Suspensions cost Ararat’s Tom Williamson and Numurkah’s Jamason Daniels medal wins

Suspensions have cost former AFL players best and fairest medals in two major country footy leagues. Find out what happened to the unlucky pair.

Two former AFL-listed players have this week been denied major country league best and fairest medal victories due to suspensions incurred during the season.

Former Western Bulldogs player Jamason Daniels polled a whopping 33 votes in the Murray league O’Dwyer Medal count in his second season with Numurkah.

But he was ruled ineligible due to a striking charge in a round 4 match against Nathalia.

Mulwala’s Jackson Gash won the medal with 10 fewer votes than Daniels.

Former Carlton player Tom Williamson suffered the same fate as Daniels in the Wimmera league Toohey Medal.

Tom Williamson playing for Carlton in 2021. Picture: Michael Klein

Williamson returned to Ararat this season after playing 44 matches for Carlton and topped the medal count with 22 votes.

But he was reported and found guilty of striking in a match against Warrack Eagles in the second half of the season, which also made him ineligible.

Williamson wasn’t reported by the umpires, but was booked on a video review of the match and subsequently suspended for one game.

Ararat’s Jake Robinson, left, playing against Stawell this season. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Williamson’s Ararat teammate Jake Robinson and Stawell coach Thomas Eckel were declared joint winners with 20 votes.

Eckel has been runner-up in the Toohey Medal four times including last season and has been reappointed Stawell coach for a sixth season.

Ararat will play Southern Mallee Giants in the Wimmera league grand final at Dimboola on Saturday, with Ararat looking to end a flag drought going back to 2001 and the Giants trying to win their first Wimmera league premiership since entering the competition in 2018.

Jamason Daniels playing for Shepparton Swans against Shepparton United in 2014.

Gash will also play in a grand final for Mulwala on Saturday at Moama against Congupna.

He has been racing the clock to recover from an ankle injury he suffered in round 19.

Gash sat out the last round of the season before returning for the second semi-final that Mulwala lost to Congupna, and then missed last week’s preliminary final.

Daniels was reported for striking Nathalia’s Bailey Bell, who finished runner-up to Gash.

Daniels had five votes when he was suspended and upon his return polled a further 28 votes including six best-on-ground three votes.