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All-Time Helms Award Winners / MVP Awards

The Helms Award has been presented annually to the most outstanding player of the Claxton Shield competition since 1962, with the exception of 1990-99, when the original Australian Baseball League presented its own Most Valuable Player Award. The award gets its name from the now-dissolved Helms Athletic Foundation, based in Los Angeles, California in the United States.

Paul Helms, who founded the foundation along with Bill Schroeder, was an American sports philanthropist whose foundation selected annual National Championship teams and presented All-America honours in college football and basketball, the two major American university sports. They also operated halls of fame for professional football, Major League Baseball, the Pacific Coast League (Minor League Baseball), basketball, golf, tennis, swimming, auto racing, and track and field.

The Helms Award in Australia was first presented to the Australian Baseball Council (now known as the Australian Baseball Federation) in honour of Ron Sharpe, one of Australia’s greatest baseballers who received the Helms Athletic Award in the United States in 1950 for his feats. The award is still known as the Ron Sharpe Trophy.

Sharpe was a 2005 inaugural inductee into the Australian Baseball Hall of Fame and a 1986 inductee into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. He achieved great acclaim for his performances representing South Australia from 1921, when he was first selected to the state team at age 16, to 1946, when he retired after representing his state for 18 seasons. In addition to his playing career, Sharpe was a baseball reporter for the Adelaide News from 1923 to 1953 and also served as a coach and administrator.

The Helms Award has had many noteworthy recipients throughout its 50 years of existence, from Hall of Famers like Laurence Home and Alan Albury to Olympians Richard Vagg, Rod van Buizen, Craig Lewis and Brett Roneberg, to current ABL players such as Tim Kennelly, Darryl George, Aaron Whitefield and most recently Alex Hall.

 

Year Player Team
2025 Alexander Wells Sydney Blue Sox
2024 Lachlan Wells Adelaide Giants
2023 Alex Hall Perth Heat
2021 Darryl George Melbourne Aces
2020 Aaron Whitefield Adelaide Giants
2019 Tim Kennelly / Markus Solbach Perth Heat / Adelaide Bite
2018 Jake Fraley Perth Heat
2017 Aaron Whitefield Brisbane Bandits
2016 Justin Williams Brisbane Bandits
2015 Aaron Miller Adelaide Bite
2014 Ryan Casteel Melbourne Aces
2013 Adam Buschini Canberra Cavalry
2012 Tim Kennelly Perth Heat
2011 James McOwen Adelaide Bite
2010 Wayne Lundgren New South Wales
2009 Nick Kimpton Perth Heat
2008 Clinton Balgera Western Australia
2007 Mathew Kent Victoria
2006 Brad Dutton Queensland
2005 Brad Harman Victoria
2004 Brett Roneberg Queensland
2003 Craig Lewis New South Wales
2002 Rodney Van Buizen New South Wales
2001 Andrew Zapp^ Internationals
2000 Chris Snelling^ New South Wales
1999 Adam Burton* Melbourne Reds
1998 Brendan Kingman* Sydney Storm
1997 Andrew Scott* Adelaide Giants
1996 Gary White* Sydney Blues
1995 Scott Metcalf* Perth Heat
1994 Homer Bush Brisbane Bandits
1993 Kevin Jordan* Brisbane Bandits
1992 Adrian Meagher* Daikyo Dolphins
1991 David Nilsson* Daikyo Dolphins
1990 Phil Dale* Melbourne Reds
1989 Richard Vagg Victoria
1988 Tony Adamson Western Australia
1987 David Nilsson Queensland
1986 Lindsay Orford Victoria
1985 Tony Stall Western Australia
1984 Brett Ward Victoria
1983 Doug Mateljan Western Australia
1982 Geoff Martin Queensland
1981 John Hodges Victoria
1980 John Galloway South Australia
1979 Brian Wonnacott Victoria
1978 Ray Michell Western Australia
1977 Ron Owen Victoria
1976 Alan Albury Queensland
1975 Larry Home New South Wales
1974 Neil Buszard Victoria
1973 David Mundy South Australia
1972 Don Knapp Western Australia
1971 Ron McIvor Victoria
1970 Paul Russell New South Wales
1969 Neil Page South Australia
1968 John Swanson Victoria
1967 Garry Thompson South Australia
1966 Kevin Greatrex South Australia
1965 Graeme Deany Victoria
1964 Adrian Pearce South Australia
1963 Kevin Cantwell New South Wales
1962 Anthony Strand New South Wales

 

*During 1990-1999, previous administrations did not recognise ABL MVP winners as Helms Award winners.

^During 2000 and 2001, previous administrations did not recognise IBLA MVP winners as Helms Award winners.

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