AFLDD’s Allied Pickfords Cup – A Decade in Review

With 2020 marking 50 years of Football on the Downs, we look back at the past decade of Senior Football and the dominant teams and individuals of the Senior Men’s competition from 2011 to 2020.

It would be hard to argue against University being the most dominant side of the decade with 5 grand final appearances and 3 Premierships (2016, 2017, 2018) and featuring in finals every year they participated. The Cougars came into their own in 2016 under the leadership of Tony Bullen, and became one of only 3 clubs in the competitions history to win 3 premierships in a row. 

Goondiwindi was the only other side to feature in 5 Grand Finals, whilst Toowoomba (2011, 2012) and Coolaroo (2013, 2015) were the only other sides to have won multiple Allied Pickford’s Cups.  

The past ten years saw some impressive individual efforts from the region’s forwards, with players passing the magic 100 goals in a season milestone on 5 occasions. Goondiwindi’s David O’Toole had the highest season total, booting 123 goals in 2018. The others included South Toowoomba’s Dan McPhee booting 112 in 2012 and 111 in 2013, whilst Coolaroo’s Adam Green (110 – 2016) and Miels Grice (110 – 2013) also reached the milestone. *Season tallies include finals

Whilst there were plenty of great goal kickers across the 10 seasons, O’Toole’s 555 goals sees him sit top of the leaderboard with Green (504) in second, McPhee (351) in third and University Stalwart Heath Gniel (306) the only other player to reach 300 Goals.

31 individuals have played in 100 or more games across the 10 seasons, with Goondiwindi stalwart Jeremy Leahy topping the competitions tally with 156 senior matches. Whilst hundreds of players have graced the fields of the Allied Pickfords Cup over the past 10 years, Leahy has stood out as one of the competitions greats. From 2011, the humble Hawks midfielder has played in 156 matches, booted 234 goals, won 2 Holman Medals, played in 5 Grand Finals including his best on Ground performance in the Hawks 2019 Premiership and has a bag full of club Best & Fairest awards as well.

Leahy and South Burnett’s Nathan Trace were the only dual Holman Medalists of the decade; however it is worth noting 2011 saw Warwick’s Brendan Iles take out his 3^rd Holman Medal in a row. Goondiwindi boasted the most Holman Medalists with Jeremy Leahy (2014, 2015) and David O’Toole (2017) and Charles Youngman (2019) taking out the competitions top award. Warwick’s guns also shone as the Redbacks had 3 Holman Medalists in Tyhe Clarkson (2016), Kurt Millard (2013) and Brendan Iles (2011).

See the top ten players by matches played over the past 10 years below.

Clubs are listed where the player has played majority of their matches.

With the AFL Darling Downs Team of the 50 years set to be announced in 2021, plenty of players from the past decade have no doubt put their hand up to be among the best 22 the region has seen play.

NB all statistics include Allied Pickfords Cup, Senior or Division 1 matches only.