appearances at Worlds.

Chris Warris started playing ultimate in 1997, while completing his PhD at the University of Western Australia. Though his first foray into ultimate was in informal pickup games at UWA, Chris was soon instrumental in setting up the UWA Ultimate Frisbee club. He was the club’s vice president for its inaugural year in 1997. He then took over the presidency from 1998, a position he held until 2001. Chris also led the first team from UWA to the Australian University Games in 2000, where they finished fifth and Chris was selected on the Green and Gold team. In 2001 he was recognised by the university for his work with the club when he was awarded a University Blue. Chris’s contribution to Ultimate Frisbee in WA was not limited to the university scene. He was on the WAFDA board from 1997 and took over from John Damiani as the WAFDA president from 2000-2001. Chris was also the WA representative on the AFDA board during that time.

In 1998 Chris started his competitive ultimate career, a career that has lasted nearly 15 years and has taken him to the highest levels of competitive ultimate. In 1998 he competed in the open division with the WA side WAnchors, he has since competed at every open nationals since. Chris’s first taste of international ultimate came in 1999 when he competed in the open division of the world ultimate club championships with King Brown in St Andrews. He has since gone to WUCC in 2002 again with King Brown, 2006 with Deathstar and 2010 in the Mixed Division with Pie Wagon. For the latter 3 teams he also acted both as a selector and a co-captain. His reputation as a hard-nosed defender and a reliable handler has seen him represent his country at the World Ultimate Guts championships with the Dingos in 2000, 2004 and 2008. In both 2004 and 2008 Chris acted as a selector for the Dingos and in 2004 he was given the honour of being the vice captain for the Dingos side.

In 2002 Chris made the journey to the east coast of the country. His athletic and coaching skills were soon recognised, and in 2003 was the ACTUA male player of the year as well as the AFDA coach of the year. Chris also stepped up his involvement in our national governing body when he held the role of AFDA director of development from 2003 through until 2005.

In 2006 Chris moved to Newcastle, and made an immediate impact on the local ultimate scene by helping it to move from a university-based league to a community-based league. On the back of this move he helped set up the Newcastle Ultimate Frisbee Club, a committee of which he was vice president from 2006 ? 2009. He also had a notable impact on the field. Chris was part of the first ever Newcastle side to win a National championship when Reekin’ Havoc won the 2006 Australian Mixed division. Chris was also a driving force behind I-Beam’s rise out of the ashes of Deathstar. Chris has been a selector and co-captain of the team since its inception. Then in 2010 Chris was a vital player as I-Beam won the open Australian ultimate championship, showing his commitment to the cause by breaking his collar bone as he caught a goal in the final.

Though Chris set his sights towards representing his country in the masters division at Worlds in 2012, he still played an active role in the Dingos and Barramundis teams, acting as a selector for both in their 2012 campaigns. He also continues to work at a grassroots level, and is currently establishing a juniors league in Newcastle, with an eye to developing and coaching a team to compete in the proposed NSW junior league.

Chris’ contributions to three regional playing centres, Newcastle, the ACT and the West are truly remarkable. He has been formative in creating not just Ultimate players, but Ultimate communities. Further than every position he has held, every league he has run, and every person he has ever taught to throw a flick, he leaves a legacy wherever he goes such that everyone still tries to claim him as their own.

With his humble attitude and unassuming nature, Chris has always been a wonderful embodiment of the spirit of the game: on the field as a player, coaching from the sidelines and as an administrator. Chris is a very deserving winner of the Rob Hancock award.

Rachel Grindlay 2011

I first met Rachel Grindlay at a NSWFDA meeting (2002) where she declared that she was interested in watching and giving opinions for NSW Ultimate but was definitely not interested in any more committee roles after her experiences as the NZ Treasurer and President for the previous 2 years (performing both roles simultaneously). From that point on Rachel has managed to bring her immense organisational flair to a large number of Administrative positions within both the State and National bodies. Within the year she accepted the role of Secretary for NSWFDA and remained in that position through to 2005. At that point, she took over the role of Treasurer, serving to 2010. Even though she resigned her position at the UFNSW 2010 AGM she has continued to perform basic duties while the new Treasurer comes up to speed and signatories are handed over. During that time, she was an integral part of the NSWFDA Executive being involved with all key decisions. She freed up the administrative role by taking on the vast amount of data entry and expense tracking within the NSWFDA financial system. Her role in driving the NSWFDA?s yearly report has been instrumental in guaranteeing the Association?s NSW Department of Sport and Recreation grant in a number of years. Rachel was also a member of the AFDA Board during this time, filling the role of Secretary from 2003 ? 2004.

In addition to Executive administrative roles, Rachel has been responsible for organising a number of Australian tournaments (Australian Ultimate Championships 2008 (Treasurer), NUFL2 (TD) 2006, NSW State Championships (Treasurer and co-TD) 2008, Longest Day (Co-TD) 2005-2009 and Into the Wild (2009)). She was the Squad Manager for the Australian teams attending the World Ultimate & Guts Championships in Finland in 2004, and has been a chief organiser of the Wildcard club side since 2006.

Rachel has been keen to help develop new and intermediate players to build their skill level through to the elite level, particularly women. She has been an integral part of the Wildcard leadership team, constantly encouraging women to improve their skills from beginner through to elite levels. She coached Wildside (Wildcard/Southside B team) at the Australian Ultimate Championships in 2004. She has also organised a women?s league in Sydney. Her friendly attitude has helped many young women continue their Ultimate careers forward.

Rachel?s playing skills are also of a level that matches her elite peers. At a national level she has competed in most major championships, including the Australian Ultimate Championships (2003, 2005-10), Australian Mixed Ultimate Championships (2002-05, 2007-10), Australian University Championships (2001, 2009). Rachel won with mixed team Shto-liba in 2004 and captained Wildcard to victory in 2007 and 2009. On the international stage she has played in the World Ultimate Club Championships (2002 and 2006), represented Australia in the Asia-Oceania Ultimate Championships (2005), winning a silver medal, and on the Australian Women?s team at World Ultimate & Guts Championships (2008), which finished fourth, their highest placing ever. Rachel was a senior member of many of these teams, this testifies to her elite level of skills and dedication to her athletic level.

She has been recognised for her contribution to ultimate both on and off the field by being awarded the Wildcard Club Person of the Year for four consecutive years from 2006 to 2009, AFDA Administrator of the Year in 2007, and a UFNSW Award in 2009.

On a personal level, I have always found Rachel to be a fantastic ambassador to the sport of Ultimate. She brings an enthusiasm and efficiency to all she does. From meetings to tournaments and on-field play; her leadership qualities and love of the Spirit of the Game sees her throw herself into the sport at all levels with an energy and passion that befits a Rob Hancock Award winner. I would see Rachel as a fitting Rob Hancock Award Winner.

Jason De Rooy 2011

Jason came late into the sport of Ultimate at the age of 30. He started playing two days after moving to Canberra in February 2001 and has played ever since. He had originally been introduced to the sport in the mid-90?s by Stu McGlashan at UQ, but stupidly decided to stick with soccer.

By mid 2001 he was directing the local ACTUA League and in 2003 became President, remaining in the position until he went overseas in 2004. During the period 2002 to 2004, Jason ran several leagues and tournaments, and was a member of the 2003 Australian Ultimate Championships TOC. For a good part of this period, Jason was ?Mr Frisbee? in Canberra.

In late 2002, Jason became involved in national administration of Ultimate when he became editor of the AFDA Newsletter, delivering 17 quarterly issues over the period to late 2006 ? including while he was living in the UK in 2004/2005. The newsletters were a massive amount of work, providing a balanced combination of news from national teams and local leagues, as well as the less serious side of the sport (will we ever know who Secret Squirrel is?). It is a tribute to JdR?s efforts that the quarterly newsletters have now been replaced by an annual magazine.

Upon return to Australia and Brisbane in mid 2005, Jason joined the AFDA Board through a casual vacancy, before formal election in 2006. 2006 also saw World Clubs in Australia, with Jason forming and leading the ?74 Flood Queensland Masters team to Nationals 2006 and then onto World Clubs. Jason has competed at Australian Championships on five occasions and was also a member of the first ever Australian Masters team that competed at Worlds in Finland in 2004.

In 2007, Jason assumed the role of secretary which he remained in until his resignation at the 2010 AGM as one of the AFDA?s longest serving directors. During his period on the board, Jason was one of the most active board members, contributing to many key decision on the national level. Jason was the key driver behind the creation and revision of the AFDA?s safe play policies ? as well as many of the AFDA?s promotional activities (such as Wide World of Sports at Nationals in 2008). Jason ensured the smooth running of many prominent AFDA functions, including the AFDA and RHA awards for 2005-2009, and the Annual Reports for five years running (2005 to 2009). Jason?s period of five years on the Board.

Jason?s departure from the national scene was prompted in part by his causal paid role as CEO of QUDA, staring mid 2008. In addition to this role, Jason continued to make important contributions as a volunteer to the sport of Ultimate, from forming local and regional teams for tournaments, and in February 2010, helping to establish the Griffith Nathan Ultimate Frisbee Club which boasts near to 40 members after twelve months.

During this period, Jason has also been among the most prolific Australian bloggers of Ultimate, with his Brisbane Ultimate Blog possibly the most notable blog for our sport in Australia. Jason has made over 1000 posts over the period 2007-2010, with a further 50 or posts on afda.com

Over the past decade, Jason has been one of the most active and dedicated volunteers in the sport of Ultimate. While he?s in no way short of initiative himself, if you needed something done ? Jason would find time to do it and then give you a dozen extra ideas while doing it. He is a deserving recipient of the award and I strongly recommend his nomination to the Board.

Nicole Footer 2010

“Nic first started playing Ultimate Frisbee in 1997. However, it didn?t take Nic long before she started organising local tournaments and events, Nic was TD of the inaugural Mixed Nationals of 1998 and then again in 1999 to make sure it kept going.

This involvement was the precursor for her latter role on the AFDA Board as Director of Events from 2007 until 2010. As a Director, Nicole has been instrumental in making AFDA events more professional, overseeing amongst other things, the introduction of a Memorandum of Understanding with event organisers and the employment of a National Events Officer. Her endless icebreaker games have also been appreciated for making Face to Face Board meetings more fun. Nic was also a valuable member of the post-Worlds incident committee, an AFDA mixed selector in 2004 and a member of innumerable appointment committees. Nic was also the NSWFDA Womens Development Officer from 1999 ? 2001

As a player, Nic has represented Australia with spirit and tenacity (Worlds: 1998, Minnesota; Clubs: 1999, Seven Green Bottles, St. Andrews; 2002, Seven Green Bottles, Honolulu; 2006, Wildcard, Perth; as well as other international tournaments such as Kaimana). She has also had great success in both mixed and women?s ultimate. As a mixed player, she won nationals in 2001 with Brisbane Bitter, and was a finalist in 2007 with Spider-Pig and Doghouse in 2003. As a women?s player, Nicole is a two time national champion, being a member of the 2007 and 2009 Wildcard teams. She was also a member of the 2002 Kaimana Klassik Champions- Seven Green Bottles. This, however, is the tip of the iceberg of her involvement in women?s ultimate.

Since the early 2000s, Nic has played a leadership role in most league and club teams that she has been involved in. In late 2003, Nic formed the Wildcard women’s team. Sydney women’s ultimate was in a state of flux and Nic pulled together a group of women who came to form Wildcard. According to her team mates.

?Nic in many ways is the heart and soul of Wildcard and always will be. Her passion and vision in not just forming a team of friends for a season but a club that would nurture and develop all levels of frisbee players has ensured that Wildcard is the only women?s club team to have represented at 7 consecutive National Championships and 2 World Club Championships. Her foresight and commitment to running Wildcard will have an enduring legacy in the sport. Nic rallied players to the club, ran training sessions, captained teams, co-ordinated strategy, sat on selection committees and above all led from the front in terms of her attitude and spirit of the game. I have never played with someone that has such a positive influence on team members than Nic does.

Nic’s taste sometimes is questionable. Frequently we are grateful her original team name didn’t make the cut, otherwise we would be known as “Red Hot Go”. What isn’t questionable is Nic’s dedication to making the team happen. In 2004 there were enough players for 2 teams, leading to a selection process of which Nic was one of the selectors. While the result in 2004 wasn’t as high as expected it was a good foundation for the years to come. The following year, Wildcard competed in the inaugural National Ultimate Frisbee League. Nic was a key organiser and selector again this year. The strongest memory I have of Nic in 2006 was on the morning of day 3 at nationals. Wildcard had split into two even teams and was having a difficult tournament, one team in particular was a bit down. Nic gave one of the most inspirational, amusing speeches which transformed the team’s attitude for the rest of the event. Nic wrote the Wildcard theme song to the tune of AC/DC’s “You shook me all night long”. Nic’s renditions of this with unashamed abandon were a highlight for the team.

Nic was also a selector for the Wildcard team that competed at the World Club Championships in 2006. Despite a heart-breaking injury in the first game of the event Nic was a vocal sideline supporter and everyone was thrilled for her to retake the field in the final game of the tournament. In 2007 Wildcard won the National Championships and Nicole was a key reason for our success, she always runs hard and gets free continually. Similarly in 2009 Nic was a key contributor until her tragic collar-bone fracture during the final.?

After her return to Adelaide at the end of 2009, it was unsurprising to learn of Nic?s involvement as coach and player of the Indies women?s club. Since becoming a level 1 coach 3-4 years ago, Nic has made an incredible commitment to coaching and development, particularly of women?s ultimate. This has seen her involvement in many of the AFDA?s development camps, travelling to Brisbane, Perth, Sydney and Adelaide.

Nic is well respected by her peers and an internal sigh is always stifled when marked up on Nic because of her hard running style of Ultimate. She is well-spirited, and when asked, senior players cannot point to a single time that Nic has ever been poor spirited. Nic?s contribution to Australian Ultimate over the past 13 years has been exemplary and she is a worthy recipient of the RHA.

Andrew Stanley 2010

“Recognising Mr Andrew Stanley for the Rob Hancock Award for his most outstanding contribution on and off the field to flying disc sports. Andrew was introduced to the game at the University of Sydney in 1984 ? 86 where he played as an irregular pickup with Graeme Deaker, Simon Wood and co. Here he developed a primary interest in the growth and improvement of flying disc sports in Australia. He has played in leagues continuously since 1988.

In 1988 he played in the Inaugural Sydney League with Simon Wood ? There where 6 teams of 10 players. He played the first Melbourne Hat in 1989 ? also known as the Victorian Ultimate Championships ? the bibbed tournament.

Andrew was accredited as a Life Member of Victorian Ultimate in 2008 after 20 unbroken appearances at the Hat ? attended Hat 21 in 2009, that?s every HAT since its inception.

Andrew has shown dedication to improving as a player, hard work in competition and excellence in achievement through his success in selection and contribution to National teams at World Championships.

Representing his country at the World Championships of:
? 1990 Oslo Norway
? 1992 Utsonomya Japan
? 1994 Colchester UK
? 1996 Jonskoping Sweden

Then as a master in
? 2008 Vancouver Canada

Andrew has played on Australian teams at World Club Championships 1997 Wild Colonial Boys, Vancouver Canada, 1999 Return of the Redi, St Andrews Scotland (Silver Medal),2006 Eastern Greys, Perth Australia (Bronze Medal), 2008 Eastern Greys, Prague Czech Republic.

Andrew has shown excellence in leadership of teams. He has been CEO of Eastern Greys Inc 2006 and again in 2010. Andrew became a Masters Selector in 2008. He was Vice Captain of the Taipans in 2008, has been a member of the Incident Committee since 2008.

Andrew has shown dedication and excellence in administration of flying disc sports through his role as the Unofficial AFDA Marketing Coordinator from 1990 to 1994. His initiative throughout this period achieved a significant milestone in the growth and development of the sport by arranging paid appearances at approximately 30 venues/events including international and domestic Cricket games across the country and Rugby League games which allowed the sport to be presented to an ever wider audience. An MCG ODI crowd still holds the record for the largest crowd to watch an Ultimate game in Australia. This exposure also resulted in many new members as the sports reach extended.

He assisted in both the newsletter and the creation of the first NSW FDA development plan, which resulted in the submissions to the NSW Dept Sport and Rec for funding which became the model for all state submissions.

Andrew has been dedicated to teaching a love for flying disc sports and instilling a sense of spirit of the game by his involvement in running teams of beginners in leagues in the early 90?s before multi divisional leagues even existed.

Andrew is a true ambassador for Ultimate, flying disc sports, Australia, sportsmanship in general and for we most applaud ?for spirit of the game?, he epitomises what Rob Hancockembodied and what the award stands for and was created for acknowledging.

Andrew Stanley, a worthy recipient of the Rob Hancock Award for 2010.”

Shavawn Donoghue 2009

Shavawn arrived in Tasmania from Canada in 1999 and moved straight into Ultimate Frisbee, learning ultimate at the University of Tasmania in the best possible way, playing pickup barefoot. Her passion for playing and helping run the sport was immediate and she soon found herself elected to an executive position on the University of Tasmania Ultimate Club.

From a playing perspective, her career progressed quickly as she played the inaugural Tassie Two Hat in October 1999 (and every subsequent Two-Hat since), then played her first Melbourne Hat soon after and then Nationals with the first batch of Tasmanian players in 2002. Subsequent representative achievements include: playing for 13 Tasmanian teams including in the Open and Women?s Division at Nationals, Mixed Nationals, Australian University Games and Southern Regionals; captaining 10 of these teams, including the first Tassie Tiggers team in 2003; being a constant presence at TUA league games, helping run leagues, recruiting, captaining teams and helping nurture and train new players; in addition to playing for, captaining, coaching and driving the formation of Tasmanian teams, Shavawn has extended her own playing skills and knowledge of the game by managing to remotely join Southside for a few seasons, playing a key role in one of the top Sydney based teams (no mean feat for somebody living on another island and unable to train regularly with them).

Shavawn won a couple of National Championships and has played both NUFL and World Clubs with Southside. In playing for this team, Shavawn also pioneered a pathway which has enabled other elite Tasmanian women to take advantage of opportunities playing interstate, leading to the later selections of two Tasmanian women on Australian representative teams in 2008.

As a player Shavawn is very well respected. Her knowledge of the game, athletic ability and the spirit with which she plays has inspired many. Shavawn was the inaugural Treasurer of the Tasmanian Ultimate Association, holding that position for 6 years, and has been the treasurer or president of the University of Tasmania Ultimate Club for even longer. She served on the Board of the AFDA in 2003-4, winning the AFDA’s administrator of the year award in 2005.

In Hobart she has been a behind the scenes presence in every tournament and league run in Tasmania for the last 10 years, providing critical support to first timers and newcomers. Shavawn was one of the first Tasmanian players to attend a coaching course and has really become the face of Tasmanian Ultimate on the mainland.

As a player Shavawn is respected by beginner and experienced players alike. Her knowledge of the game, athletic ability, skills and her spirit on and off the field has inspired many. Shavawn’s spirit is best summarised by her spirit winning record at the Tasmanian Two-Hat Tourney, where she has been on the spirit winning team 6 times out of the 8 tourneys that spirit has been awarded, and has captained a couple of those spirit winning teams. She also captained the Tiggers to a spirit victory in the Open Division at Nationals in 2003.

As an ambassador for the sport and an administrator, she is about as good as it gets, and without her energy, enthusiasm, input and involvement Tasmanian Ultimate would not be in the strong position it is today.

Steve Baker 2007

Steve-Baker has played Ultimate since 1984 and is affectionately known in WA as ?Bakes?. In his early days of Ultimate at Curtin University, Steve captained the Australian Men?s team who won the Spirit award at the 1988 World Championships, and was also a member of the 1990 Worlds team. Steve was also successful in freestyle and double disc court winning many a national title. He has competed in many a Phoenix Has Risen State Championship and National Championships. Within his club, FEAR, he is a leader on and off the field. He plays competitively whilst making time to nurture beginners to fulfil their potential as Ultimate players.

Steve has been a proactive WAFDA member for 20 years. Steve?s IT skills saw the launch of WA Ultimate?s inaugural website in 2002 as well as the redesign in 2007. As a General Committee member in 2003, Steve initiated the Anti-Harassment and Child Protection policies, fulfilling the WAFDA?s criteria at the Department of Sport and Recreation that ensured government funding to the WAFDA. Steve has also been the Treasurer and Newsletter editor for the WAFDA, two thankless-behind-the-scenes jobs that keep the Association running.

More recently, Steve was the WUCC06 Volunteer Services Manager. He is the current WAFDA Juniors Development Officer and is an accredited coach. He has developed the WAFDA?s working relationship with the Australian Sports Commission, setting up Active After-School Community Programmes that teach Ultimate to primary school children. Steve?s latest tasks have been to recruit and train new deliverers in becoming accredited coaches and to organise the first High School GALA Day, the first ever High School Ultimate Tournament to be held in WA. Nothing describes Steve Baker?s achievements better than the ?Year of School?s Ultimate?.

Bruce McNaughton 2007

Bruce McNaughton first started playing Ultimate Frisbee in 2000. The idea of forming Australian teams to compete at the World Junior Ultimate Championships (WJUC) first came to Bruce during Diskapital in 2002. While it was too late to send a team to the WJUC in Latvia later that year, a four year odyssey in which Bruce was the driving force behind national youth-level Ultimate had begun.

During the ensuing four years, Bruce filled the role of team manager for both the Australian junior men?s and women?s teams at both the World Guts and Ultimate Championships in Turku, Finland in 2004 and the WJUC in Boston in 2006. While being a manager of any team is demanding, the manager of a team comprising junior players has an unenviable work load. Coordinating far more than team registrations, Bruce organised training camps prior to the events, as well as flights, accommodation, transport and social activities for the teams and their chaperones when overseas. From a group of 6 chaperones in 2004, an entourage of almost 20 family members and friends, plus a physio and four coaches accompanied the larger junior?s teams in 2006.

In total, from the two junior?s teams at the World Championships in 2004 and 2006, Australia came back with one bronze medal and three spirit prizes. Bruce should be given a large amount of credit for this success, and for paving the way for future junior representative teams ? his efforts will be worth their weight in gold in future years.

Outside of his Junior?s work, Bruce has been the QUDA Treasurer since 2005 and continues to hold that position. He has played at Nationals level in 2002-2004, as well as playing with ?74 Flood at 2006 Nationals and Worlds. Bruce continues to devote significant amounts of his time and energy to youth ultimate in Australia, as well as to grass roots development and local youth Ultimate in Brisbane.

Nikki Shires 2006

Nikki Shires moved to our fair shores in early 1998, as a very green ultimate player. While attending the University of Canberra, she created the Ultimate Frisbee club and recruited players with gusto in 1998. She captained the UC team at the inaugural Australian Universities Ultimate Championships in 1998.

Through her efforts over many years, Nikki can be credited with introducing hundreds of high school students to the game of Ultimate. Nikki began working with juniors at Marist College, Canberra in 1999 while teaching there. She rapidly introduced two teams of juniors into ACT social league, and coached and played with these teams. After moving to Sydney, she continued her involvement in junior development becoming the UFNSW development officer in 2002. As development officer, she established annual school gala days in Sydney attracting more than 20 schools and created a junior?s coaching manual for school teachers. In 2006, Nikki was appointed as coach and a selector of the Australian junior women?s team that competed at the World Junior Ultimate Championships in Boston, winning a bronze medal.

Nikki has devoted countless volunteer hours to ultimate over the last 10 years of her playing career. Nikki is credited with being the driving force behind women?s ultimate in Manly since 2002 having organised teams on an annual basis to attend nationals. She is an AFDA accredited coach and coached the Macquarie University team at the 2006 Australian University Games.

As a player, Nikki has represented Australia as a member of the women?s team in 2000 and 2004. She was attended two World Ultimate Club Championships, with Freya in 2002 and Southside in 2006. Nikki also won nationals with Freya in 2000 in Perth.

Sandra Poon 2005

Sandra Poon began her Frisbee odyssey in Wellington, NZ, where her brother Joseph played Ultimate. She was 11 years old and learned the basic skills of throwing and catching in the backyard. Her precocious natural talent combined with hard work and a sincere love for the game would help her develop into one of the strongest and most dedicated players in the women’s arena today.

Sandra began playing Ultimate in Melbourne in 1993. She attended her first Melbourne Hat in that year and her first Nationals in 1994. She has attended every Nationals since then.

Sandra Poon joined the VFDA executive as Secretary in 1997. In 1998 she was elected VFDA Vice President, before assuming the Presidency in 1999 and 2000. In her 4 years with the VFDA executive Sandra oversaw the management of Victorian Ultimate from end to end. Sandra understood that executive delegation is a luxury not found in small associations; she proposed and implemented management initiatives and followed this up by putting her shoulder to the wheel alongside the other volunteers. Sandra was involved with everything in Vic Ultimate from organising school demos, printing and distributing flyers, printing T-shirts for leagues and helping in the running of those leagues. She assisted in the running of the Hat tournaments between 1993 and 1999.

Sandra quickly developed into a formidable Ultimate player on the field. In her first National Championships the Victorian Womens team went to the final, eventually losing to New Zealand by 1 point. Sandra was voted Most Improved Player for the year at the VFDA AGM.

Sandra continued to increase her involvement in Ultimate and improve her game. She coached and co-Captained the Victorian Women in 1997 and was selected on the Australian Womens team for World Championships in Minnesota in 1998. Sandra continued to coach and lead the Victorian women until 2000. She also played with 7 Green Bottles in Scotland at the 1999 World Club Championships and again in Hawaii Club Champs in 2002. Sandra was again selected for the Australian Womens team for World Championships in Germany in 2000 and Finland in 2004. She is a regular traveller to Hawaii for the Kaimana Klassik, and was a member of the 7 Green Bottles team which won the tournament in 2002. A strong and skilful thrower, Sandra is often marked out for special attention by defensive teams who recognise her accurate lefty forehand and powerful backhand huck. Selections for these representative teams have not been easy, particularly in recent years, and particularly for isolated and regional players. At no point in the leadup to Worlds did Sandra shirk her training requirements; spending many weeks of Sunday afternoons running solo 400s to improve her speed and stamina.

Although a fierce competitor on the field, Sandra has always valued and upheld the Spirit of the Game. As an administrator, coach and team leader Sandra has espoused the Spirit of the Game and respect for her fellow players, and has demonstrated this in all her actions. It is noteworthy that the current Sultry team under Sandra have won the Spirit prize at both NUFL events in 2005 and shared the prize at 2004 Nationals.

Sandra believes strongly in the idea that an understanding of the rules is a primary tenet of Spirit of the Game. She initiated a Rules Discussion Forum on QUDA email lists in 2001 which is still being used today.

In 2000 Sandra moved to Brisbane and immediately began a reconstruction of the Queensland womens team. She initiated womens training and recruited sufficient numbers to run the first QLD Womens League. Many of the girls who played that league are playing at these Perth Nationals. Sandra continues to coach and Captain the QLD women to the present day

In 2001 Sandra co-TD’d the Mixed Nationals tournament in Brisbane. This event won the Tournament of the Year. Determined to improve the quality of tournaments in QLD, Sandra again co-TD’d the 2002 and 2003 Halibuts. People who attended those events often recall the quality and quantity of beer which flowed freely during and after the finals. What they may not know is that Sandra spent 8 months scrounging ‘tall-ies’ from Scout bins and brewing that beer under her house.

Sandra continued to develop her TD skills and took on the ultimate challenge of hosting Nationals in 2004. After a full year of organisation Sandra was able to host 512 players in 35 teams over 4 days of competition; the largest tournament ever held in Australia. The ease with which she negotiated obstacles and the calm and confidence she displayed during difficult times is a testament to her professional abilities as a Project Manager.

During her time in QLD Sandra has sat on the QUDA committee as Womens Co-ordinator. At the recent QUDA AGM Sandra did not hesitate when nominations were called for President. Her acceptance of the QUDA Presidency is typical of Sandra’s enduring enthusiasm for the game and her desire to improve it for all players.

Sandra is the first Australian player to have completed the Coaching Presenters certification. She presented the AFDA Level 1 coaching course to the first crop of Queenslanders and is currently developing a QLD coaching framework as a part of her QUDA administration.

Sandra Poon is well liked and respected by her team-mates and fellow players. She is very successful engaging the interest of beginners through a combination of her infectious enthusiasm and her impressive array of skills. Sandra has opened her house to Frisbee travellers from interstate and overseas without hesitation. Whenever a fellow Frisbee player has needed assistance on or off the field, Sandra is always the first to give it. Such is the generosity of her nature.

It is impossible to highlight a single achievement for which Sandra should be considered for the Rob Hancock award. She has displayed all the wonderful attributes of an award winner for many years. She has shouldered responsibility for small tasks and large and continues to do so.

Sandra is a valuable asset to her friends, her team-mates, her association and the Australian Ultimate community. She would be a most worthy and deserving winner of the Rob Hancock award.

Piers Truter 2005

I would like to nominate Piers Truter for the Rob Hancock award. Piers has been dedicated to the sport of Ultimate Frisbee for over a decade and is an excellent candidate for this award simply because it is easy to outline significant achievements he has made against each of the award criteria. He has participated in Ultimate at all levels, from the recruitment and training of new players to high performance at the elite level. He is passionate about Ultimate, and this shows on the field and in his dedication to leading and coaching teams.

One of Piers’ outstanding contributions to Ultimate is in the area of coaching. He has dedicated more hours to coaching Ultimate than anyone else in Australia. As National Coaching Coordinator in 2003-04 he established the Level 1 Coaching Accreditation Scheme, the first official coaching program for AFDA. He wrote the coaching course, liaised with the Australian Sports Commission to have the course approved and recognised, has trained almost 100 coaches, and has also trained course presenters. It is impossible to overestimate the amount of time and effort that this has taken. The course is so successful that he has been invited to present it in Singapore. It has also revealed Piers’ determination to establish a professional system that will meet the needs of the AFDA in the future, such as expansion to other coaching levels.

He has also spent countless hours over the years coaching teams at various levels. Of note is his success as coach of the UNSW team, who won Australian University Games in 2002 and 2003. He also coached the ACT women’s team ICE in 2004, where they finished fourth at Nationals. Both of these teams nominated him for coach of the year, which he was awarded, showing that he is well loved by the teams he coaches. He has also coached the ANU University team, and the 2004 Australian Junior men’s and women’s teams. In all of these coaching roles he is able to achieve the difficult task of turning a diverse group of people with varying skills and needs into an organised, motivated and high performing unit. He is truthful and courteous in his communications and instils a sense of spirit of the game into every player he coaches.

Piers is also committed to recruiting new players to Ultimate. While at University he was very active in recruiting for both Macquarie and Sydney University, including organising tournaments and tours for these teams. Whilst still in his early stages of Ultimate, Piers voluntarily travelled to the Central Coast from Sydney to help a new league develop. This was a league with little Ultimate skills and needed guidance and development. Piers was able to help teach these brand new players new and valuable skills which allowed them to go on to play State and National tournaments across Australia. In 2004 he ran a major recruiting campaign for the ACT women that has resulted in an increase in the participation of women at all levels in Ultimate in the ACT. He is currently involved in recruiting of juniors in the ACT, and has been teaching Ultimate in local high schools.

On the field Piers is always an active team member, playing with athleticism, commitment and enthusiasm. He started playing in 1993 at Macquarie University, and has been a regular at tournaments nationally and internationally ever since. At the elite level he has represented Australia at four World Championships and three World Club Championships, including being a member of the Australian Men’s team that won bronze at the 2004 World Championships. He played an important role in the preparation of all Australian teams for the 2004 World Championships, introducing a new level of professionalism which included fitness programs and talks by dieticians, sports psychologists and recovery specialists. He has been involved in the leadership of many teams during his Ultimate career, from league, tournament and University teams to captaining the highly successful club team Feral from 2000-2002 and being defensive co-captain for the Australian team in 2000.

Piers is also active in the administrative side of Ultimate. He was instrumental in getting Ultimate Frisbee officially recognised as a sport in Australia, partly as a result of two weeks he spent in Canberra lobbying the Australian Sports Commission. He was also recently one of the main people that spent long hours preparing the submission to the ASC to help maintain Ultimate as an accredited sport across Australia. He has run tournaments and leagues, including Nationals in 1997 and University Games in 2002. The success of the 2002 University Games – the first University Games in which Ultimate participated – under his professional leadership was critical in gaining Ultimate the high standing it has with Australian University Sports Associations today. He is also committed to raising the profile of Ultimate in the media, via radio interviews, newspaper articles, and writing daily tournament reports for the AFDA web site. In recent years he has also been a member of the AFDA board and the AFDA high performance committee.

Whilst not as glamorous as the above, but still as important, Piers was also instrumental in organising many teams at local league levels across Sydney. This included University teams and later elite teams (competing in the top competition within Sydney at the time). This helped many new players establish themselves within Ultimate and helped grow the Sydney Leagues.

There is no-one in the Ultimate community who would deny Piers’ enthusiasm and commitment to the sport. He has consistently demonstrated a love for Ultimate that he strongly desires to pass on to others through playing and coaching. If he says he will do something, it will be done, and done well. And if you need someone to motivate you, then Piers is the one.

Thanks Piers.

Simon Farrow 2004

The ultimate frisbee community has been fortunate to have a player like Simon Farrow who has a great passion for the game and a natural flair for organising and administration.

He started playing ultimate in 1988, organising a completely new team to enter the competition. He has competed almost continuously since then in Sydney leagues and tournaments to the present day (2004). He played in nationals teams from 1992 to 1997, and also in 2000, Perth. In 1997 he represented Australia in the first ever Australian Masters club team “Dingo Dreaming” at the World Club Championships in Vancouver, Canada.

During this period he was also helping develop the sport at the beginner level. He started the Central Coast League in 1994 and had 4 teams running continuously over this period until 1997. As part of this venture he help found the Central Coast Flying disc Association (CCFDA), and helped organize and captain the central coast team to consistent tournament appearances at Qld and NSW State championships and nationals.

He was one of the founding members to start the Terrigal Towel in 1995. This tournament has been successfully run 9 times in the last 10 years, and is Australia’s premier beach tournament. More recently, in 2002 he founded the Wyntre Roots tournament, which has become a key lead up competition for Mixed Nationals

In 1997 he was the commissioner for the first C League run in the North Sydney League, created to help bring new players into the sport. Over the 16 years he has been playing league in Sydney and the Central Coast he has consistently been a leader and organiser within his team.

In perhaps his strongest and most influential role, he became the NSW Flying Disc Association President from January 1999, and today is still active in this office. During his presidency the NSW ultimate scene has grown within a healthy and consistent framework. A lot of his input has concentrated on the development of the Northern Sydney League, which remains the largest ultimate league in Australia.

At a national level, he was an AFDA executive board member from 1999 until 2003, and was also strongly involved at the committee level to organise the 2001 Nationals in Manly. He was instrumental in helping establish the Beginners Cup in 2001 – the first time a separate event during nationals has been run specifically to attract new players.

Under his Presidency, new leagues have been established in Manly and Baulkham Hills, he has given much of his personal time liaising with the organisers and council to ensure their success. He has also been keenly involved in learn-to-play sessions and junior development and recently established the Jim Garvey and Sally Basten Scholarships for outstanding junior boys and girls respectively.

Beyond these achievements, which demonstrate Simon’s passion for the sport and hard working persona, other aspects of his character has been a key factor in his involvement and success in Flying Disc sports. His kind and tolerant nature has been a good fit to the spirit of the game in ultimate frisbee, and he has consistently displayed great sportsmanship at every level of competition.

This attitude also flows through to his administrative roles, where he is always easy to get along with, and he has an astute ability to find the right people for the right tasks, and to give them all the encouragement necessary to do the job, which are invariably of a voluntary nature.

Fiona Macrae 2003

Fiona has been an active member of the AFDA since 1993 and has made Ultimate a major priority in her life since then. She has, and continues to, compete and excel at the elite level of the game in International competition while contributing considerable time and effort into grass roots development of the women’s game.

Shortly after starting to play, Fiona’s dedication and enthusiasm saw her be selected in the Australian Women’s team for Colchester, England in 1994. She also became President of the then Queensland Flying Disc Association.

Fiona continued her international career with 1996 team in Sweden and moved to England for a few years but kept up her Aussie connections with trips to WUCC1997 in Vancouver with the first women’s club team, Seven Green Bottles, and WUC1998 in Minnesota, increasingly recognised as a leader.

After 1998 Fiona moved back to Sydney and took on more leadership roles at this international level for both the Seven Green Bottles and the Australian women’s team over 1999, 2000 and 2002.

Over the last few years Fee has held the position of NSW Women’s Development Officer culminating in the expansion of the NSW women’s teams from a constant 4 teams over the last 6 years to a huge 7 teams this year, working hard to push her vision.

During this time Fee has promoted and run several beginner women’s and mixed coaching clinics. It is a regular sight to see her and other volunteers standing outside the St Leonard’s train station handing out flyers to likely looking candidates as they head home from work. She carried a roll of posters and sticky tape in her backpack, obsessively ready to plaster unsuspecting light poles or bus stops.

Fiona played with beginner teams in the Division 4 league, rather than with her peers in Division 1. She is a very keen coach and enjoys watching as the games improve over the length of the leagues. It is testimony to her dedication that so many of those new players are here at Nationals this year.

In addition to her more recent work in grass roots development Fee is always striving to improve her own play and that of her fellow team members. Fee has a remarkable record at the Australian National Championships having led a women’s team to the finals for the last 4 years straight and come out on top on 3 of those occasions. This year Fee is leading a development-oriented squad of two teams of Trouble from Sydney.

Overall Fiona has been a dedicated and spirited player, leader and organiser over the last 8 years. She has put immeasurable effort into women’s development, the benefits of which will be felt for many years to come.

John Greenfield 2003

John Greenfield has been one of the most active figures in Australian ultimate for several years. His efforts cover all areas of involvement, including grassroots development of the sport, administration at all levels, and athletic performance at all levels from local leagues to representing Australia at Worlds.

John’s enthusiasm and charisma have introduced many players to ultimate, and he always encourages players of all levels to strive for higher achievements in the sport. His on-field performances and natural leadership skills have seen him play crucial roles in the formation and leadership of many teams.

He was a Founding Member of SUUFA (Sydney University Ultimate Frisbee Association) and was President from 1995-1998. He coached and developed uni players taking SUUFA from 1 team to 7 teams in the local competition. Countless players were introduced to the sport through his efforts at Sydney uni, including many now well-known names in the sport. The club remains one of the premier breeding grounds for Australian ultimate.

Upon moving to WA in 1998, he was the driving force behind the emergence and development of an ultimate scene in Kalgoorlie, where there were no ultimate players previously. Over 250 players were introduced to the sport through his efforts there and Kalgoorlie has sent teams to every WA state titles since his arrival and it continues to thrive. Several of these players have represented WA at nationals.

Whilst in WA he set up the WAFDA website, ran tournaments in Kalgoorlie, captained/coached Kalgoorlie rep teams in WA tournaments from 1999-2001, and was involved in the leadership/coaching of Western Australian Nationals rep teams from 1998-2001. He also remained active in the administration of the national body, despite being located in a remote area of Australia, and was AFDA president from 2000-2002.

During a brief stint in Victoria in 2001 he was league organiser for a season. He was involved in the leadership of WUCC team King Brown in 1999, and more recently he created, managed and captained Australia’s first ever representative mixed team, Wanderlust, at WUCC 2002.

John is one of the best ultimate players Australia has produced. His athletic endeavors, hard work in all levels of competition, and dedication to improving as a player have seen him achieve places in numerous representative teams, including representing Australia at WUC 1996 & 1998 and Australian club teams at WUCC 1997, 1999, 2002.

He has also played at Australian Nationals from 1995-2001 & 2003 (including the 1996 open winners, Bunch of Schmucks), and has often been involved in the leadership of these teams.

After recovering from a serious knee reconstruction in 2000, he has worked hard to get back to the elite level, changing his game from being an athletic receiver/defensive player to being a world class handler, captaining Australia’s first ever mixed team at World Clubs 2002 and helping an Australian team to victory in the 2003 NZ Nationals. He is still one of the best players in Australia today.

John has been a member of numerous “spirit of the game” winning teams at all levels, from local tournaments to nationals to WUCC, and is widely renowned as a spirited player and an ambassador for the game both locally and overseas. The “Leaping Toilet Brush” is a well known figure in ultimate circles around the world.

John continues to be involved in development of the sport. Most recently he has been involved in social and competitive teams in the ACT 2002/2003, helping to teach beginners, intermediate and advanced players the skills and tactics of the game, including helping coach the ACT mens teams for Nationals 2003. He is also involved in organising the Australian Juniors squad for worlds 2004.

John would be a worthy winner of a Rob Hancock award.

John Damiani 2002

JD has been president of WAFDA for the last 7 years and involved with WAFDA for 10 years. Most importantly though he took on the Presidents role when there weren’t a lot of other people doing the Admin bit and kept the sport ‘alive’. And he really didn’t have much support around him given that all of the ‘old stagers’ had left the sport. He worked hard to keep things going when there were only a few people playing. He was still there every week. Without these efforts during this ‘low period’ the sport could have disappeared in WA.

The sport in WA, largely through his solo efforts, is now in a very healthy position. A strong Uni competition is now underway, at all three Unis, and the Wednesday night league is stronger than ever.

On the field, JD is probably one of the best players not to go to Worlds. He would fit in to any team. His spirit is impeccable. He always has the best interests of the sport in mind.

1. Outstanding performances in the athletic and/or administrative aspects of the sport.

2. Assistance in the running of the AFDA, state associations or local bodies

JD has attended and played in between 10-13 National tournaments, either as captain/coach. The lead upo for most of the tournaments JD has worked with team after team, mens and womens providing guidance, time and skill improvements to all players. Where WA places in regards to the rest of Australia, especially as we have a small player pool, highlights JD impact on the WA scene.

Admin – It is very easy to say that without JD, WA ultimate would lose focus and dry up. He has been ivolved in the WAFDA committee in one form or another. JD provides support for all pick games and tournaments run in WA, generally he is the TD.

JD is the current Liaison with the Ministry of Sports and Recreation. He is heading up a team which is looking at the WAFDA structure and revising and documenting all our policies as to drugs, safety, sponsorship etc.

3. A primary interest shown in the growth of Flying Discs

WAFDA has grown rapidly in the last 3 years under JD’s direction. Initially we had a league that was more pickup than structured teams (4 teams). However a league was formed and we now have grown to 10 teams (consisting of 8-12 players each). This has required JD to set the rules and encourage older set teams to break up and recruit more players. This outcome is a very healthy, fun and competitive league, best yet.

Current involvement in University recreate program. JD provides coaching to students taking the Recreate Ultimate course, which is running for one night a week for six weeks. Coaching and display games at local schools, program currently being implemented.

4. Goodwill shown to others in the Flying Disc community.

I think that this is a given for JD. Some people don’t agree with some of JD’s ideas but will support them out of respect to him. This in itself, says a lot.

JD would be a most worthy winner.

Jemery Day 2002

Jemery Day has been a consistent Ultimate player in three states, and the only person in Australia to have played in tournies in all states and the ACT. His enthusiasm and good humour make him a dangerous player (do not get into a conversation with him when you are playing O), not to mention his athletic skills.

Ultimate was started in Adelaide in 1991 by a University lecturer who had played pickup in the USA, and Jem started playing at the very first of these lunch time games. This group was a classic barefoot pickup group with limited organisation but plenty of enthusiasm – fields were marked by only 4 objects (infinite endzones) and concepts such as stall counts, forces and even marking up on opposition players were largely unheard of. He then went away to Europe on a trip, played over there (with the Wizards of Geneva) came back revitalised and got bibs, cones and games happening. He was the driving organisational force for the game, including taking the first group of 6 South Australians to the Melbourne Hat in 1995.

In a bid to further his (ultimate) career, he took up a position in Sydney, working at Macquarie Uni, and played for Harbour Grudges, then Empire Strikes Backhand at nationals. Probably his greatest achievement whilst in Sydney was to keep a straight face at the Grudges training sessions.

Jem and family moved briefly back to Adelaide before moving to Hobart where he helped to revolutionise the sport, gently introducing such alien concepts as marking and the standing on the line (rather than half way down the field) before the pull. This has progressed to the point where leagues have been held during Spring and Summer in Hobart.

In 1999, with plenty of help from the growing Hobartian Ultimate community, Jemery was TD for the First Tassie Two Hat. This was the first tournament to be staged in Tasmania for over 10 years ! The tournament has been successfully run for the last three years.

Finally Jemery has been instrumental in getting the first Tasmanian team to Nationals since it was held in Burnie. The team does not have any external players: it is completely Tasmanian-based.

In summary, apart from tagging Jemery with an administrative label he’d hate, he is one player who epitomises the central concept of Spirit of the Game. He is always friendly, never angry (at least not that you’d notice), and he is always willing to help new players.

Leon Smith 2001

Leon Smith has been associated with Ultimate since 1991. His enthusiastic and effervescent nature has lead to the growth of the sport at the grass roots across 3 states within Universities and state level. His ability to find the right people at the right time has lead to enormous growth within the Ultimate ranks. I have attempted to summarised his achievements below.

Leon’s enthusiasm started in 1992 when he was one of the 2 main dominant forces that drove the creation of the Macquarie University Frisbee Throwers Association (MUFTA). This was the first Sports Union/Association affiliated Frisbee club within the Macquarie University institution as well as in Australia.

The club grew quickly, fielding a team in the local Sydney Ultimate league and attending local tournaments within Sydney region. Leon’s ability to spur players into action saw the Ultimate sparkle in the eyes of local players such as Nicole Shepherd, Piers Truter, Tom Brennan and Elke Sorhus – all of whom have risen to lead the sport to higher levels. The club grew in the this time to allow multiple teams to be fielded in the Sydney competitions and is one of the 3 main University centers within NSW.

Leon’s sights then focused west. In 1996 Leon moved to Perth and quickly started the rebuilding job again. Seeking out existing playing talent and encouraging new players to come along Leon once again became the catalytic force on starting a new University Ultimate club – UWA. Games between Murdoch Uni. and UWA became regular occurrences and eventually allowed the re-establishment of a Perth league. Western Australia has now re-blossomed into a promising threat to the traditional strong holds of Queensland, Victoria and NSW. The local leagues have grown to the point where regular competitions and tournaments are held in a variety of places across Perth and the surrounding areas. This is primarily due to Leon’s ability to get new people eager to play Ultimate.

After mission II was accomplished Leon then set his sights on the capital of Australia – the ACT. Leon, once again, threw himself into finding new people to throw a disc with him. This once again culminated in the starting up of another University club – ANU Disc Enthusiasts. Leon has guided the ACT along to forming the ACT Ultimate Association (where he is currently President) and there are now regular leagues occurring with as many as 150 people registered with the AFDA from the ACT. The association has achieved recognition by the ACT Department of Sport and Recreation as the “peak body” for Ultimate in ACT.

If organising new leagues and university clubs were not enough, Leon hosted, played (as Captain of the ANU team) and TDed the first Australian Universities Sport-sanctioned Australian Championships for Ultimate in 1998. He also started up the DisKapital Tournament held in Canberra yearly since 1998. With Leon as the TD the tournament has enjoyed ever increasing popularity each year. In addition to running tournaments, Leon has been instrumental to a large number of Canberrans travelling the tournament circuit – this year seeing 12% of the Terrigal entrants coming from the ACT, as well as players attending Nationals in Perth.

With all Leon’s work at developing the sport in a number of states it is easy to overlook his playing ability. However Leon has immense playing skills as well – shown by his being part of the 1997 and 1998 National Championships winning teams – Ultra Star Warriors and Empire Strikes Backhand. He was selected on the Green and Gold Team (an honorific teams representing the best of the best from the Australian University Competition) in 1998 and 1999. In 1999 he was a selector for this Green and Gold Team. He was selected for the 1999 World Club Championships open team King Brown but was forced to withdraw due to injury and study load.

Although Leon has not had the chance to represent Australia at either WUC or WUCC, or play a part of the building process of National clubs he has chosen to take the harder (and more beneficial to Ultimate) route. His pursuit to play the sport of Ultimate in a spirited and highly competitive level has culminated in him being an extremely effective catalyst which has helped create 3 new University clubs, one incorporated and affiliated state organisation and has introduced a large number of new players to the sport.

A number of these have progressed to represent Australia and help develop the sport even further. This grass roots approach has created new avenues for the growth of Ultimate where previously they did not exist or were struggling to stay alive. I believe that this ability and drive is possibly more important to Ultimate than the more glamorous admin roles available.

Leon has always represented the best interests of the sport to everyone he has come in contact with and deserves the highest award the AFDA can bestow – the Rob Hancock Award.

Jonathan Potts 2000

Jonathan’s contribution to Ultimate has been three-fold – as an administrator, a visionary and an athlete/coach.

As an athlete, Jonathan has been a standout performer for his club teams, NSW and Australia. He represented Australia at the 94,96,98 WUC and captained a club team at the 97, 99 WUCC. His contribution to these teams as a coach and tactician has been equally as important as his contribution as an athlete. In 1997, Jonathan founded, coached and captained Harbour Grudges, the first functional Australian club team. This move inspired the creation of other club teams and spawned a fierce, yet healthy, rivalry between teams. In 1998 Jonathan continued his coach and captain role with two Harbour Grudges teams, and then with Feral, whose achievements include 1st place at Australian Championships and 15th place at WUCC.

Over the past 6 years Jonathan has studied and analyzed ultimate tactics from around the world and applied them to National teams in a bid to further Australia’s world standing. He also applied his knowledge, through coaching, to league teams, university teams and club teams. Much of the common strategy played today from league level upwards was introduced by Jonathan.

Jonathan has held university, state and national administrative positions. Upon moving to Sydney in 1995 he founded and presided over the UNSW Ultimate Club. Over two years he built it into a strong, competitive, organised club that has since won the National University Championship. In these years he also occupied the position of National University Coordinator. Jonathan is largely responsible for the current strength and profile of university ultimate. He organized regular intervarsity competition, wrote constitutions, acquired funding, designed recruitment advertisements and distributed them amongst universtities, organised a cooperative effort amongst unis and trained new administrators (of the likes of Martin Laird).

As president of NSWFDA/Ultimate NSW, Jonathan presided over the restructuring of the league – creating a more organized system including more efficient fee payment, more divisions (including mens and womens), more nights of league, more field locations, and an Eastern Suburbs League. He wrote a detailed new business plan. He more than doubled the number of tournaments held throughout the frisbee year by inventing (and sometimes directing) a Longest Day beach tournament, a mid-winter tournament, an Ides of March tournament, the Seeds of Doom tournament, the Spring Chicken tournament and, most notably, a coed national championship. He has written documentation for the development of junior ultimate. All of this encouraged both growth and competition in NSW Ultimate.

Jonathan currently holds the position of AFDA Chair of Selectors. He recently rewrote the AFDA Selection Policy for National Teams and it was well-received.

Possibly Jonathan’s greatest contribution to Australian Ultimate has been as a visionary. He has repeatedly inspired and encouraged others (administrators, players, coaches) to join him in carrying out grand plans for the development of Australian Ultimate. The achievements listed above came to fruition through the execution of plans initiated by Jonathan.

Tom Brennan 2000

Tom Brennan was destined to be an ultimate frisbee player from a young age – as a child, he was always keen to throw anything he could get his hands on. That passion was captured when he was signed up at a Macquarie University O-week stall in early 1993. He was soon a key member of the Macquarie University club, involved with recruiting, running tournaments, setting up disc golf courses, running coaching sessions and held the positions of Treasurer and Vice President. In 1996, Tom and Nicole Shepherd were the first flying disc athletes in Australia to receive University Blues, from Macquarie University. Tom’s involvement with Macquarie University Ultimate Club spanned 5 years from 1993-1997. During this time Tom also travelled to the Central Coast on a weekly basis to assist Simon Farrow with the start-up Central Coast league. While at university, Tom played with National champions Twisted (1995) and Bunch of Schmucks (1996). Tom was a co-founder and/or captain of Open Club teams Harbour Grudges (1997-98) and Bushfire (1999-2000). He also won Mixed Nationals with Wipeout (1998) and Welcome to the Jungle (2000), where he was male player of the final.

Tom had a particular interest in strategy and game analysis and was one of the instigators of various new strategies such as Force Return, Puppy/Pommy and the Standard Offence, which became mainstream plays in Australian ultimate.
Tom represented Australia at the World Ultimate Championships in 1996, 1998 and 2000. He played for Sydney Club team Wild Colonial Boys at the World Ultimate Club Championships in 1997, unfortunately missing the 1999 Champs due to injury.
Tom was the national newsletter editor from 1996-1997. He then became Treasurer of the Australian Flying Disc Association (AFDA) in 1998, a position he still held at the time of receiving the Rob Hancock Award.
Tom was a prolific tournament director. At a time where there were only a handful of tournaments each year in Australia, he was involved with many of them. Tom co-founded and directed the highly popular Longest Day Beach Tournament in 1995. He has run it annually since then (handing over the reins in 2010). Tom was the co-TD of the National Ultimate Championships in 1997 and TD of Nationals in 1998. In 1998 he also ran the Australian Flying Disc Championships (for individual disc disciplines). Tom introduced some of the tournament ‘staples’ that players now take for granted, such as free fruit and frisbee lunches.
Tom was also a keen documenter – documenting draw formats, creating tournament director resource kits and writing many skills documents, including the famous and much-parodied “Grips” for ultimate frisbee. His documents were available for the public on the AFDA website which he was instrumental in developing. Much of the content on the AFDA.com website was provided and maintained by Tom as AFDA Webmaster from 1997-2000. Tom was a driving force behind the AFDA membership database which was first used for Nationals in 1997 and continues to this day. He created the initial code which made the membership database available as a web app. Once the database was established Tom maintained it.
Tom was respected as a fair competitor with excellent knowledge of the rules. He was an athletic and intelligent defender. He was also well known for his ability to incur injuries of a wide and varied nature.

Post RHA
Nationals Champion – 2001 – Thong
Nationals Champion – 2002 – Feral Swamphogs
Mixed Nationals Champion – 2004 – Shto-liba
AFDA Treasurer – 1998-2006
AFDA Board Member – 2003-2006
AFDA Webmaster – 2005-2011
Ultimate Frisbee NSW Webmaster – 2006-2011
Coach – Australian Women’s Ultimate Team (Firetails) – World Ultimate Championships 2008
Australian Masters Team – 2008

Sally Basten 1994

Sally Basten is known to most ultimate players and her nomination was received with generous applause when announced. Here are some of her contributions:

Has played Disc for around twenty years
Began Ultimate in the Sydney Uni competition
In 1989 she found the joys of Ultimate at the NSW Easter tournament
Has been at the forefront of enhancing the standard of Women’s Ultimate in Australia
Has been to two world championships representing Australia
Because of her efforts there has been two tournaments where there has been a Women’s division
She helped organise the first National Women’s tournament
Has been the AFDA Newsletter co-ordinator for the past two years
Can keep Jim Garvey quiet

Sandy Castleden (Jarvis) 1994

Sandy was introduced to the sport in 1982 by Phys. Ed teacher Rob Hancock and soon established herself as a fierce competitor and champion. After winning her first National title in 1983, Sandy went on to win another 5 titles and competed on an international level, winning the Canadian Open, a World distance title and a 3rd in the Overall placing at the 1991 World Championships. Whilst Sandy enjoyed success winning many state and national titles, she also used her skills to promote the sport through many promotional events, field days, teaching tours at country schools and in-service sessions with school groups.

Sandy was also very active off the field in the administration of the sport, with involvement in the running of the West Australian Association including holding the President?s position. The committee at this time was committed to continue supporting Rob?s work in getting Frisbee recognised by the Western Australian Sports Federation as an official sport.

Sandy represented Australia twice at the World Championships in Santa Cruz California in 1985 and again in 1991, and at the Canadian Open in 1991. She also captained the State Team in 1991 when Ultimate was played as a mixed event. Sandy Castleden?s achievements

Six time Australian Open Champion
Represented Australia 1985 World Championships
Canadian Open Women?s Champion 1991
World Distance Champion1991
3rd Overall World Championship Women?s event
Australian M.T.A record holder ? 10.26secs
Australian T.R.C record holder – ?
Australian Distance Record Holder ? 102m
Overall W.A. State Champion on many? occasions
Western Australian Flying Disc Association Committee member 1983 – 87
Western Australian Flying Disc Association President 1986, Secretary, Minutes Secretary, Vice President positions also held.
Part of the organising committee for the 1985 and 1987 Nationals
Nominated for the Western Australian Sports Star of the year award.

I wasn?t present when I won this award but am truly honoured and humbled to have been recognised enough to have won an award named in the honour of a special friend.

Thank you

Yours in flight

Sandy Castleden (June 2008)

Ps I’m still playing and still have a pretty mean backhand.

Andrew Morris 1991

Andrew Morris was awarded the Rob Hancock Memorial Award at the AFDC 1991 trophy presentations. Andrew sets a great example as someone who has provided much to the sport.

Andrew was introduced to the sport via Disc Golf at Yokine Reserve, W.A. These weekend sessions were being run by Rob Hancock and Kim Holmes. As it turned out Rob, a school teacher, then moved to Andrew’s high school towards the end of 1979. Andrew’s love affair with disc sports continued from here on and he became close friends with Rob, helping to form the Western Australian Flying Disc Association.

Andrew was Secretary of the WAFDA (80 – 81) and President (81 – 83), becoming the Executive Director of the National body in 1985 through to 1991, always projecting a professional image for the sport. As tournament director of the 1985 National Championships and a member of the AFDC organising committees of 1982 & 1988, he assisted in hosting 3 of Australia’s top tournaments. A highlight was comprehensive coverage of the 1988 Bicentennial Championships by Channel Nine’s Wide World of Sports. During this time Andrew has been a strong influence on the direction and growth of the sport, both in W.A. and Australia wide.

On the field Andrew’s performance is just as impressive. He has held the Australian TRC record (at around 79mts), has competed in every Australian Championships since 1981, finishing in the top ten individuals every year (except for 1988 when he had a broken leg). During the 1980’s, individual events were Andrew’s love, winning State titles in Distance (1980), Discathon (1983), and freestyle (1983 & 84). At a National level, DDC Champion 1987 and Freestyle Champion (1984, 85, 86, 87)

Moving to Ultimate in the late 80’s Andrew was the instigator of sending the first Australian Ultimate Team to the Belgium World Championships in 1988, of which he was a team member. Andrew was also a member of the 1990 Oslo team. He has stated that his greatest moment in disc sports was being a part of that winning team in Oslo after beating Britain. He has also competed at the World Individuals in Santa Cruz (1984) and the World Golf Championships in Helsinborg (1985).

As players it is easy to overlook the back room work done by our sports administrators. It is often a thankless task with rewards coming only after many hours (and years) of effort. Andrew has always been keen to be involved in this administration. He has put Australia on the map at the world level by becoming a founding member of the World Flying Disc Federation board in 1985 and continues to sit on this committee.

Andrew is truly a worthy winner of the Rob Hancock Memorial Award

Martin Ryland-Adair 1988

In 1988 Martin was successful in wining his sixth successive Australian Championship Title and was awarded the Rob Hancock Memorial trophy.

Martin began in the sport in the early 80’s and became the most dominant field events player the sport has seen. Whilst Martin dominated the field events he also used his abilities to promote the sport being involved in many demonstrations to promote the sport and he was actively involved in developing the ‘Cockman Kids’. At the time this was just another bunch of juniors but as time went on the ‘Cockman Kids’ became the backbone of the West Australian disc scene for several years (and are most notable for discovering John Damiani).

Martin was also very active off the field in the administration of the sport. He took on the role of National Association Treasurer for several years and he was also very active in the running of the West Australian Association. Martin was selected in the first National Ultimate team and, whilst unable to tour with the squad, Martin showed his true character by taking the role of team coach. History now shows that following this award, and Martin’s move to the east, Martin went on to represent Australia in Ultimate and to become a fine Ultimate player.

Martin Ryland-Adair’s achievements (at time of winning award)

Six time Australian Open Champion
Australian M.T.A record holder – 13.84secs
Australian T.R.C record holder – 81mts
Australian Distance Champion – 1982, 83, 84, 86, 88.
Australian Disc Golf Champion – 1983, 84, 85, 86, 87
Australian M.T.A. Champion – 1986, 87
Australian T.R.C Champion – 1988
Australian S.C.F. Champion (combined TRC & MTA) 1982, 83
Australian DDC Champion 1983, 84, 87
Australian Discathon Champion 1983, 84, 87
Overall W.A. State Champion on 5 occasions
Western Australian Flying Disc Association Committee member 1983 – 84
Western Australian Flying Disc Association President 1984 – 85, Vice President 1986 – 87
Australian Flying Disc Association Treasurer 1986 – 87
Part of the organising committee for the 1985 Nationals

On his way to winning the above Martin never lost the ‘spirit of the sport’ and will be the first competitor to congratulate other competitors.