GFL Mathieson Medal predictor reveals top 10 and team leaders in count
St Mary’s star Harry Benson has described the “demons” he faced in his inspiring recovery and return to football after a nasty facial injury.
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Mathieson Medalist Harry Benson has described the difficult road back to football, admitting he had “faced some demons” in the lead up to his first game after suffering a broken jaw.
Benson made his much-anticipated return, equipped with a protective helmet, in the Saints’ 56-point victory against Grovedale in round 18.
The star midfielder collected 19 disposals and laid 10 tackles in his first game of football since suffering a nasty facial injury against Newtown & Chilwell that left him with four plates inserted into his jaw.
Benson said it was “surreal” to be back on a football field after watching from the sidelines.
“It was weird waking up in the morning, trying to get back into that routine, it all felt pretty surreal to be doing it again,”
“I faced some demons leading up to the game, but once the siren goes it’s just footy and you’re instinctively reacting to everything.
“It’s always going to play in your head until the first really good hit on it (the jaw), I tested it in the first five minutes, I copped a knock pretty flush on the jaw and it felt weird because it hadn’t been touched in eight weeks but once I got that hit I knew it was good to go.
“The helmet will be on the rest of the year I think, it gives me a bit of an extra boost of confidence both physically and mentally, but if I play well enough I might keep it on next year.”
Benson spent the first two weeks after the clash immobile at home and eating food through a straw as he recovered from the surgery.
He then began a “mini pre-season” while the Saints continued on their path towards finals, running and training away from the main group in a bid to return for a part of the 2022 season.
“Once I got cleared by the doctors to start running after about four weeks I started working into it, really ramping up and doing a mini pre-season to get ready,” he said.
“Long term hopefully it’ll do me well and I’ll be coming into finals pretty fit, almost all my training was non-contact until last week.
“You can do as much fitness stuff as you want, match fitness is different and I was blowing up in that first five minutes playing forward.
“Once I found my groove in the midfield and worked into the game it started to work well, the more match fitness the better.
“I was aiming for the game against Grovedale, I was never going to force myself to get back earlier even though the doctors cleared me anytime after six weeks.”
Tightest Mathieson race in years expected as Lion holds on
The Mathieson Medal race is shaping to be its tightest in years, with just two players expected to fight for the award in the final round of GFL football.
Leopold captain Marcus Thompson is predicted to be leading the count after 17 rounds on 26 votes, with Giant Baxter Mensch three votes behind on 23.
The Giants will play St Albans in the final round of the season, with all eyes on Mensch to see whether he can poll maximum votes against the winless side.
Meanwhile Thompson will face North Shore in round 18, with the Lions expected to secure a victory over the Seagulls.
Colac co-coach Darcy Lang is predicted to be on 25 votes with two games in hand after Colac moved its clash with South Barwon to round 19, but he is ineligible to win the award after being suspended earlier in the year.
The last Mathieson Medal that was decided in the final round was in 2017, when Newtown & Chilwell legend Matthew McMahon polled three votes in the final round to jump clear of trio Nathan Deans, Jarrod Garth and Lech Featherstone to win his third medal.
The three-time medalist had been suspended for two weeks for a clash with Saint star and 2021’s Mathieson Medalist Harry Benson in round 11, but had the ban overturned at the tribunal.
Addy’s Predictor: Top 10
28 – Marcus Thompson (Leopold)
26 – Baxter Mensch (Geelong West)
25 – Darcy Lang* (Colac)**
19 – Harry Benson (St Mary’s)**
19 – Nick Dixon (North Shore)
19 – Lachlan Patten (Bell Park)
18 – Jonathan Simpkin (Colac)**
17 – Jai Thompson (Leopold)
16 – Jack Blood (St Mary’s)**
15 – James Gow (St Joseph’s)**
*Darcy Lang is suspended and ineligible for the Mathieson Medal
**Colac, St Mary’s, St Joseph’s and South Barwon moved their round 16 matches to the ‘round 19’ slot and have played one less game
Mathieson night confirmed as Giant presses claims for medal
Geelong local football’s night of nights has been given a confirmed date as the end of season draws near.
The Mathieson Medal count, an award given to the fairest and best player in the GFL across the course of the season, has been locked in for Monday, August 29.
There is set to be a new recipient of the award, with 2021’s winner and St Mary’s star midfielder Harry Benson on the sidelines recovering from a facial injury suffered in round 11.
It is expected Leopold captain Marcus Thompson will be award the honours in his first year in charge, with the midfielder recording impressive numbers each week and the Lions locked into a finals berth.
Giants young gun Baxter Mensch will push Thompson in his first year in charcoal and orange, while Colac co-coach Darcy Lang is set to poll well but will be ineligible to receive the award after a suspension earlier in the season.
AFL Barwon region general manager Edward Wilson said the event would be a great night after a tough season.
“The date is completely locked in, the count will fall on the Monday after the first week of GFNL finals,” he said.
“At this stage it is set to be hosted at Buckley’s Entertainment Centre, we’re hosting our junior awards ceremony and the women’s there as well, but that’s almost locked in.”
In the lead up to the event, the Addy has looked at the Mathieson Medal count and predicted who will fight over the competition’s highest individual honour.
Find out who is in the running to lead your team’s count below, as well as the overall leaderboard.
Bell Park
Midfield star Lachie Patten has been dominant in 2022, with the Dragons’ vice-captain averaging 32 disposals (16.5 contested), more than six inside 50s and almost a goal a game this season.
Patten should see votes in Bell Park’s round 7 win against Lara, where he had 38 disposals and a goal, the round 8 victory against St Joseph’s for a 32-touch, two-goal effort, and the 29 disposals and one goal game against St Albans in round 13.
He also was best afield in the one-point loss to North Shore in round 4, collecting 43 disposals, six marks, seven inside 50s and six tackles.
Addy’s Predictor: 19 votes
Other chances: Jackson Bright (6 votes), Luke Goetz (4 votes)
Colac
Co-coach Darcy Lang firmed as the Tigers’ best chance at the medal before he was suspended for careless striking and was ruled ineligible for the award.
After 16 games for Colac (with a round 19 game to come), the Addy’s Mathieson Predictor has Lang second in the count on 25 votes.
His midfield teammate Jonathan Simpkin has been a matchwinner in a number of games, with a 48-disposal, 15-mark, 13-inside 50, two-goal game in round 6 against St Albans was one of the best individual performances of the season based on ranking points.
He should also earn votes for 34 disposals and three goals against Bell Park in round 3, 31 touches and two goals against St Joseph’s in round 12, and a 22-disposal, three-goal game against the Swans in round 9.
He also slotted seven goals against Lara in round 17 and should poll three votes.
Addy’s Predictor: 18 votes
Other chances: Darcy Lang* (25 votes) Adam Garner (6 votes)
*Darcy Lang is suspended and ineligible for the Mathieson Medal
Geelong West
Baxter Mensch is set to be a top-three favourite to take out the award at the end of the season, with the Giant putting in a dominant effort against a loss to St Joseph’s.
Mensch recorded 40 disposals but his side went down by 71 points and will prevent him from polling votes.
Geelong West is poised to miss the finals, but even in losses Mensch has consistently been one of his side’s best players.
The contested ball winner should receive maximum votes for a 37 disposals and a goal in round 2’s win against Grovedale, 38-touch game against Lara in round 4, and a 46-disposal effort against St Albans in round 5.
He’ll also be in the running for votes for 34 touches in a loss to St Mary’s in round 8, 36 disposals in a win against North Shore in round 9 and 41 disposals in a victory against Bell Park in round 10.
Addy’s Predictor: 23 votes
Other chances: Noah Gribble (10 votes), David Handley (5 votes)
Grovedale
He has only played five games so far this season, but ruck star Ryan Abbott is a chance to lead Grovedale’s vote tally at the end of the year.
The VFL-listed Cat returned from his stint in the reserve league to dominate at local level, collecting 31 disposals and 29 hit outs in round 12, 38 disposals and 51 hit outs in round 14, and 22 disposals and 54 hit outs in round 10.
He also had 20 touches and 31 hit outs in round 13 and 18 disposals and 59 hit outs in round 15, but Abbott was not best on ground in either of those clashes.
Addy’s Predictor: 8 votes
Other chances: Flynn Young (7 votes), Mitch Chafer (6 votes)
Lara
Goal kicking star Mitch Day has led an inexperienced Cats group from the front this season, booting 44 goals in his 16 appearances.
Day slotted 3.3 in Lara’s win against St Albans in round 16, and was his side’s most influential player on the day.
He started the season quite inaccurately, but has straightened up in recent months and is kicking bags of goals to keep Lara in games.
His five-goal haul against St Albans in round 10 will earn him three votes, while he should snag a vote or two against Grovedale and Geelong West.
Addy’s Predictor: 9 votes
Other chances: Billy Goodwin (2 votes), Dylan Jose (2 votes)
Leopold
All signs point towards a victory for Lions captain Marcus Thompson.
The star midfielder has led from the front in his first year as skipper, piloting Leopold to a finals berth.
According to the Addy’s Predictor, Thompson is set to poll maximum votes in seven games this season.
35 disposals, nine marks, 13 tackles and a goal in round 3’s win against St Albans, 47 touches, eight tackles and two goals in round 5’s victory over North Shore, 36 disposals, seven tackles and two goals in round 8 against Lara, and his 37 disposals, 15 tackles and goal performance against St Joseph’s in round 9 were his most dominant performances.
He should also poll three votes against South Barwon in round six for 29 touches and 11 tackles, as well as his 25-disposal, 10-tackle and two-goal game in round 10 against St Mary’s, and his 29-touch, 16-tackle game in round 12 against Geelong West.
Addy’s Predictor: 26 votes
Other chances: Jai Thompson (17 votes), Mitch Patten (6 votes)
Newtown & Chilwell
Midfield bull Blake Sutterby has been one of a few star players to lead the Eagles’ rise up the ladder.
Sutterby has averaged 28.5 touches from his 14 games this season and has been a prominent member of a midfield group at Newtown & Chilwell that includes three-time Mathieson Medal winner Matthew McMahon.
Sutterby should poll maximum votes for his 42-disposal, nine-tackle, eight-inside 50 performance in round 14’s win against Geelong West.
He should also do well in round 5, where he had 30 disposals and six tackles, and in round 8 with 35 disposals, six marks, 10 tackles and a goal.
Addy’s Predictor: 12 votes
Other chances: Ned Harris (13 votes), Matthew McMahon (9 votes)
North Shore
He has been prolific all season, but questions will be asked whether North Shore has won enough games to give its co-coach Nick Dixon a chance to win the Mathieson Medal.
Dixon is leading the competition for disposals this year with an average of 36.3 per game, with his round 15’s tally of 25 the lowest all season.
He is also averaging 3.7 marks, 5.1 tackles and half a goal a game this year, but the Seagulls have only won four games this season and sit ninth on the ladder.
Dixon should receive maximum votes for his 30-disposal, two-goal performance in round 1’s win against Lara, a 41-disposal game against Bell Park in round 4, and for his 41 disposals, eight inside 50s and a goal against St Albans in round 7.
His 40-disposal and one-goal game against St Albans in round 17 will also poll maximum votes.
Addy’s Predictor: 19 votes
Other chances: Phillip Bellchambers (4 votes), Jason Davenport (3 votes)
South Barwon
Key defender Jack Driver’s strong year behind the football should be rewarded with consistent votes despite South Barwon’s fall down the ladder.
Only in round 10, when he had 24 disposals, 10 marks, six inside 50s and six tackles in a four-point win against North Shore, has he been a clear favourite for maximum votes.
But his impact in the defensive 50, usually taking the opposition’s key forward and being able to peel off to offer intercepting help, has given him plenty of games to steal a vote or two.
In round 9’s loss to Colac, Driver had 31 disposals and 12 marks and may get a vote despite losing by 75 points.
He should also be in the votes for his 29-disposal, 17-mark performance against Lara in round 13, and his 32 touches and 15 marks against St Joseph’s in round 14.
Addy’s Predictor: 11 votes
Other chances: Andrew Boseley (6 votes), Luke Davis (4 votes)
St Albans
Votes may be hard to come by in a winless season with a percentage of 34.3 per cent, but midfielder Sam Donegan should lead the Supersaints count.
His 36 disposals, nine marks, six tackles and four goals in round 7 may be enough to get on the board despite St Albans suffering a 23-point loss to North Shore.
Donegan also had 24 disposals and 12 tackles against Bell Park, but would struggle to catch the umpire’s attention in a 70-point loss.
Addy’s Predictor: 3 votes
Other chances: Hayden Elliot (3 votes), Jacob Russell (2 votes)
St Joseph’s
Midfielder James Gow has been a consistent beast for Joeys as they try to hold onto a finals spot this season.
He should poll three votes in round 5 for his 36 disposals (25 contested) against Lara, his 30 touches and four goals in round 11 against St Albans, and for his 30-disposal, one goal performance against Geelong West in round 15.
Strong games against Newtown & Chilwell in round 10 and Grovedale in round 12 should net him some votes as well.
Addy’s Predictor: 13 votes
Other chances: Brant Haintz (13 votes), Reid Adams (9 votes)
St Mary’s
2021’s Mathieson Medalist Harry Benson was making a case to go back-to-back before a nasty jaw injury suffered in round 11 put him on the sidelines.
He is still a chance to make a comeback in the latter stages of this season, but it is unlikely he polls any more votes.
Benson should collect three votes in round 4 for his 33-disposal, one-goal effort against South Barwon, as well as a three-game stretch in round 7 (39 disposals, 10 tackles and a goal against St Joseph’s), round 8 (31 disposals, eight marks, seven tackles against Geelong West), and round 9 (36 disposals and 13 tackles against Bell Park).
Addy’s Predictor: 19 votes
Other chances: Jack Blood (16 votes), Jarryd Garner (12 votes)
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Originally published as GFL Mathieson Medal predictor reveals top 10 and team leaders in count
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