Donny Freeman linked with the Hunter Wildfires to get out of the rat race in Sydney and improve his rugby.
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The 21-year-old from Orange, played one game in the top grade for Easts in 2021 and wanted an opportunity.
The power-packed breakaway got that and much more.
Freeman cemented a place on the side of the Wildfires scrum and, in a breakout season, finished third in the Catchpole Medal for the best player in the Sydney competition. He capped that by being named the Wildfire of the Year on Saturday night.
"Donny was amazing on and off the field," Wildfires coach Scott Coleman said. "He drove good standards, trained hard and played hard. His game improved as the season went on.
"He is in the top three sevens in the competition. For me, now he has to get consistency in that area. To scrub out any bad games and be consistently at that level for the whole season."
Freeman's 2018 Australian Schoolboys teammate Max Douglas (Manly) won the Catchpole Medal.
Douglas and fellow Aussie School alumni Will Harris and Jeremy Williams are now with the NSW Waratahs.
Freeman is one of the shorter back-rowers in the competition, but Coleman said height shouldn't be a major impediment.
"He can't change his height," Coleman said. "He has to work on the other aspects of his game - become a better ball player, be more of a threat in attack. Similar to what [Wallabies breakaway] Michael Hooper does. There are a lot of good sevens in Australia. If he doesn't pick up a pro gig here, there is always the MLR in the US, Europe etc."
Hooker Phil Bradford, who was the leading tryscorer in the Shute Shield with 17, took out the best and fairest award. Fly-half Connor Winchester, a finalist for the Catchpole medal, was best back. Veteran tighthead Nick Dobson was best forward.
"They have all had breakout seasons," Coleman said. "The program is definitely working. They weren't players Shute Shield clubs were chasing last year and they probably are this year."
The Wildfires missed a place in the finals on bonus points and Coleman said the majority of the squad had committed for next season.
"We are only losing a few. Andrew Tuala goes back to the LA Gilitinis, Joe Tamani is heading back Fiji back to Drua, Isi Fukofuka is going to college in the US and Will Feeney has gone to England but will come back.
"About 15 of them have started back in the gym. They want to get bigger, faster, stronger for next year."
Emma Bradford, Phil's sister, was named the wormen's players player. Point-scoring fullback Danielle Buttsworth was the best and fairest.
The Wildfires Spirit award went to high performance coach Shannon Mackie
Awards: Wildfire of the year - Donny Freeman
First grade: Best and fairest - Phil Bradford; Best back - Connor Winchester; Best forward - Nick Dobson
Women: Best and fairest - Danielle Buttsworth; Players player - Emma Bradford; Best forward - Shana Povey-Hyatt; Best back - Peta Salter
Second grade: Best and fairest - Jack Barr; Best forward - Travis Gifford; Best back - Jack Young
Colts: Best and fairest - Tom Jackson; Best forward - Matt Baggs, Best back - Veni Vahai
Fukofuka
James Gardiner
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
