The third annual Western Advocate Sports Awards will see a new person crowned as Sportsperson of the Year, joining former winners Trent Copeland and Laurence Mifsud.
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A crop of fresh faces have been named as this year’s candidates and will by vying for your vote.
For the next month, we are asking you to vote for your favourite athlete or performance across 10 categories.
To make things easier we have decided on five finalists in each category - something which in itself was no easy task - that you can chose from. (The nominees for each category are below).
The finalists represent a host of sports from cricket and rugby league to shooting and powerlifting.
Voting will run for a month and in a new initiative this year, results will be viewable online for the first couple of weeks before going behind closed doors towards the end of the month. The winners will be announced in early February.
You can vote as many times as you like - just refresh your browser after you submit your answers to be taken back to the voting form.
You can also vote for as many categories as you like - just one, or all ten.
INTERNATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Mark Renshaw - On a day all Australians hold dear - April 25, Anzac Day, Renshaw and Matt Goss staged a thrilling battle in the day's Tour of Turkey stage and ultimately, by barely a few centimetres, it was the Bathurst rider who triumphed.
Tamsyn Moana-Veale - Moana-Veale is still young enough to compete in age-restricted triathlons, took on some of the best in the world in Spain in a World Cup race and didn't just compete but managed to finish in 10th as a heap of her opponents prepared for the London Olympics.
Archie Thompson - As good as ever for the Melbourne Victory in the A-League where he is the leading scorer in the competition's history, Thompson was recalled to the Socceroos side this year and responded by slamming three goals in five minutes against minnows Guam and he now sits on 28 goals for his country, just one behind record holder Damian Mori.
Michael Coles - Coles was selected for the Australian trap-shooting team on the back of a finals appearance at the national titles and shot at the World Cup in Italy against a host of Olympic shooters.
Laurence Mifsud - Mifsud has been in and around the Australian junior basketball set-up for a while and in April he headed to Germany where he represented the under 19s Emus at the Albert Schweitzer tournament.
NATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Trent Copeland - While there was no international call-up in 2012 Copeland continued to rack up the scalps for NSW, taking 23 Sheffield Shield wickets at 28.3 and also hitting his second half-century for the Blues.
Les Fraser - Continued to dominate the Australian fly-shooting scene, particularly at the Victorian State titles where he claimed almost every classification on offer.
Tamsyn Lee/Rachel Miller - The Bathurst hockey duo once more represented the NSW Arrows in the Australian Hockey League, making it to the final before they were bested by Western Australia.
Haylee Lepaio - Notched up her 12th career double-double for the Newberry College Wolves in the American collegiate basketball competition and was twice named South Atlantic Conference player of the week.
Harry Siejka - In addition to playing a couple of NRL games for the Penrith Panthers, was named man of the match in the inaugural under 20s State of Origin match against Queensland.
STATE PERFORMANCE
Jodee Simson - While still competing in age championships, the 15-year-old did well enough at the NSW Open swimming titles to qualify for the national championships in the 50m breaststroke.
Grant Barton - Qualified for the Australian five-stand shooting titles courtesy of his performances at NSW selection meetings. Also selected to the Australian team for 2013.
Dan Wright - The veteran weightlifter showed his class by blowing away the competition at the NSW Powerlifting Championships this year, winning the overall open state title before winning the Australian masters crown, winning ‘best lifter’ at the national titles, breaking national records and even setting new marks for the Global Powerlifting Alliance.
Grace Schumacher - Was part of Eglinton Public School's winning Kelly Cup tennis team, beat the top-ranked City player while representing Country, selected for NSW PSSA hockey team.
Amanda Turnbull - Drover 130 winners for the 2011-12 season and was ranked second in NSW in the drivers premiership.
LOCAL PERFORMANCE
Max Hope - Slammed the first top-grade double-century in Bathurst cricket for just over a decade when he rescued Rugby Union from 4-21 by smashing 265 just a few weeks ago against Bathurst City.
Bathurst Pennants - The first division pennants side led by Paul Bright claimed their second straight Central West Golf Association title in 2012.
Teagan Burke - Averaged 22.75 points per game in the Bathurst Goldminers' women's State League championship winning season.
Nick North - Won virtually every major triathlon held around the Central West during a golden season.
Jarryd Bird - Won his first Wentworth Open title after defeating the prolific Robert Payne to claim the championship.
EVENT OF THE YEAR
Bathurst 1000
Bathurst Gold Crown
Blayney2Bathurst Cycling
Bathurst 12 Hour
Under 18s Girls Hockey Championships
SENIOR SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR
Archie Thompson - A consistent performer, Thompson worked his way back into the Australian team at the age of 34 and has been a regular scorer. He is now extremely close to becoming Australia's leading goal scorer.
Haylee Lepaio - Has established herself as one of the go-to players for her Newberry College Wolves basketball team. She was the leading double-double scorer in her division.
Tamsin Moana-Veale - Finished 10th at the Banyoles World Cup in Spain earlier this year and then 30th at the junior women's International Triathlon Union's World Championships Grand Final in Auckland in the biggest year of her career to date.
Les Fraser - The talented shooter had another big season in 2012, taking out the Heavy Gun division of the Australian Flyshooting competition for the second year in a row, one of several new additions to the trophy cabinet.
Dan Wright - The veteran weightlifter showed his class by blowing away the competition at the NSW Powerlifting Championships this year, lifting 350 kilograms in the squat, 195kg in the bench and 335kg in the deadlift. His feat was even more incredible because he was the only competitor in the over 40s so he dropped into the opens division and beat much younger lifters.
JUNIOR SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR
Connor Slattery - Helped Australia to win the under 12s indoor cricket World Cup in South Africa. Incredibly, he had only been playing indoor for around six months before his selection in the green and gold.
Grace Schumacher - Was ranked third in her age group in the state for tennis this year and played a major role for Eglinton Public as they won the Victor J Kelly Cup.
Jodie Simson - Has had an outstanding year in the pool, competing at a state and national level in her pet event, the 50 metres breast stroke.
Harry Carter - Was picked up by the NSW Institute of Sport cycling team and had strong results at state and national level.
Mike Ingwerson - Was Player's Player as NSW Country went down to Queensland and also played in the Country Championships final for the Western Rams and Group 10 grand final with Bathurst Panthers, unfortunately losing both.
JUNIOR TEAM
St Pat's Group 10 Rugby League Under 18s - Premiership winners.
Bathurst High School Astley Cup - Winners of the prestigious inter-school title against Orange High and Dubbo Senior College.
4Bs and Kenny Spring Junior Cycling Teams - The two Bathurst junior cycling teams competed at state and national level, claiming numerous medals and titles.
Bathurst Goldminers Basketball Western Junior League teams - An incredible six of eight WJL teams came went on to win their divisions in 2012 including all four girls teams. Those six teams also went on to get strong results in the State Cup.
Eglinton Public School Victor J Kelly Cup Tennis Team - After finishing as runners-up a year earlier, Eglinton managed a major achievment by claiming the state title for primary schools tennis. Kelso High were the last Bathurst team to win the competition 28 years ago.
SENIOR TEAM
St Pat's Men's Premier League Hockey Team - Had an outstanding season but were underdogs heading into the grand final against Lithgow Panthers. Were down 3-0 late in the game but were able to equalise then prevail on penalties.
Bathurst Women's State League Hockey Team - Showed the strength of women's hockey in Bathurst by taking out the Open Women's Field State Championships division one against some red hot teams including Campbelltown and Eastern Districts.
Bathurst Bushrangers Central West AFL First Grade Team - Had to beat defending premiers Cowra to take the premiership, their first flag in three years.
CSU Mungoes Blue Centennial Coal Cup Rugby League Team - Making the move from Tertiary League to Centennial Coal Cup paid dividends for the university club as they had two teams in the competition, Blue finishing as minor premiers and eventually premiers while Yellow were unlucky to miss the finals.
Bathurst Goldminers Women's State League Basketball Team - With some talented players like point scoring dynamo Teagan Burke and former Australian representative star Tracey Beatty, the Goldminers were always optimistic about their chances in 2012. Even they would have been delighted to go undefeated throughout the season and take the title.
COACH
Keiran Purvis - Coached the Bathurst Goldminers women's team to their first State League title in his first year at the helm and the team remained undefeated in 17 games.
Jaden Ekert - First year in charge of the St Pat's men's Premier League Hockey team and led them to the premiership as player-coach.
Mark Kennedy - Led the Bathurst Bushrangers to the first grade premiership, beating arch-rivals Cowra Blues in the grand final.
Kevin Grimshaw - Helped St Pat's under 18s to a premiership despite playing several games with less than 17 players because of injuries and unavailability.
Mike Reedy - Reedy became driver coach for Richard Goddard in 2009 when the youngster had never seen a race track and in three years he has gone from racing in state Formula Ford series' to competing in the British Formula 3 series in 2012, a stepping stone to Formula 1. Goddard won the rookie class of the F3 Championship.