Nightcliff’s Brodie Filo and Wanderers’ Beau O’Connell tie in Nichols Medal count

THE NTFL’S most prestigious player award has produced another tie after Nightcliff midfielder Brodie Filo and Wanderers young gun Beau O’Connell could not be separated on 20 votes

Joint 2019-20 Nichols medallists Brodie Filo, left and Beau O'Connell get a taste of their medals. Picture: GREY MORRIS

THE NTFL’S most prestigious player award has produced another tie after Nightcliff midfielder Brodie Filo and Wanderers young gun Beau O’Connell could not be separated on 20 votes.

The tied result is the first joint medal win since St Mary’s Jarred Ilett and the late Warren Berto from Nightcliff could not be separated after the 2007-08 count.

Filo’s second medal win at Darwin’s Doubletree Hilton last night made it a hat-trick of medals for the Tigers.

And 18-year-old O’Connell, the second youngest player after 17-year-old Willie Rioli Sr in 1989 to win the medal, made his breakthrough win count by becoming the first Eagle to claim the Nichols since James McNamee in 2011.

Filo polled six best on ground votes in his total, leading until the last round of the night when O’Connell grabbed the maximum three votes against the Tiwi Bombers to draw level.

Filo’s golden run was between rounds 11 and 16 where he polled 14 of his 20 votes.

That points run included four best on ground performances against Palmerston, Darwin Buffaloes, this week’s grand final opponent St Mary’s and the Tiwi Bombers.

O’Connell was judged best on ground by the umpires on four occasions despite his club only winning three games all season, including the last match of the season.

St Mary’s midfielder Nate Paredes was third on 15 votes from Waratah’s Mr Consistency Abe Ankers on 14 votes.

Several big names failed to impress the umpires, including in-form Nightcliff pair Kaine Riley and Liam Holt-Fitz who polled 11 votes between them.

Southern Districts’ Josiah Farrer only attracted three votes and last season’s medallist Phillip Wills finished in the middle of the field with six votes.

Districts defender Brodie Lake was rewarded for a successful season in defence for the Crocodiles when he won the NT News Rising Star award by a single vote from O’Connell and Darwin Buffalo Isaac Seden-Kunoth.

Waratah produced the Gwynne medallist in the Women’s Premier League when their champion utility Lisa Roberts ran away from the rest of field.

The player they call “Robbo’’ won her second Gwynne Medal in convincing fashion, finishing eight votes ahead of runner-up Kylie Duggan from the Darwin Buffettes and 11 clear of Eliza Morrison from Nightcliff.

Nichols Medal Top 10 — 20: B Filo (Nightcliff), B O’Connell (Wanderers). 15: N Paredes (St Mary’s). 14: A Ankers (Waratah). 12: B Arnold (Night), A Hams (Tiwis). 11: E Barlow (S’Districts). 9: T Eldridge (Buffaloes), J Cheek (St Mary’s). 8: C Ilett (Night).