LGSHA awards: Spencer Park’s Charlie Hudson wins men’s A-grade top gong, four-way tie in women’s A-grade

Emerging talent Charlie Hudson is hoping to pursue hockey at a higher level after dominating the Lower Great Southern Hockey Association awards on Saturday night. The Spencer Park young gun was named the fairest and best player in the men’s A-grade and men’s B-grade competitions while also receiving the Rising Star Award for the 2022 season. The 15-year-old finished on 20 votes, six ahead of runner-up and Park teammate Brodie Sarre on 14 in the A-grade count and blitzed the B-grade competition with 28 votes as Oliver Ritchie from Mt Barker Red was second with 20 votes. “I’m happy to get it (the award), I love my hockey it’s good fun and I work really hard for it,” Hudson said. “I’m a good hockey player but my teammates help me out and I help them out so it’s worked really well, I thought some of the adults would win it over me. “I’m hoping to continue playing hockey and when I go to uni in the future, I’ll play hockey up there. “My ultimate goal is to go as far as I can and maybe one day get into the Olympics.” In the A-grade count Hudson polled six best-on-ground performances and was sitting on 13 votes at the end of round seven, six clear of duo Sarre and North Albany’s Jack Carlson. Despite Sarre having a strong finish, Hudson recorded seven votes from that point onwards to finish a convincing winner. Vikings’ David Pyle (13 votes), Park’s Brock Keymer (nine) and Vikings’ Dan Beech (eight) rounded out the top five. There were four joint winners in the women’s A grade award as Spencer Park pair Elsa Curwen and Ella Sarre, North Albany’s Lauren Spinks and Manypeaks Emma Tomkinson all finished together on 10 votes. It’s the third time Curwen has won the honour while Spinks, Ella Sarre and Tomkinson are all first-time winners. Curwen, Ella Sarre and Tomkinson were best-afield on two occasions while Spinks polled three votes in round seven, round 10 and round 11. Spinks had polled 10 votes by the end of round 11 and held a two-vote lead over Tomkinson while Ella Sarre and Curwen had plenty of ground to make up. Tomkinson notched two votes in the final round while Ella Sarre recorded two votes in round 13 and a single vote in round 14 to reach 10. Outstanding performances from Curwen in round 13 and 15 collected three votes from the umpires for him to be the fourth player on 10. In the men’s B-grade count Hudson collected maximum votes seven times to finish with 28 votes and defeat Ritchie (20) and Mt Barker Red’s Hayden Macmahon (18). Spencer Park Dark Blue’s Denise Famlonga (19 votes) was crowned fairest and best in the women’s B-grade competition ahead of runner-up Vikings-Vixens’ Natasha Lewis (17) while Mt Barker Red’s Renae Parsons (14) and Vikings-Vixens’ Kaysha Gardner (12) were next. 2022 Men’s A-grade fairest and best 20 votes: Charlie Hudson (Spencer Park) 14: Brodie Sarre (Spencer Park) 13: David Pyle (Vikings) 9: Tim Burns (Vikings) Brock Keymer (Spencer Park) 8: Tim Pyle (Manypeaks) Dan Beech (Vikings) 2022 Women’s A-grade fairest and best 10 votes: Elsa Curwen (Spencer Park) Ella Sarre (Spencer Park) Lauren Spinks (North Albany) Emma Tomkinson (Manypeaks) 9: Michelle Ericsson (North Albany) Zali Spencer (Mt Barker) 8: Laura Archer (Mt Barker) Sarah Gallimore (North Albany) 7: Tara Simpson (Mt Barker) 6: Jemma Sayers (Manypeaks) Rachael Goetze (Spencer Park)