Best & fairest: Ararat’s Tom Williamson claims Toohey Medal with 26 votes
A Wimmera league star has made amends for last year, while two major leagues have finished in a three-way tie. See all the winners across state.
WIMMERA
Ararat’s star co-coach Tom Williamson has taken out the Wimmera league Toohey Medal, 12 months after a one-match suspension from a video review robbed him of the prestigious award.
The Carlton player, who returned to Ararat last year and played in its premiership team, polled 26 votes to win from Stawell coach Tom Eckel, who was a beneficiary of Williamson’s suspension last year when he finished in a tie for the award.
Williamson wasn’t reported by the umpires in the 2023 match against Warrack Eagles, but he was booked on a video review of the match and subsequently suspended for one game.
Williamson is co-coach of Ararat with Tom Mills, who also played in the club’s premiership win last year.
Ararat plays Southern Mallee in Saturday’s grand final at Dimboola for the second year in a row.
Southern Mallee merged with Jeparit-Rainbow to become the Thunder this season.
Thunder’s Billy Lloyd finished third in the Toohey Medal count after being a previous winner inn 2016 when he played for Horsham Demons.
Williamson also topped the Wimmera league goalkicking this season.
He has booted seven goals in two finals including six against Thunder in the second semi-final to take his overall tally to 64.
BENDIGO
Three Bendigo league stars who will be key players in Saturday’s grand final between Gisborne and Sandhurst have completed a three-way tie in the Michelsen Medal count for the first time in 45 years.
Gisborne pair Brad Bernacki and Braidon Blake and Sandhurst’s Lachlan Tardrew all finished on 20 votes.
The winning trio all polled votes in the final round with pre-count favourite Tardrew picking up three votes for his 32-possession match in Sandhurst’s win against Castlemaine.
Another Gisborne star, Flynn Lakey, who was runner-up last season, finished two votes back in fourth.
Bernacki finished runner-up in two previous counts in 2019 and 2022 after returning to Gisborne from Essendon’s VFL team on a full-time basis this season.
Bernacki, Blake and Lakey were all members of Gisborne’s 2022 premiership team when it beat Strathfieldsaye in the grand final.
Tardrew was also back in the BFL permanently this year after playing 19 matches for Collingwood’s VFL team last season.
The last time the Michelsen Medal finished in a three-way tie was in 1979 when Golden Square’s Eric Pascoe, South Bendigo’s Gary Cowling and Sandhurst’s Peter Tyack all polled 14 votes.
CENTRAL MURRAY
The Central Murray league’s Jack Betts Medal has also finished in a three-way tie for the first time since the league’s inception in 1997.
Tooleybuc-Manangatang ruckman Connor McDonald, Cohuna Kangas midfielder Joel Helman and Mallee Eagles forward Harry Allen all polled 24 votes.
Helman and Allen have become two-time medal winners following outright wins in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
Helman also won a Heathcote league Cheatley Medal in 2019 when he played for North Bendigo.
BALLARAT
East Point’s Matt Johnston has won the Ballarat league’s Henderson Medal by six votes ahead of Saturday’s grand final against Melton.
Darley star Brett Bewley was runner-up after winning the last two medals.
OVENS & MURRAY
Yarrawonga midfield dynamo Willie Wheeler won the Ovens & Murray league’s Morris Medal by one vote from Albury ruckman Isaac Muller.
Wheeler will line-up in Sunday’s grand final against Wangaratta Rovers, whose star pair Sam Murray and Brodie Filo finished tied for third.
MURRAY
The Murray league’s O’Dwyer Medal count finished in a tie between Cobram’s Sam Beasley and Moama’s Jack Russell, who are both captains of their clubs.
GOULBURN VALLEY
Shepparton ruckman Ash Holland has won the Goulburn Valley league’s Morrison Medal following three seasons at Waaia where he won the Picola District league’s Pearce Medal in 2022.
GIPPSLAND
Moe star Riley Baldi won Gippsland league’s Trood Award and Rodda Medal by one vote from Leongatha’s Tom Marriott and Sale’s Jack Leslie.
Baldi was also in Moe’s best when it lost the preliminary final to Traralgon on Saturday.
Marriott has won the award twice previously.
Leongatha plays Traralgon in Saturday’s grand final with the Parrotts aiming for a premiership hat-trick under coach Trent McMicking.
North Warrnambool’s Jett Bermingham and Koroit’s Liam Hoy tied in the Hampden league’s Maskell Medal with the Eagles onballer also playing in the grand final on Saturday.
Bermingham also won the Maskell in Covid-shortened 2019 season.
North Warrnambool plays South Warrnambool in the grand final.
HUME
First-year Osborne onballer Max Hillier has become the first player from the club to win the Azzi Medal since 2017 with a crushing victory on Wednesday night.
The former Coolamon and Coleambally player polled 30 votes and finished 12 votes clear of runner-up and potential grand final opponent, Will Holmes from Holbrook.
Hillier took the lead in round eight and was never headed to become Osborne’s first medallist since Jamie Parr.
Osborne has booked another grand final berth with a 12-point win against Holbrook in the second semi-final and Hillier was in the team’s best players again.
Henty’s Sam Scott held on for third spot after leading the count early.
Holmes returned to Holbrook this season after playing a starring role for premiers Minyip-Murtoa in the Wimmera league grand final in 2022.
Holmes didn’t play until round seven due to a broken leg he suffered late in the 2023 season with Minyip-Murtoa.
He won the Azzi Medal in the Covid-shortened 2021 season and polled three votes in the last round to edge out Scott for second spot.
Holbrook must beat CDHBU in the preliminary final to set up a third successive grand final showdown between Osborne and Holbrook.
Culcairn’s Bobbie-Lee Sutherland won the A grade netball count.
SUNRAYSIA
Imperials midfielder Bryce Hards has capped off a brilliant return to the club by winning the McLeod Medal.
Hards played for Imperials in 2021 before playing for South Belgrave for the last two years.
But his return has helped Imperials climb from the wooden spoon last season into the grand final where he will be playing alongside former Essendon fan favourite Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti.
Hards polled 28 votes and was also named as ruck rover in the Sunraysia league team-of-the-year.
Former Ouyen United coach Brad Vallance has overseen the Imperials revivial this season, with his team to face Wentworth in the grand final on Saturday.
Former AFL player Jarrod Brander has kicked 87 goals for Wentworth this season including two bags of eight in two finals matches against Irymple including last week’s preliminary final.
Irymple’s Shakara Delcastegne won the A grade netball best and fairest.
HORSHAM DISTRICT
Harrow-Balmoral coach Jai Thompson has had the dream start to Horsham District league grand final week by taking out the Dellar Medal with 23 votes on Monday night.
Thompson finished two votes ahead of Rupanyap’s Bill Hansen, but his attention has turned quickly to Saturday’s grand final against Noradjuha-Quantong at Stawell.
Harrow-Balmoral is aiming to win a second successive grand final with an undefeated season after winning the second semi-final against Swifts a fortnight ago by 83 points.
Thompson kicked four goals in the second semi-final win with teammate Nick Pekin starring with five.
Thompson, who kicked 10 goals in one match this season, took over as Harrow-Balmoral coach from Pekin last year.
Thompson has made a huge impact on the league since joining Harrow-Balmoral from Leopold where he finished runner-up by one vote in the Geelong league’s Mathieson Medal count in 2016.
He also won three club best and fairests for Leopold.
Noradjuha-Quantong’s Brooke Pay has taken out the A grade netball best and fairest with 25 votes from joint runner-ups Holly Huske, who also plays for Noradjuha-Quantong, and Kaniva-Leeor’s Nikki Hawker.
MININERA DISTRICT
Penshurst captain Josh Rentsch has taken out the Mininera District league’s Lewis Medal with 33 votes in a stellar return to the competition after two years playing in the SANFL.
Rentsch, 21, played the two previous years with Sturt after winning the Morrish Medal playing for Greater Western Victoria Rebels in the statewide under-18s competition.
The 197cm key forward tied with Calder’s Flynn Lakey in the Covid-19-shortened season with Lakey starring for Gisborne in the Bendigo league this season.
Rentsch will also play in a grand final on Saturday against Wickliffe-Lake Bolac with his father Josh a three-time premiership player for Penshurst.
Penshurst is celebrating its 150th anniversary this season and is aiming to winning its first flag since 2012.
Rentsch finished seven votes clear of grand final opponent, Lachlan Reilly, with Lismore-Derrinallum’s Henry Walsh a further three votes back in third place.
Ararat Eagles’ Paige Biddle won the A grade netball best and fairest with 36 votes.
NORTH GIPPSLAND
Traralgon Tyers United has completed the senior football and A grade netball league best and fairest double with Michael Jacobsen and Rahni Styles successful.
Jacobsen played one season for Traralgon in the Gippsland league in 2019 before returning to TTU in 2021.
TTU is lining up in its third successive grand final on Saturday and will be looking to complete back-to-back grand final wins against Woodside after beating the Wildcats last year.
ELLINBANK DISTRICT
Ellinbank captain Bryce Joyce and Neerim South captain Kody Wilson have tied for the Alf Watson Medal.
Ellinbank will play Buln Buln in the grand final after earning another shot at the flag favourites with an eight-point win against Longwarry in the preliminary final.
Joyce carried his brilliant home and away season form when he was named in the best players 16 times into the finals.
Wilson has been appointed co-coach of Neerim South with Tom Muir next year.
Nilma Darnum’s Stacey Lawry won the A grade best and fairest.
LODDON VALLEY
Bears Lagoon-Serpentine’s former coach Justin Laird has blitzed his rivals to record a 10-vote win in the Loddon Valley league’s Frank Harding Medal count.
The star midfielder polled 28 votes to beat joint runners-up, Pyramid Hill’s Ben Knight and Bridgewater star goalkicker Lachlan Sharp on 18 votes.
The win by Laird softened the pain of losing the first semi-final by a point to Bridgewater the previous day.
Laird becomes the first Bears Lagoon-Serpentine player since Nathan McNally in 2006 to win the medal.
Laird coached the club the previous two years before handing over to Jake Wilkinson this season.
Knight and Sharp are newcomers to the Loddon Valley league this year with Knight joining Pyramid Hill from North Bendigo and Sharp joining Bridgewater after a stellar career with Strathfieldsaye in the Bendigo league.
Knight will play in next week’s grand final between Pyramid Hill and the winner of Marong and Bridgewater in the preliminary final.
Sharp kicked five more goals to take his season tally to 137 after being the first player in country footy to boot a century of goals in 2024.
Bridgewater defender Carly Van Den Heuvel won the A grade netball best and fairest.
BELLARINE
Torquay star midfielder Matt Boag has won the Les Ash Medal in his return season to the Bellarine league.
Boag polled 26 votes to win by six from Anglesea coach Jordan Keras on 20.
Torquay and Anglesea will play in Saturday’s grand final.
Drysdale defender Luke Preece shared third spot with Geelong Amateur duo Harry Kershaw and Riley Ferguson on 16 votes.
Boag played for Geelong league club Newtown & Chilwell between 2015 and 2023 before returning to Torquay.
He polled best-on-ground votes four times between rounds 10 and 15 to emerge as the player to catch in the count.
Boag continues the great run of success in the award by Torquay players with six players winning the award from 2014 including James Darke, who won the medal four times.
SOUTH WEST DISTRICT
Tyrendarra coach Sam Anson has polled in every match to romp to victory in the South West District league best and fairest count with a staggering 42 votes.
The star midfielder collected 11 three votes, four two votes and a one vote in the 16-round season to beat his nearest rival, Dartmoor ruckman Cody Benson, by 20 votes.
Anson can cap off a dream season with an elusive premiership medallion when he leads Tyrendarra into the grand final against Dartmoor at Portland on Saturday.
He has played in five losing grand finals in his career.
But it’s his second South West District league best and fairest victory after taking out the honour playing for Westerns 14 years ago.
“I played every game so that’s a start,” Anson said.
“It’s the first time I’ve done that since I was 18.
“We’ve got a really good team across the board, forwards, backs, and we had a good ruckman come in halfway through the year.
“We had a good side and I thought we were going to steal a lot of votes off each other to be honest.
“It didn’t turn out that way.
“But I’m more looking forward to this weekend.”
Anson has been coach of Tyrendarra for the last two seasons after joining the club midway through 2022 from Horsham District league team Natimuk.
He has also previously played for Vermont in the Eastern league and Port Fairy in the nearby Hampden league.
Tyrendarra was pipped for the minor premiership by Cavendish by 0.8 per cent with Cavendish making almost 20 per cent in the final two rounds with back-to-Back 90-plus point victories.
Tyrendarra beat is grand final opponent in the qualifying final and rolled Cavendish in the second semi-final to advance to the grand final and a shot at its first flag since 2016.
Dartmoor beat Cavendish in the preliminary final by 12 points last Saturday.
Westerns Madeline Stone won the A grade netball best and fairest by one vote from Tyrendarra’s Hannah van Gemst.
PICOLA DISTRICT
Tungamah midfielder Sam Ferguson has taken out the Pearce Medal in his second season as co-coach of the club which bowed out in the preliminary final.
Ferguson polled 25 votes to beat Katunga’s Cameron Bishop by five in the count held on Monday night.
Ferguson previously played at Congupna in the Murray league before joining Tungamah and becoming co-coach with Sean Jones last year.
Tungamah lost the preliminary final to Katandra, which will be out to stop Waaia’s push for three successive Picola District flags.
Jerilderie’s Ella Arnold won the A grade netball best and fairest.
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS
First-year Dunnstown captain Will Henderson has taken out the Central Highlands league best and fairest by one vote to end a 15-year drought in the award for the club.
The loyal clubman polled three votes in round 14 to take the outright lead in the Geoff Taylor Medal before being joined on 18 votes by Newlyn’s Sean Willmott in the next round.
They were joined on 18 votes by Skipton’s Pat Graham in round 16 before Henderson polled one vote in round 17 to regain the outright lead and hold on for victory.
None of the top-three votegetters polled a vote in the final round with Gordon’s Jordan Clampit and Carngham-Linton’s Nick O’Brien finishing tied for fourth.
Dunnstown’s only other player to win the medal was Jaye Cahir in 2009.
Cahir was a four-time club best and fairest winner and star player in Dunnstown’s last flag in 1999 when it completed back-to-back premierships.
Dunnstown remained in the hunt for this year’s premiership by beating Carngham-Linton in last week’s elimination final with Henderson among the team’s best players in the win.
It plays Bungaree in another cut throat final this weekend.
Learmonth’s Katelyn Sutton won the A grade best and fairest.
GEELONG DISTRICT
Corio midfielder Matthew James has claimed a second Whitley Medal in the Geelong District league, six years after his first win with a rival club.
James polled 30 votes to finish seven clear of East Geelong captain John McIntyre.
Bell Post Hill skipper Jack Yates and Werribee Centrals’ Tyler Crennan tied for third with 22 votes.
James won the award in 2018 when he played for Bell Post Hill.
The A grade netball best and fairest award went to another Corio player, midcourter Molly Gribble.
She beat Belmont Lions’ player Angelique Ross
TALLANGATTA DISTRICT
The Tallangatta District league’s Barton Medal count has finished in a three-way tie almost four decades after the first instance of three players finishing on the same number of votes.
Beechworth’s Cam Fendyk, who won the award last year, was joined by Yackandandah ruckman Zack Leitch and Barnawartha powerhouse onballer Jarrad Farwell on 22 votes.
Farwell is also a two-time medal winner after sharing the award with Thurgoona’s Jayden Kotzur in 2016.
Leitch finished runner-up to Fendyk last year with the pair also still alive in finals.
In 1985, Mitta United’s John Smith, Holbrook’s Paul Rossiter and Tallangatta Valley’s Stuart Maddock produced the first three-way tie.
Six years later there was a four-way tie between Holbrook’s Laurie McInnes, Mitta United’s Hugh Giltrap, Yackandandah’s Jay McNeil and Culcairn’s Scott McGrath.
Leitch joined Yackandandah from Ovens & Murray club Wangaratta and overcame some early season injury issues last year to finish runner-up to Fendyk.
After 16 rounds, Fendyk and Farwell had 22 votes and Leitch joined them in the last round when he polled three votes in Yackandandah’s last round win against Farwell’s club, Barnawartha.
Wahgunyah’s Morgan McRae won the A grade netball best and fairest by one vote from Chiltern’s Tammy Kennedy.
EAST GIPPSLAND
Star Stratford midfielder Lachlan Channing has won his first East Gippsland league best and fairest since returning to his original club.
He polled 22 votes to beat Boisdale-Briagolong ruckman Matthew Wilkinson by two with Orbost-Snowy Rovers’ Max Welsh filling third place on 15 votes.
Channing led the Stewart Wren Medal count by one after all teams had played each other by round eight, but only led by two with two rounds remaining.
Channing held on after he and Wilkinson didn’t poll a vote in the final round in big wins against Paynesville and Lindenow respectively.
Stratford starts its finals campaign in Sunday’s first semi-final against reigning premier Wy Yung.
Boisdale-Briagolong plays Lucknow in the second semi-final on Saturday.
Congrats to Lachlan Channing of Stratford, the East Gippsland FNL senior best and fairest award winner pic.twitter.com/feAUBUDSWb
— Gippsland Footy (@GippslandFooty) August 22, 2024
Channing played in two flags for Gippsland league club Maffra before returning to Stratford last year.
The East Gippsland A grade netball best and fairest was easily taken out by Wy Yung’s Caitlyn Wright.
She polled 33 votes to win by nine from Lucknow’s Hayley Morton.
HEATHCOTE DISTRICT
Leitchville-Gunbower ruckman Jobee Warde has become the club’s first winner of the Sam Cheatley Medal since it joined the Heathcote District league 14 years ago.
Warde picked up maximum votes in six games up until 13 before holding onto beat White Hills’ Liam Bartels by one vote.
Warde previously played for Echuca and the Bendigo Pioneers before switching to Leitchville-Gunbower two years ago.
Ruckmen figured prominently at the top of the leaderboard with Mount Pleasant’s Chris Down on 16 votes, Heathcote’s James Orr on 15 and Bartels’ White Hills teammate, Callum Crisp, on 13.
Heathcote’s Brooke Bolton won her third A grade netball best and fairest award with 24 votes from joint runners-up, Leitchville-Gunbower’s Ava Hamilton and Colbinabbin’s Ella Kerlin.
OVENS & KING
Bonnie Doon’s Matthew Hedin polled three votes in the final round to win the Ovens & King league’s Baker Medal by one vote from Greta’s Jack Kelly.
Hedin finished on 22 votes with Kelly not polling in Greta’s last round victory against Whorouly.
He is in his second season with Bonnie Doon, which won its first flag in the O & K last year and is well placed to go back-to-back.
Bonnie Doon joined the league in 2013.
Hedin previously played for Wangaratta in the Ovens & Murray, but had a horror run with injuries including a season-ending knee injury in the opening round of 2017.
In his last season for Wangaratta in 2022, Hedin played 13 matches at senior level.
Bonnie Doon has finished on top at the end of the home and away rounds this season with Greta the biggest danger to Bonnie Doon going back-to-back.
Greta’s Amelia Mathewson won the A grade netball best and fairest with 29 votes.
NORTH CENTRAL
Sea Lake-Nandaly’s star midfielder Wade Donnan joined his brother Trent in becoming a North Central league Feeny Medal winner when he romped home by five votes.
Donnan had recorded three top-three finishes in the medal count since 2019 including twice being runner-up before taking out the family’s second successive honour.
Older brother Trent tied with Birchip-Watchem star Nic Rippon last year.
Trent broke his ankle before the season started and has only played the last two matches at senior level.
Wade, who turns 25 next month, beat Donald ruckman Andrew Browne with another first-year big man in the league, Birchip-Watchem’s Hamish Hosking, two votes back in third place.
“You don’t win these things by yourself,” Donnan said.
“I was hoping to have a consistent one and help put us as close to winning a flag more than anything.
“(The league) has definitely got stronger.
“The teams that were dropping away the last few years have got better and are pushing everyone else a bit more.”
Sea Lake-Nandaly is the reigning premiers and claimed top spot on the ladder in the final round by overtaking Birchip-Watchem which had the bye.
“We’re looking all right,” Donnan said.
“We’re all playing for the same reasons and that’s all you can ask for.
“We’ve got a lot of young locals, so there is a pretty good vibe around the group.”
The Donnan brothers began their careers at Woomelang-Lascelles before they folded at the end of 2015.
Trent and Wade played for Bendigo league club Strathfieldsaye before they were reunited with two other brothers, Joel and Kane, at Sea Lake-Nandaly in 2019.
Joel was appointed coach in 2019 and led the club to the premiership in his first year at the helm.
OMEO DISTRICT
Swifts Creek’s Beau Hack has taken out his first senior league best and fairest award, but his focus is firmly on winning back-to-back Omeo District flags.
Hack played in Swifts Creek’s premiership win last year alongside brothers, Dylan and Jordan, who both joined rival clubs in the off season.
The midfielder, who described himself as a “Swifts Creek boy through and through”, polled 21 votes to edge out Lindenow South’s Nathan Pollard by one vote.
Hack polled three votes in the final round to beat Pollard, who has won the award three times previously and returned to Lindenow South this year after a season with Maffra in the Gippsland league.
“He is a very good footballer and I would have had no problems losing to him,” Hack said.
“But you take these awards any day of the week.”
Swifts Creek is on a late season charge that gathered further momentum with a win against Bruthen in the first semi-final last Saturday.
Hack’s brother Dylan was in Bruthen’s best players and another brother, Jordan, will line up for Lindenow South against Omeo-Benambra in the second semi-final at Omeo on Saturday.
“Our last six weeks have come together really well,” Hack said.
“We just need to keep it going.
“We had a few injuries and we’ve got blokes who live in Melbourne and Albury and they couldn’t get back every week.
“But we’re flying at the moment.”
Swan Reach’s Danielle Ryan won the A grade netball best and fairest for the second successive year with teammates Tegan Benedetti and Melissa Cantrill finishing second and third.
UPPER MURRAY
Cudgewa defender Grady Nigsch has taken out the league best and fairest in his first season in the competition.
Nigsch polled 14 votes to finish three ahead of teammate Jack Gilbee, who is also in his debut season with Cudgewa which is aiming to complete back-to-back flags after winning through to the grand final last Saturday.
Nigsch joined Cudgewa from Ovens & Murray club North Albury where he was a regular senior player two years ago.
He and Gilbee were in the best players when Cudgewa came from 21 points down in the final quarter to beat Bullioh in the second semi-final last Saturday.
The A grade best and fairest finished in a tie between Bullioh’s Kirsty Hodgkin and Cudgewa’s Malory Nankervis.
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