Adelaide Crows key defender Daniel Talia wins Malcolm Blight Medal for the first time

DANIEL Talia is officially the Adelaide Football Club’s best player — and increasingly the Crows’ most-important player for its AFL premiership dream.

DANIEL Talia is officially the Adelaide Football Club’s best player — and increasingly the Crows’ most-important player for its AFL premiership dream.

Talia, 23 next month, on Friday night earned his first Malcolm Blight Medal as the Crows’ club champion.

He polled 79 votes, pipping 2013 champion Rory Sloane by two votes in an absorbing count at the Adelaide Convention Centre last night.

Talia’s record as a hard-checking key defender — who was beaten just twice this season — was recognised by the Adelaide coaching staff that graded each player 0-8 in every game of the Crows’ 22-game season.

Talia polled votes in every game except the round 12 clash with Fremantle (in which he was overshadowed by Dockers captain Matthew Pavlich) and the round 19 game against West Coast at Adelaide Oval where he was concussed and subbed out of the match at half-time.

Coach Brenton Sanderson and his match committee twice regarded Talia as Adelaide’s best-afield — in the round 21 loss to Richmond in which Tigers key forward Jack Riewoldt did not kick a goal; and in Sunday’s season-closer against St Kilda.

Talia becomes the first key defender to wear the Adelaide gold jacket since centre half-back Nathan Bock’s triumph in 2008.

The leaderboard suitably recognised the consistent performers who repeatedly carried the Adelaide football team through its inconsistent season.

Co-captain Patrick Dangerfield was third — just three votes behind Talia.

The midfielder, who carried heavy hits to his body this season, recorded the perfect game when he polled eight votes against Greater Western Sydney in Sydney in round five. He kicked five goals and had 33 disposals.

Half-back Brodie Smith was a contender in the last round, but finished fourth with 72 votes.

Ruckman Sam Jacobs, who has career-best figures for disposals and hit-outs, completed the top-five roll call on the leaderboard with 70 votes.

The interesting side story from last night’s count was experienced midfielder Scott Thompson’s polling.

The winner in 2011 and 2012, Thompson polled 68 votes to rank sixth. Had he not missed three games late in the season with a back-related hamstring strain, Thompson would have probably claimed his third Malcolm Blight Medal.

Opportunist forward Eddie Betts’ move to Adelaide from Carlton as a free agent this year — a recruiting play that drew criticism for the $2 million salary offered by the Crows — was hailed by Sanderson last night as incredible value.

Not only did Betts claim the leading goalkicker award (51 goals), but he also ranked in the top-10 on the Blight Medal leaderboard with 60 votes.

The emotionally moving presentation last night was the first awarding of a trophy in honour of the late Dean Bailey who died of cancer at the start of the season.

Adelaide dedicated an annual trophy that recognised strong development as a team player to a squad member without an AFL contract. The first winner is Murray Bridge recruit, defender Michael O’Malley.

LEADERBOARD

79: D. Talia

77: R. Sloane

76: P. Dangerfield

72: B. Smith

70: S. Jacobs

68: S. Thompson

63: M. Jaensch

60: E. Betts

50: J. Jenkins

49: R. Douglas

47: J. Podsiadly

45: D. Mackay, T. Walker

41: M. Wright

39: S. Kerridge

37: L. Brown

35: B. Martin

32: R. Laird

31: B. Crouch

19: A. Otten

14: T. Lynch

13: K. Hartigan

13: J. Lyons, B. Reilly, B. Rutten

12: R. Henderson

11: C. Cameron

9: S. Shaw

8: J. Petrenko

6: M. Grigg

4: L. Thompson

3: J. Porplyzia

2: L. Johnston

1: S. McKernan

CROWS AWARDS

MALCOLM BLIGHT MEDAL: Daniel Talia

BEST TEAM MAN: Taylor Walker

COACH’S AWARD: Eddie Betts

MARK BICKLEY EMERGING TALENT (for young player upholding club values): Charlie Cameron

19th MAN AWARD (from supporter base): Rory Sloane

LEADING GOALKICKER: Eddie Betts (51)

DR BRIAN SANDO TROPHY (for team sacrifices): Nathan van Berlo

DEAN BAILEY AWARD (development player): Michael O’Malley

SANFL CLUB CHAMPION: Ian Callinan