NORTH ADELAIDE’S MATTHEW WRIGHT WINS ROUND 5 COCA-COLA STAR SEARCH AWARD NOMINATION
Matthew Wright from the North Adelaide Football Club has been named the Round Five Coca-Cola Star Search Award nominee.
Wright, playing his tenth League match, and second of the 2008 season, was a standout for the Roosters in one of the League’s key matches, the traditional Anzac Day West End Battle. In what is a re-match of the previous year’s grand finalists, Central District defeated North Adelaide by 19 points.
Playing in the midfield, Matthew accumulated 23 possessions, including fifteen kicks, eight handballs, eight marks and one goal and was regarded as one of the best players on the ground.
Wright made his League debut in Round 18 of the 2007 season against Norwood with a performance that saw him nominated as the Round’s Star Search Nominee. He went on the play eight League matches last year including the grand final.
Matthew was recruited from the Walkerville Football Club before progressing through North Adelaide’s underage teams. After a successful 2007 NAB U18 Championships, he was touted as a potential draftee. Wright is North Adelaide’s first Coca-Cola Star Search Award nominee this season.
Introduced last season, the Coca-Cola Star Search Award recognises the talented youngsters making their mark in League ranks.
To be eligible for the Award, nominees are required to meet the following criteria:
· players must have played no more than 8 State League games at the start of the 2008 season
· players must be aged 21 or under at January 1, 2008
· AFL rookies are eligible for the award unless promoted to the senior list of their AFL club
· Players who are suspended by the tribunal during the 2008 season are ineligible to win the award
Following each round of the home and away season, each competing club nominates one eligible player from their team. A review panel then selects one player as the Coca-Cola Star Search Award nominee.
The review panel consists of:
Glen Rosser (General Manager - State League Competition)
David Hutton (General Manager – Game Development)
Daniel Thomas (SANFL Football Services Manager)
Brenton Phillips (SANFL Talent Manager)
On the completion of the minor round, one of the 23 nominees will be chosen, by the review panel as the 2008 Coca-Cola Star Search Award Winner. The award carries a winner’s purse of $2000.
The Coca-Cola Star Search Award Winner will be presented the Award at the Magarey Medal Presentation Dinner.