PLANNING for this year’s Gloucester Sports Awards presentation dinner is well underway.
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The dinner will be held on Saturday, May 9 at the Gloucester Soldiers Club auditorium and will acknowledge the 2014 achievements from the local sporting community.
Mike Rabbitt and Anthony Zanos have both confirmed their attendance to host the evening, while rugby league legend Don ‘Bandy’ Adams will be guest speaker.
Brought up on a dairy farm at Nelsons Plains, near Raymond Terrace, Adams’ rugby league career lasted twice as long as most others. He figured in almost 500 matches, yet never suffered a broken bone.
Adams entered the Newcastle first grade scene as a 17-year-old with Maitland, making his debut in the 1951 grand final against Northern Suburbs.
For another 11 seasons, in an era when the Pumpkin Pickers were almost perennial grand finalists, Adams built up a tally of 191 games for the club.
The nuggety, bow legged Adams hardly fitted the image of a slick flankman but that belied the impact he had on the game.
Running straight down the wing with his legs pumping in opposite directions, he was an extremely awkward player to tackle.
His peak achievements came with 11 appearances for NSW Country, nine for NSW, three tests (five tries) against New Zealand in 1956 and a Knagaroo tour in 1956-57. Adams played 15 tour matches, including one test each against Great Britain and France, and scored 11 tries.
He played the last of 21 games for Newcastle in a 23-18 win against the 1962 British tourists.
Adams went on to prove what football durability was all about as a player coach for another 11 seasons at Gloucester, Scone and Muswellbrook, bowing out in his 10th year.
Later he coached Scone, Group 21 and Northern Division representative teams.
Nomination forms for Sport Star and Local Legend categories have been sent to individual clubs and are also available from the Visitor Information Centre.
The closing date for all nominations is March 1.
Holders of perpetual trophies received at last year’s awards presentation are asked to return them to the Visitor Information Centre as soon as possible so they can be prepared for this year’s awards.
Tickets for the dinner will go on sale in March and will be available from Furniture One.
Adult tickets have been set at $25 per person and children 12 years and under at $15.