Rabbitohs five-eighth Cody Walker has been named as the recipient of the 2022 Ken Stephen Medal - Man of the Year, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to community initiatives throughout the year.
Walker was confirmed as the winner as part of the on-field festivities on NRL Grand Final day at Accor Stadium.
Earlier in the week at the Dally M Awards in Sydney, the 32-year-old had been named as a finalist for the award alongside Roosters back-rower Angus Crichton, Cowboys flyer Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Sharks halfback Nicho Hynes.
Leveraging his profile as an NRL star, Walker makes significant contributions to social justice issues and community projects, and is a long-time supporter of South Sydney’s South Cares and the NRL's community initiatives.
A former captain of the Indigenous All Stars, Walker is passionately involved in numerous Indigenous focused initiatives, including the Nanga Mai Marri (Dream Big) Program, Aboriginal Employment Program, Deadly Youth Mentoring Program and the Rabbitohs' Wellbeing Program.
His contributions include helping raise money for the Rising Warriors Program, guest speaking at NAIDOC week school celebrations and collaborating with indigenous leaders from multiple codes and industries in the Unity Dance in 2021.
The Casino Cougars junior has also worked to involve his Rabbitohs teammates in his work, and in Round 21, alongside Latrell Mitchell, surprised participants in the Souths Cares’ mentoring programs with a VIP holiday to the Sunshine Coast.
Additionally, he and a number of teammates attended group training sessions with Souths Care participants.
Walker’s supporting charity and junior club will each receive $3,500 as a result of him claiming the Ken Stephen Medal, while all 13 nominees also received $1,000 for their junior club, with Hynes earning an additional $3,500 for his junior club — the Umina Beach Bunnies — after being announced as the winner of the fan vote.
This year is the 34th time the Ken Stephen Medal has been awarded, and in 2022 the NRL received a record number of fan votes for both the Ken Stephen Medal and it’s NRLW equivalent, the Veronica White Medal.
Past recipients include Ryan James, Joel Thompson, Jonathan Thurston, Nathan Hindmarsh and Ronaldo Mulitalo.
