More than 280 guests attended the 29th Annual Gippsland Sports Academy Awards Night at the Morwell Bowling Club recently, coming together to recognise and celebrate the graduation and achievements of athletes across nine sporting programs over the past 12 months.
A total of 97 young Gippsland athletes were in attendance, each receiving their graduation certificate from their respective program coaches. In total, 186 athletes graduated from their programs in 2025/26.
This year, the organisation was pleased to welcome guest speaker Darryl George — an entrepreneur and elite athlete whose career has been defined by discipline, resilience and ambition. George enjoyed an eight-year professional baseball career across the United States and Japan, represented Australia for more than a decade, and is a current scholarship holder with the Victorian Institute of Sport.
Four major awards were presented on the night.
The 2025 Phil Shelley Award was awarded to Jude Bergmann of Newborough. This award recognises individuals who go above and beyond their normal duties to support the development of both their sport and its athletes, and Bergmann is a highly deserving recipient. She has made an outstanding and lasting contribution to hockey in Gippsland and the Gippsland Sports Academy, and was instrumental in establishing the Academy’s hockey program, creating valuable pathways for regional athletes. Bergmann has served for more than 10 years as a coach, team manager, coordinator and volunteer across Junior Country and State Championships.
The 2025 David Drane Award was awarded to 14-year-old Xavier Gray of Stratford following an outstanding year in the pool. Despite an interrupted preparation that saw him spend seven weeks out of the water leading into the State Championships in December, Gray showed remarkable resilience to still qualify for two finals.
At the Country Championships in January, competing as a 14-year-old against older athletes, he reached four finals and claimed a bronze medal in the 100m backstroke. His progress accelerated through the remainder of the season, culminating in an exceptional performance at the National Championships where he reached four finals and narrowly missed a podium finish in the 50m butterfly by just 0.07 seconds.
The 2025 Darrell White Award was awarded to Wyatt Cobbledick (10) of Warragul. Cobbledick was recognised for an exceptional year of achievement and development, highlighted by becoming the youngest goalscorer in Men’s Vic League 3 history, netting two goals for the Latrobe Valley Hockey Association. He consistently competed above his age group, featuring in U16 Pennant competition, representing East Gippsland U14 Boys, captaining the Gippsland Bulls U12 Boys, and earning selection in both U12 and U14 Indoor Club Championships with Hawthorn Hockey Club.
The 2025 Tim Forsyth Award was awarded to Jack Brady (13) of Glengarry West.
Brady was recognised for his outstanding performance at the 2026 Grand Australian National Trap Shooting Championships in Wagga Wagga, where he claimed overall honours in the Open Section, becoming the youngest winner in the history of the Australian Clay Target Association. With records dating back to the 1930s, his achievement is further underscored by surpassing a long-standing record held for more than 30 years by two-time Olympic gold medallist Michael Diamond.
During the evening, special acknowledgement was also made to Jenni Lewis and Sandra Timmer-Arends for their outstanding service to the Gippsland Sports Academy Board, marking five and 10 years respectively.
