Narrandera Imperial Football Club’s Luke McKay named as Country NSW/ACT’s best male AFL player

We’ve named 56 of the best male Aussie Rules players from Country NSW and ACT, and now you’ve had your say on who deserves to be crowned the best. BEST PLAYER REVEALED.

COUNTRY football is the purest form of Aussie rules, with a mix of young guns destined for bigger things, wily veterans leading the way, and ex stars plying their trade in the bush.

The biggest players of the year deserve to be celebrated, and we’re doing just that.

We’ve amassed a list of 56 of the best male players from Country NSW and the ACT.

We put the vote to you, and you decided on Narrandera Imperial Football Club’s Luke McKay as the premier player.

Playing at halfback flank, McKay was a shining light in a tough year for the club on the field, providing a touch of class.

His ability to win the ball in tough situations, as well as his incredible skillset with both the boot and handball, made him a worthy winner.

He scored 21 per cent of the vote, edging out Killarney Vale’s Tim Oosterhoff by just a handful of votes.

Luke McKay of Narrandera Imperial. Source: Narrandera Imperial Facebook Page

Final leaderboard:

1. Luke McKay (Narrandera) - 21 per cent

2. Tim Oosterhoff (Killarney Vale) - 18 per cent

=3. Jack Burch (Merimbula) - 5 per cent

=3. Lachlan Small (Pambula) - 5 per cent

=3. Thomas Hodge (Narooma) - 5 per cent

Take a look back at the state’s 56 best Country NSW/ACT players.

LUKE WHARTON (Belconnen)

A versatile player who has been named in the team of the year multiple times, as well as claiming this year’s Mulrooney Medal.

A local junior who has spent time in the SANFL. At home at half back, but can move into the midfield.

JACK POWELL (Ainslee)

Finished second in best and fairest voting this season.

Will be moving on next year after a tremendous stint with Ainslee. Was part of the Draft Combine and spent time with the GWS Giants prior to that.

LACHLAN HIGHFIELD (Queanbeyan)

Had an exceptional year and was rewarded with a high vote count in the best and fairest after playing his role in securing a flag.

A ruck rover who is always fighting hard on the ball, and a regular in the team of the year

AIDEN BOWYER (Queanbeyan)

Right up there with the best big men in the competition, which is incredible considering the ruckman is only 21 years old.

After some serious injuries, Bowyer is back at his best and dominating in the middle.

MACKINLEY MILLER (Belconnen)

A half forward who has spent time with the Giants Academy, and brought that class to Belconnen.

On the move to the SANFL after making his VFL debut earlier this year.

JOSH BRYCE (Queanbeyan)

The captain of the premiership winning Queanbeyan Tigers who has led them to back-to-back flags.

Has been a stalwart with the club over a long period and still has a huge influence on the game.

KADE KLEMKE (Queanbeyan)

Was an ex-Essendon draft pick and has a wealth of higher level experience in the backline but can push forward as well.

His class puts him right up among the best players in the Canberra competition.

CALLUM MCFADDEN (Figtree)

Has skill and an uncanny ability to somehow avoid defenders.

Should be playing higher level footy, but his presence makes the South Coast league exciting when he plays.

JACOB HENNESSY (Figtree)

Is the captain of a powerhouse Figree team for a reason.

A dual winner of the Turnbridge Medal. A ruck rover who leads by example both on and off the field.

RYAN ALLEN (Wollongong)

A smart player who is able to run all day.

Forms a lethal partnership with Will De Jong that helped the Bulldogs advance to the grand final.

NICHOLAS STACEY (Figtree)

Has the ability to play any position as a big or small.

Another smart player who is blessed with pace, a deadly left foot and never loses a contest he’s involved in.

BEN BOURKE (Figtree)

Enjoyed his first year in AFL South Coast and finished the season with a premiership to his name.

An unstoppable forward who is hard for defenders to contain.

DAN POSCH (Shellharbour)

Also playing on the South Coast for the first time, Posch was a key figure for Shellharbour up front.

The full forward was named as captain of the team of the year, a testament to the impact he had on the competition.

EDDIE KEOGH (Wollongong)

A talented key-position player who could play anywhere on the ground.

Tall but has the skills of a smaller player and very smart with ball in hand. Was the best centre-half forward in the league this year.

BRENDAN DAVIS (Northern Districts)

The Northern Districts forward is someone that you can’t hang back on.

Has been a goalkicking machine over the past few season. A tough player with a good turn of foot and rarely misses.

CAMERON DALY (Figtree)

Can play anywhere and has over the years wherever the Figtree club has needed him. Such a versatile player.

Has natural skill, is a smart operator and rarely loses a marking contest.

LEROY VEERHUIS (Figtree)

A young player but has shown this year how good he can be with some dominant performances, winning games off his own boot and dominating the ruck.

Can leap over anyone, takes strong marks overhead and great skill below his knees for a big man.

LACHLAN SMALL (Pambula)

Was named as the best on ground in the grand final in a losing side, which in itself is no mean feat.

Filled the placings in best and fairest voting, a credit to the season he’s had.

ZAK WILSON (Narooma)

Took home the league award for best and fairest for 2022, going along with a premiership for the Lions.

A player that has risen through the grades and Narooma is blessed with his ability.

SEBASTIAN HANNEBERY (Bermagui)

Finished the year as the league’s leading goalscorer with a fair margin to the next best player in the comp.

Has previously won a division two best and fairest, such is his versatility.

JACK BURCH (Merimbula)

Was within a vote of the best and fairest award, and was consistently among Meriumbula’s top performers this year.

Been with the club for a while and continues to perform.

THOMAS HODGE (Narooma)

Another player who wasn’t fair away from taking the league’s best prize.

Like Wilson, Hodge has progressed from the juniors to the seniors over the years and been a valuable asset for Narooma.

JAKE BARRETT (Coolamon)

Jake might be a familiar name for AFL fans having played for the GWS Giants and Brisbane Lions.

Now at Coolamon, Jake remains an explosive centre and all-round midfielder, winning the Riverina FNL’s Player of the Year award and the Jim Quinn medal.

MATTHEW HAMBLIN (GGGM)

At just 19 years of age, those around him think Matt will be moving onto bigger and better things soon.

A dynamic and classy rover, super evasive, great going forward and always looking to score points, and notably was best on ground in the 2022 Grand Final.

BEN WALSH (GGGM)

Captain and Best and Fairest recipient for the Lions, Walsh leads by example, controlling the back line and sometimes having a stint in the ruck.

The half back flank is excellent at floating across and taking intercept marks.

JEREMIAH MASLIN (Coolamon)

Another Riverina FNL Team of the Year player and a former Best and Fairest recipient for Coolamon.

Predominantly a half-forward flank but an exceptional all-rounder midfielder with good attacking range, evasive and quick and can take a strong mark.

MURRAY STEPHENSON (Wagga)

Stephenson played and coached for the Wagga Tigers in 2022 and made the RFNL Team of the Year, as well as receiving the Jarrod Baker Memorial Trophy.

A centre half back who still contributes well on the attack, Stephenson has one of the best marks in the competition, reads the game well, has a beautiful long kick and moves well for a man standing at around 195cm.

JONO MALE (MCUE)

Another Team of the Year player on the wing who came through to MCUE this season and cemented his spot in the team with his stellar performances.

A dangerous player with athletic ability to move forward, recording 30 goals this season.

SHAUN FLANIGAN (Wagga)

One of the season’s most consistent performers, named best on park a joint league-high of 13 times.

Approaching the age of 30, the midfielder still leaves a big stamp on each game, actively negating the influence of the opposition’s midfield.

JOCK CORNELL (Wagga)

The midfield forward is said to have some of the best footy smarts in the competition.

Joint top of the league with 13 best on park awards, Jock is a classy user of the ball, with impressive size and athletic attributes to compliment his sporting intelligence.

HARRY COLLINS (MCUE)

Best and Fairest recipient for the Goannas, Harry is a very mobile and athletic halfback flank.

His strength in cutting off the ball and intercepting, as well as launching penetrative forward kicks earned him 12 best on ground performances, the 2nd highest total in the Riverina FNL.

BRADY MORTON (Wagga)

Brady is a real top athlete with a lot of great physical attributes that really settle the back line down.

The back pocket man excelled this year in snuffing out the opposition’s best forward, while also provide a bit at the attacking end, justifying his spot in the Riverina FNL Team of the Year.

ED PERRYMAN (Collingullie)

Brother to Harry Perryman of the GWS Giants, Ed is a little guy with a lot of heart and a lot of ability.

Tough as nails, the half forward flank will be found jumping on the shoulders of any sized opposition.

SAM STENING (Collingullie)

The centre half forward had the most goals kicked in the Riverina FNL in 2022 at 62 goals scored.

Still a young player with lots to learn, but was a big player for his team this year and is expected to be a very good footballer in years to come.

MATTHEW KLEMKE (Collingullie)

Best and Fairest recipient for a minor premiership Collingullie side, Matt stood up massively for his club this year.

A very tough ruck rover who provides a lot of grind in the centre of the park, with immense talent to match the physicality.

JACOB OLSSON (GGGM)

A consistent performer for the last decade and a good guy on and off the field, with a stellar 2022 earning him Ruck player of the year.

Great interceptor and a strong marker, also showing his worth higher up the field in the finals series this year where he kicked a number of goals.

CONNOR GALVIN (Osborne)

Received the WAW Player of the Year award in 2022, Galvin is a lean and athletic, a good runner with a strong mark in him and the boot to match it.

the half forward flank is always reliable, committed to the squad and a natural leader, which have landed him an assistant coach position going into the 2023 season.

RILEY BUDD (TRYC)

Picked up club and league Best and Fairest for his standout performances this year in the Farrer FNL.

Best on park a league-high 16 times, Budd is a big frame of a centre with great strength but skills to match it, a strong overhead who finds the footy all over the park.

JOHN MITCHELL (Holbrook)

A veteran of the game but still one of the most influential players on the field, picking up best on ground in the winning grand final performance.

He’s at the back end of his career, a true veteran of the sport, but his experience and class was invaluable this year

BRAD CARMAN (Holbrook)

Brad picked up Best and Fairest in a premiership winning Holbrook side in the Hume FNL.

The on-baller is in career best form, with his never say die attitude cementing his spot in the Holbrook side.

LUKE MCKAY (Narrandera)

The halfback flank was a standout performer in a struggling Narrandera team this season.

An outstanding athlete, plays quite tall for his size, a prolific winner of the footy with exceptions skills both with hands and feet.

FRASER DURYEA (Northern Beaches Blues)

The 31-year-old is in rare company as far as the AFL North Coast goes, with his 2022 Brian Saville Medal win making him just one of four players to have claimed the best and fairest award three times.

The key forward and midfielder is a super hard worker, a great kick of the footy and an excellent catch, with Duryea regularly pulling out speccies.

TOM DICKSON (Port Macquarie Magpies)

Another versatile player who can line up in either the forward line or midfield, Dickson is an incredibly hard worker on and off the ball.

He was rewarded for this effort throughout the season when he went through a goalkicking purple patch, kicking 11 each in both round 11 and 12, and then backing that up with eight in the final round of the season and nine in the semi-final against Grafton.

AIDAN WALLACE (Coffs Harbour Breakers)

A former champion schoolboy runner, Wallace is an incredible athlete who always finds a lot of the footy.

A versatile player who can line up in the ruck, centre or half-forward, the Coffs Harbour player uses his height to take plenty of crucial marks in key areas.

WILL KELLY (Port Macquarie Magpies)

Still only 17, Kelly is one of the classier players in the North Coast comp.

A great kick and silky with his hands, the Port Macquarie Magpie is in the Sydney Swans’ Academy and played a couple of games for the Swans’ under 17s this season.

BRADEN SAGGERS (Port Macquarie Magpies)

One of the top players on the North Coast for a number of years, the midfielder/forward helped his team to grand final glory this season.

A super competitive player who is very physical, Saggers is a monster when it comes to winning 50-50s across the park.

JOSH JONES (Tamworth Swans)

The midfielder/follower dominated the North West competition this year, winning six best-on-ground awards in the first eight games of the season to walk in the competition’s best and fairest award and claim the Tony Gillies Medal.

A powerful player with a low centre of gravity, the Albury local is hard to stop in contests, while his footy smarts ensure that he reads the play well at stoppages and is a constant provider of penetrating balls inside the forward 50.

HAYDEN CHAPPEL (Inverell)

The versatile Inverell man who can play at halfback, on the ball or in the forward line is a cool, calm and collected presence on the field.

His composure and hard work also mean that he is a threat going forward, with his precise kicking and penetrating forward runs giving opponents plenty of headaches.

CLARRIE BARKER (New England Nomads)

One of the most consistent players in the North West competition, just about everything Barker does is quality.

A strong footballer and good marker, the half-forward also has a keen game sense and an uncanny knack of stepping up just when his team needs it.

ADAM CRUICKSHANK (Tamworth Swans)

If he wasn’t the teammate of the all-conquering Jones, the centre and on-baller would have picked plenty more points in the competition’s best and fairest count.

A tough footy player, Cruickshank does the dirty work and puts his head in places most other players wouldn’t dare go.

BEN MITCHELL (Tamworth Kangaroos)

A smart defender who reads the play well and picks off plenty of deliveries inside 50.

But more than simply a clearing defender, Mitchell is an asset going forward where he can switch into counter-attack mode.

TIM OOSTERHOFF (Killarney Vale Bombers)

It was a year of total domination for the full-forward/ruckman, who not only helped the Bombers to the minor and major premiership double, but also won the Elliot-Davey Medal 2022 as the Black Diamond League’s best and fairest, was the leading goal kicker with 96 in the regular season and was unsurprisingly named in the team of the year at full-forward.

The former WAFL player was also acknowledged outside the football community by being named the Sport Central Coast Community Sportsperson of the Year award.

ANDREW SCOTT (Singleton Roosters)

The former Elliot-Davey Medal winner was a standout for Singleton is a difficult year for the club, showing the class that saw him previously play in Queensland’s NEAFL and for Subiaco in the WAFL.

An excellent midfielder with a strong clearance game, Scott was named captain of the 2022 Hunter Central Coast team of the year.

JOSH MIFSUD (Killarney Vale Bombers)

The athletic mid-sized midfielder capped off a brilliant 2022 by coming second in the league’s beat and fairest count behind teammate Tim Oosterhoff.

Unsurprisingly selected in the Hunter-Central Coast rep team, Mifsud was a key part of the Bombers’ all-conquering season.

MITCHELL PRICE (Terrigal-Avoca Panthers)

The tall ruckman/forward was central to the Panthers’ this season, providing plenty of experience to the side as it marched towards the grand final.

As someone with experience playing in strong leagues in Victoria, Price stepped up for Terrigal-Avoca at key moments throughout the season, scoring two goals in the team’s grand final loss to Killarney Vale.

BILLY KING (Cardiff Hawks)

The older brother of under 15 All-Australian Schoolboy representative Max King, 18-year-old Billy is one of the brightest prospects in the region, and was named the rising star of the Black Diamond competition in 2022.

The ruckman/forward was also involved with the Sydney Swans Academy, playing five games in the NAB League this season.