Waikanae Jets captain Brett Morgan has claimed a prestigious Capital Football award for the Club. Morgan won the Horowhenua-Kapiti ‘Player of the Year’ at the Capital Football awards ceremony on 26 September at the Petone Working Mens Club. Jets team-mate and Waikanae Club ‘Golden Boot’ Ryan Leyten was also a finalist in the category alongside KCU’s Joe Ashby. The three were selected after nominations were whittled down to a final ten by the Mens Advisory Group from which the final three were then selected by the Awards Committee.
Morgan captained the WAFC Jets in a season that saw them win 16 of 20 games played taking out the Division 2 title and end of season Bowl competition. He played every minute of the 20 games displaying his versatility in both the midfield and central defensive positions. Leyten scored 27 goals in sixteen games played for the Jets, including three double hat-tricks.
Waikanae’s other finalist on the night was First team defender Taylor Newman who made it through to the final three in an award that encompassed the Capital 1 to Capital 11 Grades. The award eventually going to Seatoun’s Capital 1 Golden Boot Markis Gustavsson. Taylor’s recognition a fitting reward for a great season had by the First team in narrowly missing promotion to Capital 1.
Capital Football Acting CEO, Lisa Jones, said this was the first time the Award Ceremony was being held in this format. Previously the awards were aligned with the Team Wellington awards ceremony but this year they wanted to do something with more of a ‘community feel’. The evening was an outstanding success with attendance from both Waikanae and Wairarapa United clubs as well as the Wellington based clubs. As well as the player and Club Service awards Master of Ceremonies, Jason Pine, conducted three guest interviews with the highlight the interview of aspiring White Ferns and Diamonds W-League player Michaela Robertson on her journey through the ranks.