2018 Hero of the Year Nominations – Vote Now

2018 may well have been the Year of the Jerk, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a half full glass somewhere in the world, so we unveil our 2018 Hero of the Year poll.

With the 2018 Jerk of the Year voting already well underway, the 2018 Hero of the Year should provide a little Yin to the Yang that has been the 2018 class of jerks.

But the 2018 Hero of the Month field is unlikely to be full of household names, nor everyday newsworthy people, they will of course be obscure, almost forgotten at this stage of the year, and unsung.

We love them, and so should you. And they’re all waiting to see you, vote for them in the 2018 Hero of the Month poll.

This is a slight rebranding of our Person of the Year award, which is now into its fifth year. Keep reading for the honour roll of previous winners, and the chance to be a part of choosing this year’s hero.

HOW DOES THE 2018 HERO OF THE YEAR NOMINATIONS WORK

Anyone who won a monthly Hero of the Month award in 2018 are automatically included, as they should.

Next are the next best people who polled the most votes across the year in multiple months without winning a monthly award. 

Last, and certainly not least are the Editors Choice. Those who may not have polled strongly or included in any monthly nominations but have demanded inclusion in the 2018 HERO of the Year poll.

2018 HERO OF THE YEAR VOTING

Here’s your chance to vote on the 2018 Hero of the Year. You can vote for as many nominations as you like. Maybe they all deserve a nomination, or perhaps just your favourite three.

We have a comprehensive form guide after the voting.

As ever, Vote Early and Vote Often.

2018 HERO OF THE YEAR FORM GUIDE

Here is the story and the stats of those nominated for 2018 HERO of the Year. In order of the total votes received for the year.

PETER DASENT aka Play School Piano Man

2018 Performance: Monthly Winner in March

Why are they a Hero? 

Is there a more tedious gig in television than playing the piano to the many, many sing-a-longs on Play School? Not if you love music, which it appears Peter Dasent does – if you check out his website.

Parents and kid show enthusiasts will know of the piano based songs that fill the middle of the days when children or shift workers need some quiet time, but how many would even know the name or at minimum appreciate the fine work of the piano player. Whilst “Wheels On The Bus”  and “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” aren’t necessarily the most complex of musical beasts, surely having to play them 100+ times a year for the cold atmosphere of an empty studio deserves more credit.

Which is why we think he deserves a little recognition, and why he has earned his nomination for 2018 Hero of the Year.

Hero-Meter: 7/10

ADEBAYO AKINFENWA aka The Beast

2018 Performance: Monthly Winner in Jan/Feb

Why are they a Hero? 

Adebayo Akinfenwa aka The Beast is a lower division footballer for Wycombe Wanderers, some regulars will know him from our constant adoration. He was a previous nomination for Person of the Year.

Football’s strongest man may appear more suited to rugby, but the man still has silky skills, and can score goals. He may be in his mid 30’s too, but that didn’t stop him scoring and assisting in the 2017-18 promotion winning season for Wycombe, or continuing that in the third division this season.

And he is a proper gent off the field, and highly amusing in his TV appearances.

Whilst Wycombe are unlikely to go up this season, the votes for The Beast most certainly should.

Hero-Meter: 10/10

NOEL CALLOW aka The King

2018 Performance: Monthly Winner in November

Why are they a Hero? 

Our favourite jockey of all time, and a long overdue nomination.

He doesn’t get many great rides, but is capable of riding a value winner for his fans and many punters.

Noel Callow is also a bit of a character, and we have even met the great man after his winning ride in the last on Melbourne Cup Day of 2006, when he signed our Best Bets book. Man of the people.

Known as The King, and we salute.

Hero-Meter: 9/10

JOHN MILLMAN

2018 Performance: Monthly Winner in September

Why are they a Hero? 

Everyone likes an underdog, and it doesn’t get much bigger than beating Roger Federer at the US Open.

Australian Tennis, and sports in general needed a feelgood story, a change from the usual offerings of Jerk served up from Tomic and Kyrgios.

Hero-Meter: 7.6/10

STUBBY COOLERS

2018 Performance: Monthly Winner in September

Why are they a Hero? 

We love an unsung hero, and with summer approaching the Stubby Cooler will be as important as ever in the never ending quest to stay cool.

Stops freezing of hand and warming of beer, it is something that can’t be done without this summer, or any summer.

Interesting too is the background story to most Stubby Coolers. One perhaps that demands its own website. Or not.

Our Heroes of the month don’t necessarily need to be human based.

Hero-Meter: XXXX/10

LEE LIN CHIN

2018 Performance: Monthly Winner in March

Why are they a Hero? 

One of a few SBS nominations, and this time it is for newsreader Lee Lin Chin who quit, not retired, from reading the news for SBS this year.

Lee Lin Chin is different, professional, knowledgeable about of lot of things, which is probably why she stayed on SBS and no other channel poached her. When she says that her two days a week were getting in the way of her reading and going to the pub, that reaches a good standard of legend.

Hopefully they’ll still get her involved for Eurovision next year.

Hero-Meter: 7/10

AUSTRALIAN DIVERS FROM THAI CAVES RESCUE

2018 Performance: Best of the Rest

Why are they a Hero? 

Because they kicked arse in saving the young football team from the cave in Thailand. Finally proving diving that can be useful. Unlike a certain football tournament which was going on at the same time.

Hero-Meter: 10/10

BILLY MONGER

2018 Performance: Monthly Winner in April

Why are they a Hero? 

Billy Monger is not a name many would recognise from the world of motorsport, or at all, but he is a young 18 year old up and coming British motor racing driving who suffered a horrendous accident in 2017, which given the ferocity and speed of the accident would have killed so many in years gone by. Monger did survive in the end, but both of his legs were amputated.

That didn’t and hasn’t stopped him getting back into the sport he loves, and his return at the very end of March was the reason for his nomination for Hero of the Month.

Debuting in the ultra competitive British F3 series, Billy Monger managed to nab a podium on his return to the sport in a specially modified car. Proving what kind of talent and determination the youngster has.

If that doesn’t deserve a nomination for Hero of the Month, we don’t know what will.

Hero-Meter: 10/10

DANIEL REPACHOLI

2018 Performance: Monthly Winner in April

Why are they a Hero? 

Is there anything more Australian than a man looking a lot like Ned Kelly winning a shooting Gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games?

Probably, but not in April 2018, thanks to the big games.

Daniel Repacholi has competed at the last four Commonwealth Games, won gold at three of them, and been a medalist at all of them.

He is one of the many unsung golden heroes that most will forget, or have already forgotten, but we add him to our list for Hero of the Month for April.

Hero-Meter: x/10

MARCO TRUNGELLITI

2018 Performance: Monthly Winner in June

Why are they a Hero? 

The Argentine was the lucky loser of French Open Tennis qualifying who drove 1000km the day before to fill in for Nick Kyrgios who pulled out of the French Open. With his family, including his Grandmother, in the car.

He was rewarded for his effort, firstly he was scheduled to play Bernard Tomic, the closest thing to a bye in tennis but still needing to be on court, and he grabbed himself $122K for the win.

Sweet work on that day, sadly he only made it as far as the second round where he was beaten by Marco Cecchinato. But a spot in our Hero of the Month poll too.

Hero-Meter: 6.7/10

NETTA

2018 Performance: Monthly Winner in May

Why are they a Hero? 

Eurovision might not be to everyone’s taste, perhaps that is because it is not a run of the mill reality singing competition based on LCD and semi famous judges trying one last slice of Remember Me before they fade out of existence.

Not that we always follow Eurovision ourselves, but after being given the tip on the Israeli tilt at Eurovision, it took only 2 minutes of listening to the song to determine that it was a future Eurovision winner, and possibly a number one around the world.

Well, we were proven right on the first count, and who wouldn’t love a song called Toy, with an eccentric looking singer making rapping chicken sounds during part of the song. The way music should be.

Hero-Meter: 6/10

BISHOP MICHAEL CURRY

2018 Performance: Monthly Winner in May

Why are they a Hero? 

In the biggest news story so far this year, a little event called the Royal Wedding, a little known US Bishop almost stole the show, or arguably did steal the show. A mean feat given the stature of the royal family, and that there were Clooneys and Beckhams in attendance.

US Bishop Michael Curry dropped a decent serving of God in his sermon, proving that religion doesn’t always have to bore you to death in life. A nice, legal, moral show of passion from a religious type that happens inside the church.

He’ll always be a trivia question from now onwards, so remember the name for that Thursday night event at the local pub, and why not sling him a vote or two in May;s Hero of the Month.

Hero-Meter: 6/10

ALBERTO BRIGNOLI

2018 Performance: Best of the Rest

Why are they a Hero? 

Most will probably not know neither Benevento or Alberto Brignoli, but he earned himself a spot in our Hero of the Month nominations earlier in the year after scoring a sweet last minute header, as a Goalkeeper.

But it is not just the fact that he is a goalkeeper, and the header was a particularly excellent dive header, it was the context of the moment that made it so great.

Benevento were promoted to the Italian Serie A and as the big club that is AC Milan arrived for the game, Benevento had yet to take a point. Not even a draw in their first 14 matches. 14 straight losses to start the season. The video tells the story of the goal, but what a way to earn your first top flight point, and against AC Milan. Look for it at the end.

Hero-Meter: 7/10

EIBAR

2018 Performance: Monthly Winner in November

Why are they a Hero? 

SD Eibar are a quintessential sporting team for The Gurgler. Small, obscure, and punch well and truly above their weight.

They have been in the top flight of Spanish football since 2014, and were lucky to survive their first season, as they finished in third last and were technically relegated. However financial problems for another club saw a reprieve, and they have hung around ever since. And prospered.

The location of Eibar has only 27,000 people, the ground is the smallest in La Liga, from one view you can see just a hill with a few trees on it. 

Their match against Real Madrid showed how much above their weight they can punch. They beat no less than the Champions League winner for the first time ever. And really pulled their pants down with a sweet 3-0 win that could have been even more.

Hero-Meter: 9/10

GIBRALTAR FOOTBALL TEAM

2018 Performance: Monthly Winner in October

Why are they a Hero? 

Didn’t know Gibraltar had a Football side? Did you know they won their first ever competitive match in October since finally being allowed to be a FIFA nation in 2016.

Gibraltar beat Armenia 1-0 away from home, and after the Armenians played the wrong national anthem at the start. It was their first win in a competitive match. Happily they doubled down a few days later against European powerhouse Liechtenstein. Who says UEFA Nations League D would be boring.

Hero-Meter: 7/10

SBS WORLD CUP COVERAGE

2018 Performance: Best of the Rest

Why are they a Hero? 

The last football nomination, but SBS demand inclusion in the 2018 Hero of the Year after saving the coverage for everyone.

For the first time ever a paywall was put up around the World Cup, but the providing broadcaster Optus Sport was so hopelessly unprepared for the largest sporting on the planet that it had to hand the coverage over to SBS.

Lucy Zelic and Craig Foster kicked arse, and looked pretty tired towards the end of the festival of football, but were first class throughout, hopefully proving that the Football World Cup should never leave SBS ever.

Hero-Meter: 9/10

IAN KIERNAN

2018 Performance: Monthly Winner in October

Why are they a Hero? 

Known for convincing people to give up one of their weekend days to clean up crap around Australia. He recently passed away, giving us a reminder of his fine work.

He also set an Australian record for a solo circumnavigation of the world, which gave him the inspiration for the Clean Up.

Hero-Meter: 8/10

MICHAEL BEATTY

2018 Performance: Editor’s Choice

Why are they a Hero? 

Someone who didn’t receive a monthly nomination, but really should have.

Michael Beatty is the man you’ll see on the TV news in Queensland who has to provide some opinion on what is usually some awful piece of treatment of an animal.

You can see by the genuine sadness in his eyes that every case hurts.

A hero for the animals of the world. The good ones that is.

Hero-Meter: 8/10

GREG NORMAN

2018 Performance: Editors Choice

Why are they a Hero? 

Greg Norman is known by many around the world as The Shark, and for his golfing exploits. Most of them good.

As good as he golf was, his nomination is for a photo shoot of the man in a special Body issue of the ESPN magazine.

For an age well into his 60’s he is looking good. And why not let the world see your birthday suit if you don’t have a green jacket to wear.

An inspiration to attempt to look as good at half his age.

Hero-Meter: 8/10

THE HERO / PERSON OF THE YEAR HONOUR BOARD

This is the fifth edition of the Person/Hero of the Year, and here are the previous winners.

The Farmer from Shaun the Sheep Wins 2017 Gurgler Person of the Year

Charles Strunk 2016 Gurgler’s Person of the Year

PNG League Star Willie Minoga wins The Gurgler Person of the Year 2015

The Gurgler’s Person of the Year 2014 announced – Reggie Rabbitoh wins The Golden Turpie

2018 HERO OF THE YEAR OTHER FILLER