AFL Barwon honours iconic Barwon Heads figure

The AFL Barwon Commission is proud to announce that the Bellarine Football Netball League Senior Football leading goalkicker award will be named in honour of Steve "Chooka" Piec.

Piec was a legendary Barwon Heads forward whose remarkable feats in front of goal left a lasting mark on the competition.

He was a dominant force in the BDFL throughout the 1970s, spearheading the Seagulls during one of its greatest eras. He won the Bellarine’s leading goalkicker four times across the club’s premiership years, booting 90 goals in 1972, 77 goals in 1973, 57 goals in 1974, and 68 goals in 1976. On the biggest stage, he consistently delivered, kicking five goals in the 1972 Grand Final, six in 1973, and four in 1974 to help secure three consecutive premierships for the Seagulls.

At club level, Piec’s consistency and skill in front of goal were unmatched. He won an extraordinary 15 consecutive goalkicking awards at Barwon Heads between 1972-1986, and he also claimed the club’s best-and-fairest in 1968 at age 17, and again 1986. His name became synonymous with the Seagulls’ golden era, and his scoring power set a benchmark that has rarely been rivalled in the league’s history.

However, Piec’s legacy goes beyond the numbers. He was a match-winner, whose impact inspired teammates, lifted his club, and entertained countless supporters across the Bellarine. His ability to rise to the occasion on Grand Final day, his consistency across more than a decade, and his role in Barwon Heads’ premiership successes have ensured he remains one of the most celebrated figures in BFNL history.

AFL Barwon is proud to recognise and celebrate the outstanding contribution of "Chooka" by naming the by naming the BFNL Senior Football leading goalkicker medal in his honour, ensuring that his legacy will live on through the achievements of the competition’s leading forwards for generations to come.