Best of the lot: Shepparton South youngster Nick Mori is the 2023 BASL Player of the Year.
Nick Mori may have to invest in a bigger trophy cabinet after the season he’s had.
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In fact, a trophy room might be better served to Mori’s talents after the Shepparton South wiz scooped the pool at the 2023 Bendigo Amateur Soccer League awards night.
The 19-year-old collected the Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year and Top Goal Scorer at Saturday’s presentation in Bendigo, not to mention a rightful place in the Team of the Year.
A fortnight earlier, Mori earned Shepparton South’s best-and-fairest and top goal-scorer awards.
It’s a ridiculous haul for a player who’s only finished his first full year of senior football and Rob Harmeston, Mori’s coach at South, did not expect anything less from the mercurial talent.
Solid haul: Nick Mori collected a swag of awards at the BASL presentation night.
“He obviously had the ability ― it was clear to see ― and this year was all about him getting used to the physicality and playing every single game, trying to play consistently every week,” Harmeston said.
“He got off to an absolute flyer for us this year. For us, we knew it was coming.
“I didn’t realise it was going to come as quickly as it did, I thought it might come mid-season, but he got up and running straight away. Goals, contributions, it’s just great.”
Mori registered 26 goals to beat out teammate Sean Grant for the league golden boot, but it wasn’t just his scoring prowess that caught the eye of onlookers.
Game upon game, Mori magicked his way out of defenders’ clutches, the ball seemingly taped to his foot as he left players in his wake.
Harmeston handed the youngster his senior debut in 2021 and bled him into the first team last season.
But this year, he knew he couldn’t keep Mori caged any longer.
Serious potential: Shepparton South’s Nick Mori enjoyed a breakout season in 2023.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
“Last year I was trying to keep him back, I was trying to let him play under-18s with his mates,” Harmeston said.
“They were doing really well, so I wanted him ... I thought this is great, I can bring him on as an impact.
“Next thing you know, this year I thought he’s just going to tear everybody a new one, and he did.
“I’m just proud to have been a part of the development of him. I’m proud to work with him and see him grow in men’s football, that’s probably been the highlight of seeing him the last two years.”
Mori is equipped with bags of talent; that’s clear to see.
However, further unlocking his ability and tapping into his deep potential is something Harmeston wants to bear witness to in the coming years.
Standout: Nick Mori blitzed the competition in Shepparton South's best-and-fairest count.
“With Nick, what he doesn’t realise is his ability is endless,” he said.
“He’s got so much ability, in training we’re watching him constantly and some of the things he used to do to players, you’re just thinking ‘this is unreal’.
“I think he needs to take it to the next step now, he’s clearly got the ability to do so. He just needs someone who’s going to give him that platform now, I’d say.”
Mori wasn’t the only local to feature in the BASL Team of the Year.
Fellow Southerners Grant and Jake Rumble were named in the starting line-up with Shepparton United’s Ryan Brooks and Lewis Coyle, Tatura’s Cody Sellwood, Tristan Zito, Cooper Gosstray, Tim Lardner and Daniel Coombs also named.
Ibis forward Aaron Niglia and South talisman Joel Aitken made the bench and Tatura’s premiership-winning leader Thomas Corso was named Coach of the Year.
