Les Ash Medal: Star Barwon Heads ruck wins first best and fairest

A Barwon Heads star has taken home his first Les Ash Medal after a controversial end to the count.

Luke Davis has won the Les Ash Medal.

A Barwon Heads star was taken home his first Les Ash Medal in bizarre circumstances after being topped in the vote count in the final rounds of the home-and-away season.

Star ruck and recruit for 2023, Luke Davis won the league’s best and fairest award with 20 votes in just his first game back at the Seagulls after a dominant career at South Barwon.

But Davis did not finish the vote count on top of the leaderboard, with Drysdale’s Ben Fennell edging ahead of him in the round 17 win over Torquay.

Luke Davis polled 20 votes. Picture: Mark Wilson

Despite polling a league-leading 22 votes, Fennell was unable to take home the Les Ash Medal after pleading guilty to an incident earlier in the season.

The Drysdale star was offered a one-week suspension for striking earlier in the season against Torquay, which was brought down to a reprimand on an early plea, making him ineligible for the Les Ash Medal.

Davis polled votes in 10 games, including four best on ground performances against Portarlington in round 2, Queenscliff in round 8, Anglesea in round 9, and Ocean Grove in round 13.

His early-season form saw Davis poll 15 votes in the opening nine rounds, but polled in just three games after the halfway point of the season.

Torquay goal kicking star Lucas Anderson finished second on the leaderboard, having booked 74 goals to accumulate 19 votes in a thrilling finish to the vote.

Anderson entered the final two rounds just two votes behind Davis, but polled just one vote against Drysdale and none in a seven-goal performance against Portarlington.

He polled maximum votes in rounds 2 against Queenscliff (10 goals), round 5 against Barwon Heads (six goals), round 8 against Drysdale (10 goals), round 13 against Newcomb (six goals), and round 15 against Barwon Heads (six goals).

Davis and Anderson were split by just three votes at round 9, with Anderson sitting on 12 votes, while the next closest was Barwon Heads’ Harrison King with 10 votes.

Anglesea coach Jordan Keras polled 18 votes to finish third in the Les Ash Medal, while Queenscliff’s Lachie Kidd polled 16 votes in a quality effort in the highest vote-getter from a non-finals team.

Originally published as Les Ash Medal: Star Barwon Heads ruck wins first best and fairest