Norwood’s Harry Boyd favoured to break Magarey Medal ruck curse as The Advertiser SANFL 2024 Player of the Year voting revealed

If ever a ruckman is going to win the SANFL’s Magarey Medal it should be this year, writes Andrew Capel, as The Advertiser’s footy writers reveal their votes.

A ruckman will break a long drought – and big man’s curse – and win the SANFL’s Magarey Medal for only the second time in 73 years.

That’s if the umpires’ votes align with The Advertiser football writers.

Producing a season for the ages and rucking masterclass, Norwood star Harry Boyd has finished top of The Advertiser SANFL 2024 Player of the Year voting, polling 25 votes – two more than Sturt midfield ball magnet Will Snelling.

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE OUR FOOTY WRITERS’ FULL COUNT

If the umps votes line up (they did last year when Central District midfielder Harry Grant claimed the medal), Boyd will become only the second ruckman to win the SANFL’s fairest and most brilliant player award since Norwood’s Team of the Century ruckman John Marriott in 1951.

The last ruckman to win the medal was Port Adelaide’s Ryan O’Connor, who tied with teammate Tony Brown, in 2001.

The Advertiser SANFL football writers – Andrew Capel, Warren Partland, Gordon Armstrong, Luke Marchioro and Steve Barrett – awarded votes on a 3-2-1 voting system after every game this season, with Boyd edging Snelling in a close-run race.

Redlegs ruckman Harry Boyd wins a hitout opposed to North Adelaide’s Mitch Harvey at Norwood Oval in Round 18. Picture: Cory Sutton.

Harry Boyd from Norwood receives the player of the match medal after the SANFL Grand Final match between Norwood and North Adelaide at Adelaide Oval in 2022. Picture: SANFL Image/David Mariuz

Snelling, who won the SANFL Now Player of the Year Award by five votes ahead of Boyd, led The Advertiser voting for much of the season before being passed in Round 18 when the Norwood giant polled three votes against North Adelaide.

The pair appear poised to turn this year’s Magarey Medal count – on Monday, September 9 – into a two-horse affair.

They were the standout players of the 2024 home-and-away season.

Boyd, whose elite athleticism and desire to get around the ground and become involved in chains of play saw him play more like a midfielder than a traditional ruckman, played all 18 minor round games to pilot Norwood to its first minor premiership since 2018.

The 26-year-old posted numbers rarely seen by a ruckman, averaging a remarkable 21 disposals, 42 hit-outs, 10 clearances and four tackles.

He averaged more Champion Data ranking points than any player in the competition (160.6).

Snelling, in his first season with Sturt after returning to South Australia following 64 AFL games for Essendon from 2019-23, ranked second in ranking points, with an average of 154.9.

He averaged 29 disposals, seven clearances and 11 tackles in 16 games.

The 2015 West Adelaide premiership player, who played one AFL game for Port Adelaide in 2016, missed rounds 13 and 14 following the sudden death of his dad, Paul.

Boyd, who won the Jack Oatey Medal as best on ground in the Redlegs’ 2022 grand final win against North, polled votes in nine games, with seven first preferences (three votes) as best afield.

Harry Grant from the Bulldogs reacts after scoring a goal during the Round 16 SANFL match between Central Districts and North Adelaide at Elizabeth Oval. Picture: SANFL Image/David Mariuz

Norwood's Harry Boyd dives for the ball against North Adelaide at Norwood Oval in Round 18. Picture: Cory Sutton.

Snelling, also 26, polled in 11 matches, with four first preferences.

The dynamic duo – a major contrast in height, with Boyd standing at 198cm and Snelling at 175cm – finished well ahead of the chasing pack as they led their teams to top-two positions with league-best 15-3 win-loss records.

The Redlegs pipped the Double Blues for the minor premiership by only 1.20 percentage points.

Grant (20 votes) and Glenelg’s Matthew Allen and Sturt’s Tom Lewis (18) rounded out the top five in The Advertiser voting.

Norwood coach Jade Rawlings described Boyd’s season as “incredible and as strong a season as I have ever seen from a ruckman’’.

“We are very lucky to have him,’’ Rawlings said.

“I’ve only worked with one other player, as a ruckman, who was as thorough with his preparation and knew the competition and their direct opponents as well, and that’s (Max) Gawn from Melbourne.

“Harry’s consistency is phenomenal, he offers maximum impact, is team oriented, has a level of humility about his play and his teammates love playing with him.

“Snelling has had a pretty consistent year as well, so you would think those two would be neck and neck (in the Magarey Medal race).

“But the unknown is how umpires vote on games of footy, so we will see where it lands.’’

Sturt’s Will Snelling. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Sturt’s Will Snelling in action against Central District at Elizabeth Oval in Round 6. Picture: David Mariuz/SANFL

Central District coach Paul Thomas said Boyd had been so dominant this season that opposition teams have had to change the way they play to try to curb his influence.

Glenelg coach Darren Reeves described Boyd, a Victorian who joined the Redlegs from Goulburn Valley League club Shepparton in 2021, as an “incredible player’’ and said he deserved to break the ruckman Magarey Medallist jinx.

“He just dominates games and gets them on Norwood’s terms because of what he’s able to do around stoppage,’’ Reeves said.

“I really hope he does win a Magarey because he’s been the standout player (in the competition).’’

Boyd’s highest Magarey Medal placing was sixth in 2022 when he polled 17 votes to finish six behind winner, Roosters midfielder Aaron Young.

Midfielders have long dominated Magarey Medal and the VFL-AFL’s Brownlow Medal voting, which might swing the medal Snelling’s way.

He has enjoyed an outstanding first season at Unley, with coach Martin Mattner lauding his ballwinning ability and leadership.

Mattner described Snelling’s medal chances as “pretty good’’.

“He’s had a great season and his professionalism and talent has been great for our club,’’ Mattner said.

“But he missed a couple of games and we’ve also got a few other players, like James Battersby and Tommy Lewis, who poll pretty well, so I think it will come down to whether they take votes off him.’’

NUMBERS GAME

13

Consecutive wins by SANFL club Sturt – its longest winning streak since the legendary Jack Oatey coached it to 17 straight wins in 1978.

40

Disposals by Collingwood’s Nick and Josh Daicos against Melbourne in Round 24 – the second set of brothers to have 40 or more disposals in the same game in VFL-AFL history, joining Adelaide’s Brad and Matt Crouch (Round 23, 2017).

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

“Riling up the opposition (Port Adelaide) crowd and players unnecessarily before the game doesn’t help us win, so that’s where we were coming from.’’– Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson on the club’s controversial decision to drop Josh Rachele for the final minor round.

“I always think public admonishment is a bad thing, it’s a last resort.”– AFL great Leigh Matthews on the Crows’ handling of Josh Rachele.

Originally published as Norwood’s Harry Boyd favoured to break Magarey Medal ruck curse as The Advertiser SANFL 2024 Player of the Year voting revealed