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Hard working Reds flanker David Croft was rewarded for his consistency in winning the 2007 Pilecki Medal as the Reds’ Players’ Player of the Year, finishing just in front of captain and number eight John Roe.
Full-back Clinton Schifcofske finished a creditable third in the voting tally in his debut season in rugby union after switching from rugby league at the end of last year.
Croft, who played his hundrendth game for Queensland during the season, collected 188 player votes in a steady accumulation during the season, followed by Roe (186), Schifcofske (160), James Horwill (119) and retiring veteran Ben Tune (115).
The skinhead flanker played every Super 14 game of the season to stretch his unbroken run to 81 consecutive Super rugby games, while Roe was forced to miss the last two rounds in South Africa because of a family emergency.
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Croft’s all round efforts this season for the Reds was overlooked by the Wallaby selectors and failed to crack the nod in John Connolly’s 59-man "train on" squad. However that didn’t stop the Australia coach from selecting nine of Croft’s team-mates in his extended training squad.
Votes are awarded by the players after each game on a 3-2-1 basis and the medal is named after veteran Queensland prop Stan Pilecki, who made the presentation to Croft at the Reds Awards Dinner on Tuesday.
The Pilecki Medal is the Reds’ supreme playing award and has been presented each year since 1992. Chris Latham has won the Medal a record four times, while other winners include John Eales and Jason Little (twice). Last year’s winner was Rodney Blake. This is Croft’s first Pilecki medal.
Other awards presented:
Reds Team Man of the Year: John Roe Reds Rookie of the Year: Brando Va’aulu Reds Academy Player of the Year: Scott Higginbotham QR Best Trainer: James Horwill Konica Minolta Magic Moment Award: Ben Tune intercept try vs Cheetahs, Suncorp Stadium, April 21
The dinner also featured special presentations to Tune, who retired at the end of the Super 14 season after 112 games for Queensland and 47 Tests for the Wallabies, and to the Reds’ most capped player (134), Mark Connors, who retired at the end of last season.
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