Fallon's nomination is just silly

BY SAM BUCKLE

Look, I’m as stoked as any football fan to see the game feature so strongly in this year’s Halberg nominations, but I’m sorry, Rory Fallon’s nomination for sportsman of the year is just silly. In fact, it’s probably worse than silly because it belittles the achievements and performances of other Kiwi footballers. One header does not constitute Halberg material, no matter how special the outcome. And if it does, then surely one penalty save should also qualify. Where’s Mark Paston’s nomination?

Actually, Paston’s claim is much stronger. Alongside Nelsen (who is also nominated), he was the outstanding performer across the two legs of the playoff. On top of the penalty, he pulled off a couple of tremendous saves in Manama and kept two of the most precious clean sheets in the history of New Zealand football. So, if it is just about Bahrain and nothing more, then Mark Paston has been dealt a real injustice.

Even Leo Bertos might feel miffed. In Wellington he was superb, not just supplying the goal but creating another gilt-edged opportunity for Fallon and providing a constant threat. On top of that, he made a great fist of his relatively unfamiliar defensive responsibilities (both home and away).

Nelsen’s nomination is great and fully merited. He was a rock against Bahrain. He was composed, strong, inspirational as captain, and marshalled the All Whites’ defence with great authority. And let’s not forget, this year he’s also recovered from injury to reclaim the captaincy and leadership of a football team playing in the world’s highest-profile and most competitive league. Nelsen should probably be nominated every year, but he’s put in a particularly good shift in 2009.

And if we are looking beyond two games against Bahrain (as important as they were), then surely Shane Smeltz has to be in the reckoning? Last season’s A-League golden boot winner (and this season’s runaway, record-breaking leader), last season’s Johnny Warren medal winner (for the best player in the A-League), the current Oceania Footballer of the Year, the current New Zealand footballer of the year and the All Whites’ top goal-scorer throughout the past 12 months has enjoyed an absolutely stellar year. Smeltz would have a rightful place among the nominees even if the All Whites hadn’t triumphed over Bahrain. He’s been tremendous.

So, as much as I shall cherish Fallon’s goal for the rest of my days (and thought he played well), as much as it gave me an unbelievable adrenalin rush, as much as I’m lovin’ the football lovin’, I’m actually rather embarrassed about Rory’s nomination – increasingly so, the more I think about it.

It’s as if the ”panel” or “committee” or whoever compiled the list (my research couldn’t establish that), felt obliged to include a couple of All Whites (after all, soccer’s in vogue right now), but knowing little about the nature of the game, how goals are made and prevented, being unfamiliar with the players and their performances beyond November 14 (and the ensuing media frenzy or Sky’s many replays and highlight packages), just defaulted to the Premiership skipper and the big guy, the son of Kevin, who got the goal.

That may be harsh, but I genuinely cannot fathom how anybody with an informed knowledge of football or familiarity with the All Whites could nominate Rory Fallon for a Halberg. It is definitely worse than silly. It’s wrong.

Picture: Reuters