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Shinty: Caberfeidh’s Blair Morrison named player of the year

The Scotland international helped Cabers to a second-place finish in the Mowi Premiership.

Mowi Player of The Year Premiership and; National Division - Blair Morrison, Caberfeidh (centre) pictured with Dougie Hinter and Jayne Mackay from Mowi. Image: Neil Paterson.
Mowi Player of The Year Premiership and; National Division - Blair Morrison, Caberfeidh (centre) pictured with Dougie Hinter and Jayne Mackay from Mowi. Image: Neil Paterson.

Caberfeidh’s Blair Morrison was named national player of the year at the end of season Mowi Awards in Fort William.

The Scotland international has been one of shinty’s top players for several seasons now, often dictating player from the buckshee back position.

With Caberfeidh finishing runners-up in the Mowi Premiership, Morrison was quick to praise his teammates: “If I’m honest, the award came as a bit of a surprise to me.

“It’s obviously a great feeling to be recognised in this way but it helped that we’ve made good progress as a team over the last few years.

“There are a lot of top players out there who’ve had good seasons, and in a time when Kingussie are so dominant, it’s hard to see past a few of their players so I’m delighted to receive this award.”

Iain Borthwick, manager of Grand Slam winners Kingussie, was crowned national coach of the year.

He said: “I’m totally pleased and have to thank the boys for getting me this award, they are so easy to manage.

“Neil Bowman and Ali MacLeod also play a big part, leading our weekly training sessions.

“Neil is second to none when it comes to fitness training and has been with us since 1997, and I remember how important his contribution was back when I played.

“Ali has won all the honours in the game, and he puts the boys through some excellent drills.”

Classy Skye defender Christina MacDonald is the Women Camanachd Association’s national player of the year while Andy MacDonald, who led Lochaber to the Mowi Valerie Fraser Camanachd Cup, is the national coach of the year. Lochaber are also national club of the year.

Special Award to Conor Cormack and Keith MacRae (Kinlochshiel), pictured with Camanachd Association chieftan John Mackenzie (centre). 

The coveted Johnny “Ach” MacRae Quaich for referee of the year captured the remarkable story surrounding referee Steven MacLachlan who suffered a cardiac arrest during a match between Caberfeidh and Kinlochshiel at the end of March.

Not only did MacLachlan make a full recovery but he was back officiating in early June, and he merited this recognition. There were special awards for Kinlochshiel duo Conor Cormack and Keith MacRae who used a nearby defibrillator to perform life-saving first aid on the popular referee that day.

Ewen Maclean from Skye is the emerging referee of the year.

The youth awards at under-14 and under-17 level went to Newtonmore brothers James Coyle and Joe Coyle.

Fort William had a great season on the field and efforts such as their well-attended summer street league for youths and their involvement in the successful Lochaber Live event contributed to them collecting the community club of the year.

The much-respected Rob Ritchie BEM from Newtonmore was the recipient of the William Paterson Salver for volunteer of the year following many years of selfless service to his community.

The Donella Crawford award for youth and schools went to Neil Sutherland from emerging club Stirling. Niamh Donnelly from Aberdour received the service to women’s shinty award.

Fiona MacDonald films Skye Camanachd matches at all levels, and she deservedly took the media award.

The national shinty season came to a close with clubs deciding to share the points from the small number of remaining fixtures including Kinlochshiel’s Mowi Premiership meeting with Kingussie, so the Kings end the season undefeated.

The points were also shared in top-flight home and away fixtures between Oban Camanachd and Lovat as well as Skye’s game against Caberfeidh plus Inveraray’s Mowi National Division meeting with Bute.

Two youth shinty cup finals took place at Blairbeg where inspirational skipper Daniel Maclean scored four times as Glenurquhart beat Newtonmore 4-2 to lift the Mowi Under-17 London Shield. James Coyle and Joe Coyle countered.

Later in the afternoon, the Oban youths edged their Kingussie counterparts 4-3 to claim the under-12s Harper Macleod Camanachd Association Cup. Somhairle Dawson scored twice for the young Kings and Malki Mainland the other but two-goal Ollie Duffy, Aiden Michie and Izayn MacIntyre gave Oban victory.

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