Konrad Marshall of Good Weekend magazine won the 2022 Sports Feature Quill for his entry “Being Ben Simmons”.
Judges' citation
Konrad’s feature on controversial Australian basketball star Ben Simmons was deeply researched and carefully considered. The feature took us inside Simmon’s struggles both on and off the basketball court gaining exclusive access to the reclusive player, his family and inner circle. Through the trust Konrad was able to establish over four years communicating with the family, he was able to give us new insight into Simmon’s life, delving into the topical issue of the mental health of our champion athletes. But the story ultimately left it to the reader to make up their own mind about the much maligned star. A beautifully written piece.
The winning piece
Being Ben Simmons, Good Weekend, 5 November 2022
Highly commended
Jon Ralph, Herald Sun, “I ended up in an injecting room”
Ben Schneiders, Carla Jaeger and Lachlan Abbott, The Age, “'A cultural mess': Behind the A-League pitch invasion” (Link 1, Link 2)
Shortlisted
Jonathan Horn, Guardian Australia, “The Life, Career & Death of Shane Warne”