PLAYERS of the South & West Dorset Netball League descended on Dorchester Trinity Club for their annual presentation evening, with a range of award winners.

This well-earned celebration unfortunately could not be held last year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, however this year the event was back in full force.

Awards won covered the winter 2019 and summer 2021 seasons, with play prevented in 2020 by the pandemic.

Belle Construction won both the winter 2019 and summer 2021 Premier Division titles.

Cannadox, now Warmer Home Improvements, took the Division One title in 2019 before Coastal Cheese in 2021.

Artifex B and Meraki were respective 2019 and 2021 winners in Division Two.

Rhiannon Carter claimed players' player of the year for the Premier Division, with Mailia Brown taking the Division One award and a joint-win for Ellie Donoghue and Lanni Sellick in Division Two. However, the overall win went to Brown.

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Umpires' player of the year in the Premier Division was Jayne Guppy, while Katie Ritsema took Division One honours and Hollie Davis won Division Two. However, Ritsema claimed the overall prize with most votes.

A special recognition award was also awarded to Jaimee Browne, who was the youngest umpire in the league at the time and still had the second highest score, only being beaten by her coach.

The Sue Barras Award for 'most improved team' is awarded to the team that has moved up the most league places across both seasons. This year it was won by Lulworth Lightning.

The Denise Camp Award for Fair Play and Good Conduct is voted for by the committee and considers several aspects, including attendance at the league’s AGM, attitude and sportsmanship on court, support offered to the league and positive promotion of netball in the area. This year’s winners were WJNC.

The Louise Beals Award for Services to Netball was awarded by previous winner Caroline Kellaway to Kelly Browne and Louise Bugler, who were considered to have provided monumental support to both the league and netball in the area.

One of the many highlights of the evening was the raffle, where several amazing prizes were won and approximately £600 was raised for charity, split between Weldmar Hospice and NuWaves.

The league thanked local businesses and team sponsors who donated raffle prizes, Dorchester Trinity Club for hosting the event and all its players and supporters for helping the league survive through the challenges of the last 18 months.

Award winners: Divisional winter 2019 winners – Premier Division: Belle Construction. Runners-up: Gungho Marketing; Division One: Cannadox; Runners-up: Buglers; Division Two: Artifex B; Runners-up: Coastal Cheese

Summer 2021 winners – Premier Division: Belle Construction: Runners-up: New Body Fitness; Division One: Coastal Cheese; Runners-up: Bay Fencing; Division Two: Meraki; Runners-up: Exe Training

Players' player overall winner: Mailia Brown; Premier Division: Rhiannon Carter; Runner-up: Ashleigh Browne; Division One: Mailia Brown; Runners-up: Sofia Voss & Lucy Bugler; Division Two: Ellie Donoghue & Lanni Sellick; Runner-up: Marcelina Przybysz

Umpires' player overall winner: Katie Ritsema; Premier Division: Jayne Guppy; Runners-up: Olivia Conning, Rhiannon Carter & Ashleigh Browne; Division One: Katie Ritsema; Runners-up: Lucy Bugler; Division Two: Hollie Davis; Runners-up: Ellie Donoghue

Umpire of year overall: Louise Bugler; Premier Division: Louise Bugler; Runner-up: Jaimee Browne; Division One: Ali Holmes; Runner-up: Sue Lee; Division Two: Alison Frampton; Runner-up: Anna Crabbe.