Croft honoured with medal

[Burgs]

Well done Crofty, no one ever questions your heart or commitment

Croft honoured with medal

May 15, 2007

QUEENSLAND Reds flanker David Croft has ended a Super 14 rugby season to forget with an award to savour.

Croft pipped skipper and No.8 John Roe for the Pilecki Medal as the Reds Players' Player of the Year award at a ceremony in Brisbane.

The presentation dinner officially drew the curtain on Queensland's disastrous 2007 in which it picked up the wooden spoon for the first time, capped by a record 92-3 loss to the Bulls in South Africa.

Full back Clinton Schifcofske finished third in the medal voting after a solid debut season in rugby union.

The former Canberra skipper and Queensland Origin No.1 switched codes at the end of last year and was thrust into the Reds full back role in 2007 after a serious injury to Australia match-winner Chris Latham.

But all eyes were on Croft after he collected 188 player votes ahead of Roe (186), Schifcofske (160), James Horwill (119) and retiring veteran Ben Tune (115).

Croft played every Super 14 game of the season for Queensland to stretch his unbroken run to 81 consecutive matches and crash through the 100 game barrier.

Roe was forced to miss the last two rounds in South Africa because of a family emergency.

Votes are awarded by the players after each game on a 3-2-1 basis.

The medal is named after veteran Queensland prop Stan Pilecki, who made the presentation to Croft at the Reds dinner.

The Pilecki Medal has been presented since 1992.

Latham has won the medal a record four times, while other winners include John Eales and Jason Little.

There was also a special presentation made to Tune and Mark Connors.

Tune retired at the end of the Super 14 season after 112 games for Queensland and 47 Tests for the Wallabies.

Connors is the Reds' most capped player (134 games) who retired at the end of last season.

Other awards presented were:

Team Man of the Year: John Roe

Rookie of the Year: Brando Vaaulu

Academy Player of the Year: Scott Higginbotham

Best Trainer: James Horwill

Magic Moment Award: Ben Tune intercept try against Cheetahs, Suncorp Stadium, April 21

AAP

[prop53]

was the medal wood, lol

[Jess]

I'm not impressed someone who got yellow carded on so many occassions could be up for this kind of award.

Reward the players who play by the rules!

[The Lone Hydrangea]

He isnt any angel Jess, but he is a loose forward and thats what he is paid to do,win the footy at the breakdown. If he played for us we would be rapt.

[prop53]

if he played for us he would be on the bench

[Jess]

Yeah I wouldn't be too thrilled to have Croft in the sea blue.

He's a good player and I will not even think about questioning his passion and committment but I'm happy with what we have and would prefer if he stayed in Queensland.

They need him more than we do.