They mightn’t have claimed season silverware but Weston went a way towards making up for it on Friday night with a clean sweep at the Northern NSW Football awards at Wests Newcastle.
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First-year Bears playmaker Connors Evans earned player of the year honours and former coach Steve Piggott picked up coach of the year.
Weston were also named club of the year, while emerging midfielder Zac Sneddon was crowned rookie of the year.
Winning all four majors is believed to be a first in Northern NSW football, and Weston football manager Shane Johnson said it was a significant honour for the historic club.
“It was pretty special,” he said.
“It really shows the strength of the club and why we’ve been in the top flight for 50 years and around for 107 years – we must be doing something right.”
In player of the year voting Evans trailed Bears teammate Nathan Morris by two points when voting went behind closed door after round 14 in the referees’ votes.
But four straight man-of-the-match awards in the final four matches, which coincided with three Bears wins and a draw, was enough to win the top gong.
Veteran Lambton defensive midfielder Peter McPherson finished nine points behind Evans in second, while Morris was a point further back in third.
A day later Evans again featured, this time at Weston’s season awards where he was awarded the club’s player of the year.
In front of more that 300 people at Weston Workers Club on Saturday night, Morris was awarded supporters’ choice player of the year, fellow veteran Michael Ryan was the coaches’ choice, while Garry McDermott claimed players’ player.
Young midfielder Jye McKellar won the Alan Cooper Achievement Award and defender Brock Oakley was recognised for his first season at the Bears with the George Robinson Memorial Most Improved award.
