The Atlanta Kookaburras welcome greatly a brand new Premier Sponsor for 2020. Chef Cordel Catering of Atlanta owned by Miguel Harris has become our current third Premier Sponsor for the 2020 season. Chef Cordel Catering specializes in small to large event catering for weddings, corporate events and special occasions and since the Atlanta Kookaburras have utilized their services already, we can highly recommend them for quality, service and affordability.
You can check out their menus and other information on their website at www.chefcordel.com
They also have a DJ Entertainment service they can include in their event catering services. Please visit their website, remember to refer them when you hear of a catering opportunity, or use them yourself. You will not regret that decision.
The Kookaburras Captain Ryan Downey capped off a great season winning his second Best & Fairest Award recently. The MVP and Mike Powers Medal recipient did so despite breaking his hand 4 weeks before the USAFL National Championships. Downey did play at the USAFL Nationals in Florida with the hand heavily padded, a true sign of his commitment to the game, his club and his teammates, however during the regular season he was able to accumulate 76 votes too hold off the fast finishing Seth Stokes with 68 votes, who took the runners-up trophy and Best 1st Year Player Award.
The Kookaburras celebrated the end of the 2019 season with a full count of the MVP voting meticulously organized as always by Life Member and club statistician Jim Batten, with other awards going to Will McDonald for Best Clubman, Kyler Johnson for Most Improved & Coaches Award. Jeff Whitlock received the Goal Umpire Appreciation award for continued efforts during the year despite not being able to play and Andrew Schoppe was awarded Top Volunteer.
Chase Trujillo who also tied for 3rd in the MVP voting with Braden Medders on 48 votes, picked up the Best at Nationals Award with some great games in Sarasota.
Leading goalkicker for the year was Tom Gultom who slotted through 33 goals from his 8 games.
The Kookaburras Annual General Meeting was also held on the night with Wayne Kraska re-elected as returning President, Ryan Downey moving into the Secretary's role and Braden Medders taking up the Treasurer position. We welcome new on the Board this year long time supporter of Aussie Rules football in Atlanta Sandy Lawrence, elected as VP and Jim Batten retained a Member at Large role. The Kookaburras continue to look for interested people in getting involved in the promotion or organization of Australian Rules Football in Atlanta. Contact us if you can help or know someone with some resources to help.
See the full MVP voting tallies here.
With the Kookaburras for the first time on a road trip but still within the state Georgia, a visit 80 minutes Nth West of Atlanta to take on the new Rome Redbacks for their first home game ever, was something very new.
The Redbacks although still small were able to present a great group of players eager to put the Kookaburras to the test in a rather humid and hot afternoon of Australian Rules Football in the river city.
Up forward Tom Gultom was too experienced for his Rome opponent and led him on merry chase posting a personal record 8 individual goals for the day. Jon 'Rosey' Rosenfield also enjoyed the open spaces and freedom to move around, kicking 6 goals himself, also a personal record.
The Rome team battled hard and certainly the Redbacks were very competitive at stoppages with their ruckman Stephen Taylor giving the Kookaburras Kyler Johnson some headaches. First year player Seth Stokes however made sure any advantage was short lived as he gathered many mid field possessions for the visiting Atlanta team.
Over the 4 x 20 minute quarters however the Kookaburras were too consistent and too skilled for the Rome team and ran out easy winners by 98 points. After the game the players and friends retreated to the River Dog Outpost a great summer Tiki style bar between the rivers downtown, for the first of many post game socials in the historic river town of Rome Georgia.
Atlanta 23.18.156
Rome 8.10.58
Best: Seth Stokes, Ryan Downey, Tom Gultom, John Rosenfield, Braden Medders.
Goals: Gultom 8, Rosenfield 6, Stokes 4, Downey 3, Schoppe 1, Johnson 1.
