The Tunbridge Medal
Ray Tunbridge was born in Adelaide, South Australia in 1925. He played football for Norwood in his teenage years, before joining the Navy in 1942. After the war, he married and later moved to Sydney where he played a short time for Balmain, helping to re-form the club after being defunct since 1912. In 1949 he moved to Narrandera in the NSW Riverina with his wife & daughter, playing there for 6 years.
After settling in the Illawarra with his family in 1956, Ray wanted to establish the game in the South Coast region, and in 1965 he helped found the Wollongong Australian National Football Club. This club played in the St George League in Sydney under the name “Illawarra ANFC” and in their first season of 1966 Ray coached the club to it’s maiden Premiership, finishing the year undefeated. The following season he guided the side to winning back to back flags in ’67 and ’68, making it 3 Premierships in a row.
In 1969 Ray helped form the South Coast Australian Football League, becoming President that year. In 1970 he co-founded Port Kembla AFC, where he would coach for many years. Ray was also responsible for the introduction of Aussie Rules into school sporting programs, both in Narrandera and in the Illawarra. During this time he continued to grow the game in the Wollongong area, helping establish 6 local junior clubs.
He is a Life Member of Wollongong ANFC, Port Kembla AFC and the South Coast AFL, an honour which recognises his significant contribution to the game. Ray passed away in 2011 and later found amongst his old footy records were note for his speech in presenting the first ‘Tunbridge Medal’ in 1969. He wrote;
“The most coveted prize for any footballer is to win the Best & Fairest medal of the League in which he participates. I have always considered that no matter what the effort, the reward is there in just being able to be apart of this great game. I therefore cannot describe the feeling of great honour and pleasure that I felt when this League named their Best & Fairest award ‘The Tunbridge Medal’. I hope that all players striving to win this award fully realise the importance of the ‘Fairest’ part of it, and that with good football and hard work, this League will continue to flourish.”
Ray Tunbridge 1925 – 2011
|
Year |
Man of the Match Grand Final |
Tunbridge Medallist |
Leading Goal Kicker |
|
1969 |
Terry Collis Wollongong |
Chris Golding Nowra |
Terry Collis Wollongong |
|
1970 |
Mike Mitchell Albatross |
Terry Menadue Albatross |
Terry Collis Wollongong |
|
1971 |
Graham Wells Wollongong |
Chris Golding Nowra |
Verral Clark Albatross |
|
1972 |
Bob Prenzel Wollongong |
Graham Williams Bomaderry |
Verral Clark Albatross |
|
1973 |
Ken Harris Nowra |
Doug Cornish Dapto |
Verral Clark Albatross |
|
1974 |
Garry MacDonald Bomaderry |
Doug Robbins Bomaderry |
Doug Robbins Bomaderry |
|
1975 |
Lofty Mark Bomaderry |
Greg Perry Albatross |
Greg Perry Albatross |
|
1976 |
Glen Taylor Nowra |
Glen Taylor Nowra |
Glen Taylor Nowra |
|
1977 |
Brian Archer Nowra |
Larry Russel Nowra |
Brian Archer Nowra |
|
1978 |
Keith Johnson Albatross |
Peter Martin Nowra |
Verral Clark Albatross |
|
1979 |
Greg Perry Albatross |
Bill McBride Albatross |
Greg Perry Albatross |
|
1980 |
Mark Hassel Nowra |
Greg Perry Albatross |
Greg Perry Albatross |
|
1981 |
Greg Perry Albatross |
Glen Taylor Nowra |
Peter Brewer Nowra |
|
1982 |
|
G. Duncan Batemans Bay |
Graham Joiner Batemans Bay |
|
1983 |
B. Derwentsmith Albatross |
Ian Bowyer Batemans Bay |
|
|
1984 |
Greg Perry Albatross |
C. Eckert Batemans Bay |
Glen Taylor Nowra |
|
1985 |
|
Clint Thomas Creswell |
D. Brown Bomaderry |
|
1986 |
|
C. Myers Ulladulla |
P. Nelson Albatross |
|
1987 |
Peter Martin Nowra |
F. Garside Nowra |
Greg Perry Albatross |
|
1988 |
|
M. Partridge Bomaderry |
M. Scullin Batemans Bay |
|
1989 |
|
Adam Harris Albatross J. Jewel Dapto |
|
|
1990 |
A. Chicott Dapto |
A. Chicott Dapto |
Jim Hart Bomaderry |
|
1991 |
Shane Schulz Albatross |
Adam Harris Albatross |
Jim Hart Bomaderry |
|
1992 |
Adam Harris Albatross |
Dan Carman Dapto |
S. Scott Albatross |
|
1993 |
Shane Street Port Kembla |
Ken Mulligan Northern Districts |
D. Sunderland Bomaderry |
|
1994 |
Paul Charles Bomaderry |
M. Partridge Bomaderry |
P. Speechley Nowra |
|
1995 |
C. Ploughman Albatross |
B. Derwentsmith Albatross |
C. Lawrence Albatross |
|
1996 |
Andy O’Brien Albatross |
Nigel Clark Bomaderry |
P. Charles Albatross |
|
1997 |
Lance Purdon Albatross |
Mick Crowe Port Kembla |
Ross Harris Albatross |
|
1998 |
S. Street Port Kembla |
K. Johnson Nowra |
H. Reed Port Kembla |
|
1999 |
G. Griegson Port Kembla |
G. Griegson Port Kembla |
|
|
2000 |
D. Gration Bomaderry |
Brett Drummond Port Kembla |
|
|
2001 |
D. Gallagher Nowra |
D. Gallagher Nowra |
|
|
2002 |
D. Gallagher Nowra |
D. Gallagher Nowra |
T. Avery Northern District |
|
2003 |
|
D. Gration |
|
|
2004 |
M. Ganderton Bomaderry |
M. Ganderton Bomaderry R. Meyers Nowra |
C. Raymer Bomaderry |
|
2005 |
N. Maize Bomaderry | M. Ryan Albatross |
B. Harrison Camden |
|
2006 |
R. Simpson Camden | R. SimpsonCamden |
C. Raymer Bomaderry |
|
2007 |
| P. Herbert &A. Mazey |
|
|
2008 |
| S. Phillips |
|
|
2009 |
| S. Dowling &R. Neels |
|
|
2010 |
| M. Faulkner &S. Phillips |
|
|
2011 |
| M. Pelda & L. Pound |
|
| 2012 | Nick Mitchell Wollongong | Dan Herbert Kiama | |
| 2013 |
| J. Miller Bomaderry Tigers | |
| 2014 | T. Charles Wollongong Bulldogs | ||
| 2015 | D. Perrett Northern Districts Tigers | ||
| 2016 | J. Mahony Kiama Power | ||
| 2017 | B. Williams Kiama Power | ||
| 2018 | L. Maples Wollongong Lions | ||
| 2019 | Jacob Hennessy Figtree Kangaroos | ||
| 2020 | Brandon Lagana Figtree Kangaroos | ||
| 2021 | COVID CANCELLATION | ||
| 2022 | Jacob Hennessy Figtree Kangaroos | Benjamin Bourke Figtree Kangaroos | |
| 2023 | Jack Woeckel Hynes Wollongong Bulldogs | Benjamin Yakimov Figtree Kangaroos |
