John Bayliss & Distinguished Service Award Winners

The John Bayliss award is presented in honour of the late John Bayliss, and is awarded to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to the club over a number of years, typically based on their volunteered involvement in the running of the club.

The Distinguished service award is presented to club members who have made an outstanding contribution to the club in one of the areas of Coaching, Playing, or Administration.

Both of these awards are designed to reward and recognise the efforts of those that combine to make MUBC such a wonderful club, both on and off the court. 

Year John Bayliss Award Winner Distinguished Service Award Winners
2023 Andrew Lui Amelia Smith, Joel Rimes, Mithali Rajagopalan 
2022 Sophia Naughton Andrew Lui
2021 Not Awarded Not Awarded
2020 Not Awarded
Not Awarded (COVID pandemic)
2019 Philip Verrocchi Not Awarded
2018 Anjali Goundar  William Burrell, Nicholas White, Jennifer Naughton, Grantley Bernard
2017 Jason Kotchoff Amanda Douglass, Jason But
2016 Kylie Turnley Sophia Naughton, James Shaw
2015 Jacqui Nguyen Sam Fileccia, Simon Vaughan
2014 Bernard Thomson Sofia Soltys, Damien Murphy
2013 Hugh James Mark Farag, Jason Kotchoff, Philip Verrocchi
2012 Rhia Mikkor James Cosgriff, Caitlyn Hallett, Ivan Raymond
2011 Eric Chan Raef Akehurst, Jacqui Nguyen
2010 Andrew Walker Anjali Goundar, Tom Leong, Kerry Turnley
2009 Matthew Hillbrich Stuart Black, Melanie Fidler, Hugh James, Robbie McCoy, Peter Rossiter, Joey Rzepisko
2008 Steph Canale Rhia Mikkor, Bernard Thomson, Kylie Turnley
2007 Joel Berry Eric Chan, Andrew Walker
2006 James Fidler Steph Canale, Matt Hillbrich, Anthony Nantes, James Pescott, Lach Strong
2005 Matthew Rafton Kuhn Ip, Jim Kondos, Adriano Leti, Justin Turnley
2004 Glenda De Marinis James Fidler
2003 Melissa Pearson  
2002 Daisy Adams Martin De Lange, Michelle Hansen, Tony Holden, Rachel Knight, Nick Martin, Melissa Pearson, Stuart Verrier
2001 Brendan Green  
2000 Sam Sterling Joe Caroll, Brendan Green, Sarsha McEntee, Matthew Rafton, David Semmens 
1999 Herman Tokatlidis  
1998 Michelle Hansen  
1997 Marc Howard  
1996 Tammy Walsh  
1995 Michael Scales  
1994 Carolyn Pickburn  
1993 Trevor Andrew Greg Scholes
1992 David Liddle  
1991 Gillian Payne  
1990 David Morosoli  
1989 Gary Pendlebury  
1988 Bernadette Bett  
1987 Geoff Bowles  
1986 Judy Knight  
1985 Chris Macpherson  
1984 Matthew Wellington  
1983 Wendy Macpherson  
1982 Andrew Bett  
1981 Graeme Howe  
1980 Kerry Lewis  
1979 John Campbell  
1978 Ann Compton  
1977 Henry Cooper  
1976 Julie Sievers  
1975 Sandie De Wolfe  
1974 Ian Bett  
1972 Euan Lockie  

 

With regard to the John Bayliss award, here is what Coops had to say about it in an interview in 2016:
Youtube link
1h, 15m, 30s mark 

"It was supposed to be a person a bit like me. I certainly wasn't a good basketballer at that stage but I was a person who was involved in all facets of the club. The committee, administering and running things, in coaching, in organising coaching and playing at a reasonable level but not a top level.

John was around in the late 60s to early 70s and he passed away in a car accident on the way back from the Swan Hill Tournament.

It was deemed that he was exactly the sort of person that makes a really great club that does really basic stuff like;

You want someone to coach a team in a tournament?
"Yeah I'll do that"

You need someone to do the scorebench in a game?
"Yeah I'll do that"

You need someone to organise some stuff for a party this weekend 
"Yeah I'll do that"

You need a general rep for something
"Yeah I'll do that"

He was just the sort of person who was invaluable and made a club worth belonging to.

The John Bayliss was in all my time, the highest award that we could give."

*Note: John Bayliss passed in January 1971