By Gary Stocks
North Beach utility player Beau Witheridge has been rewarded for an outstanding season with selection in the all-Australian under-23 amateur team.
Witheridge, originally from Sorrento-Duncraig and a product of the Beach’s colts system, represented WA in July, but was notified this week that he had earned all-Australian honours through his performance.
He has been in eye-catching form for the North Beach A-Grade team at half-forward and on a wing and is a key factor in the club finishing as minor premiers – 10 points clear of second placed Trinity Aquinas.
Witheridge and his teammates will have a day off tomorrow as Trinity Aquinas and Whitford clash for the right to play North Beach in the second semi-final at Charles Riley Reserve next Saturday.
The club is aiming for its 10th premiership in the last 13 years – all of them under the direction of former Essendon defender Bill Duckworth, the 1984 Norm Smith medallist.
The all-Australian team will tour South Africa in October and the club will be aiming to assist with the fund-raising effort of $5000 to help send Witheridge on that trip.
2011 COMMITTEE
President David Cassidy was returned for a fourth term in the chair when the North Beach Football Club Annual General Meeting was held at the club last night.
Stability has been the key to the Beach’s outstanding successes, on and off-field, and Cassidy, a three-time A-Grade premiership ruckman, has retained the services of Luke Smith (treasurer) and Alan Lewington (secretary-registrar). Smith is another outstanding player who has been an integral part of the club’s domination of the A-Grade, playing in eight of the nine premierships secured in the past 11 years.
The 2011 committee is thus:
President: David Cassidy
Senior Vice-President: David Barwick
Junior Vice-President: Byron Boys
Treasurer: Luke Smith
Secretary/Registrar: Alan Lewington
General Committee
Reece Cunningham
Rod Cole
Gary Stocks (Communications)
Jason Plant
Shane Piggott
Michael O’Neill
David McLaurin (Special Projects; Past Players)
