Norwood’s Mitch Grigg wins 2017 Magarey Medal
NORWOOD onballer Mitch Grigg’s outstanding return to The Parade this season has been rewarded with a Magarey Medal triumph.
NORWOOD onballer Mitch Grigg’s outstanding return to The Parade this season has been rewarded with a Magarey Medal triumph.
Grigg polled 23 votes at last night’s count at Adelaide Oval to claim the state league’s most prestigious individual award by four from Port Adelaide’s Power listed Brendon Ah Chee.
Sturt gun James Battersby finished three votes back in third, an incredible performance considering he played just 11 games after injury delayed the start to his season.
“It is a magnificent honour for me, I did not expect this,” Grigg said.
“I thought I had an average back half of the season so I’m surprised.”
The medal victory is a reflection of Grigg regaining his enjoyment for the game after returning to the Redlegs.
“I’ve loved being back at The Parade, absolutely loved it,” Grigg said after the final minor round last month. “I wasn’t really enjoying my footy that much in the back half of last year. I was not getting much opportunity at AFL level and didn’t look close to be honest.
“I’m back playing with a lot of guys I won a premiership with and a lot of guys I grew up playing footy with. It’s been really enjoyable.”
Grigg was drafted from the Redlegs by the Crows in 2011 and made his AFL debut against Geelong in round 17, 2013.
He was a member of the Redlegs’ premiership side that season. He polled the most Magarey votes for the Crows state league side in 2014 and 2015 before being delisted at the end of last season following 20 AFL appearances.
Such was Grigg’s influence on the Redlegs’ midfield this season, only five players in the league had more possessions and he averaged more than 25 disposals for his 17 games.
He polled best-on-ground votes in five games, including the final-round draw with Sturt to clinch the medal. Three times in the first seven rounds the umpires judged him as the best player.
He is the 11th Redleg to win the Magarey Medal, following Matt Thomas who was triumphant in 2013, and joins Michael Aish and Andrew Jarman on the honour board.
It also continues a domination of the award by midfielders, winning the past 13 medals.
Dual Magarey Medal winners Zane Kirkwood and Joel Cross finished the count with 12 and 10 respectively.
Minor premier Woodville-West Torrens’ medal drought continues, having yet to have a winner since the amalgamation in 1991.
Chris Hall and Jake Johansen were the club’s best placed with 10 votes.
Port’s Louis Sharrad earned the reserves Magarey Medal as well as polled seven votes from four league games.