PICTURES: Defensive rock Alexander Michie is crowned Kingussie’s player of the season
Kingussie Camanachd has reflected on another terrific Grand Slam season at their annual dinner dance.
It is the eighth time the club has made a clean sweep of shinty’s major honours, more times than all the other clubs combined.
The event at the Duke of Gordon Hotel on Saturday brought the 2024 season to a close for the club.
A mix of players, committee members and supporters were entertained by the Ezra Wedding & Function Band.
The annual awards were also handed out on the evening and following a season during which he was both outstanding in the Kingussie defence, and made his Scotland debut, Alexander Michie was named players’ player of the year, receiving the Andy Anderson Trophy.
Dylan Borthwick is another who has had an excellent season, returning to the side to finish the club’s top scorer and he collected the Gow Family Trophy as first team player of the year.
Macleod Dawson’s impressive displays for the Kingussie second team, which returned the HIS Sutherland Cup and the Mowi North Division 2 title, earned him a first team debut and he was also double winner off the field, taking both the Clark Family Trophy for second team player of the year and the Borthwick Family Trophy for under-17 player of the year.
Iain Fraser has earned rave reviews with his performances for the first team this year and he won the Johnny Cruikshank Trophy for young player of the year.
The Dallas Family Trophy for the most committed player of the year went to Eoin Baikie with the Dallas Young & Iain Borthwick Quaich for under-14 player of the year handed over to promising youngster Arran Campbell.
There was a poignant moment with the naming of the trophy for most improved player of the year in memory of popular first team player Calum Mackintosh, and Jack Nelson was the recipient.
The Chieftain Trophy for club volunteer of the year went to Peter Graham, a long-standing club volunteer who epitomises the term unsung hero.
Mr Graham usually single handedly mans the gate at the Dell for every first team game, collecting admission money for a couple of hours.
The admission money is vital to help meet the costs of running the club and, with no fuss, Mr Graham collects the sums involved, and banks it every week.
Over the course of a season, this adds up to a considerable amount of his personal time spent volunteering for the club.
A club spokesperson said: “The club owes a huge debt of gratitude to Peter and without people like him, and the support from our community, the club could not operate.”
The full list of 2024 season prize winners is:
Andy Anderson Trophy for players’ player of the year - Alexander Michie
Gow Family Trophy for first team player of the year - Dylan Borthwick
Clark Family Trophy for second team player of the year - Macleod Dawson
Johnny Cruikshank Trophy for young player of the year - Iain Fraser
Calum Mackintosh Trophy for most improved player of the year - Jack Nelson
Dallas Family Trophy for most committed player of the year - Eoin Baikie
Borthwick Family Trophy for under-17 player of the year - Macleod Dawson
Dallas Young & Iain Borthwick Quaich for under-14 player of the year - Arran Campbell
Chieftain Trophy for club volunteer of the year - Peter Graham
