Tom Trbojevic is one of 17 contenders for the 2025 Ken Stephen Medal after being nominated for the NRL Community Team of the Year.
Here’s your chance to vote for Tom with voting closing at 5pm on July 3rd.
The 2025 Ken Stephen Medal – Man of the Year presented by Westpac, recognises the genuine contributions an NRL player has made not only on the field, but their positive impact in their local community.
The winner of the fan vote will come away with $1,000 to give back to their Junior Rugby League Club and a Charity, as well as becoming an automatic finalist for the Ken Stephen Medal – Man of the Year.
Tom exemplifies leadership, compassion and community spirit through his tireless efforts on and off the field.
He is deeply committed to supporting junior players, fans and those doing it tough, consistently offering his time for visits, messages and events.
As a dedicated ambassador for What Ability, Tom builds genuine relationships with people living with disability, creating inclusive and joyful experiences.
From meeting with a young cancer patient to mentoring bullied youth, Tom leads with kindness, empathy and integrity.
What motivates you to get involved in the community, and why is giving back so important to you?
I’ve always had a strong sense of connection to the Manly community as I grew up here. I absolutely love the area, the people and the opportunity it has given me, so it feels like it is important to give back as much as I can to show my appreciation.
What advice would you give to other NRL players looking to grow their impact within the community?
Just get out there and give it a go. When you do that, you see how much it means to people and will inspire you to do more and more.
You’ve maintained a strong connection with the Mona Vale Raiders. What does it mean to you to stay involved with your junior club?
It means a lot to me. The club has given me a lot so I love going down there and helping when I can. I more think of it as giving the kids an opportunity I know I would have loved when I was their age.
You’ve dedicated a lot of time to your work with What Ability. What has that experience taught you, and why is creating inclusive opportunities for people with disability so important?
The experience has been awesome. It has given me a lot of perspective on how lucky I am to be in the position I am in and the joy it gives you providing people with disabilities some unique opportunities is so special and rewarding.
I think it's really important too to normalise people with disabilities within our community and create an environment for them that helps them feel included.
Your support for young Beau Hewitt was incredibly powerful. Can you share what that connection has meant to you, and how you saw it impact Beau and his family?
Yeah, Beau was and always will be a special kid. His positivity in the face of adversity was truly inspirational and that's why he touched so many people across the rugby league world.
I am extremely grateful that I got to be a part of his life and share a connection with him.
The family were just so thankful as it provided him with strength in his tough times. They were just so happy that Beau got to meet his heroes and have some cool experiences with us all here at Manly.
Beau Hewitt Tribute
