City of Albany’s Coen Marwick in contention to be named National Sports Turf Graduate of the Year

Albany’s Coen Marwick is in contention to be named National Sports Turf Graduate of the Year after earning State recognition in May.

The City of Albany employee has completed his Certificate III in Sports Turf Management and was named WA Sports Turf Graduate of the Year.

At the Sports Turf Association of WA awards evening in Perth on May 25, Mr Marwick was awarded Best Student in Technical and Further Education and the CH Bailey and Sons Perpetual Shield.

As the recipient of the annual WA honour, Mr Marwick will fly to Melbourne this week for a national awards ceremony.

The 26-year-old has made his final presentation to the panel of judges and will attend the Australian Sports Turf Management Conference from June 20-24.

The National Sports Turf Graduate of the Year will be revealed on the opening night of the conference and Mr Marwick said he was humbled to be representing WA.

“I just rock up and do what I do every day,” Mr Marwick said.

“So to be recognised as the best turf apprentice, coming from such a small town, is pretty surreal.

“It just shows that what you do is important in the scheme of things.

“The big advantage is the total area and different sports I prepare grounds for.

“(City of Albany curator) Brett Wolfe is the biggest person to thank for that, he has allowed me to make mistakes and learn from them.”

To win the State honour, Mr Marwick was nominated by his lecturers and chosen as a finalist, before presenting to a panel about his work throughout the year.

He is the second City employee to win the WA title, following in the footsteps of Matt Wolfe in 2019.

He is due to finish his apprenticeship with the City in July and he wants to stay in the turf industry.