McPhee claims first Sutton Medal in premiership year

Midfielder Jack McPhee has claimed his first Sutton Medal as North Albany’s fairest and best player, prevailing in a tight count last Thursday to cap off a year that included his second Great Southern Football League premiership.

In a season in which the Kangas won a fourth-straight GSFL flag, McPhee finished strongly to edge out fellow star Matt Orzel by five votes at the finish.

The prolific ball-winner polled 111 votes to defeat Orzel (106 votes), while Jesse Wynne (68), Ray Padfield (57) and Alec Haskins (45) rounded out the top five. Wynne was named best first-year player and Padfield was announced as most valuable player, while Grant Corcoran (best team man) and Luke Chambers (coaches) also won awards.

In the minor grades, Digby Nuthall (colts), Ian Robson (reserves) and Talon Delacey (sixteens) were the other Kangas fairest and best winners.

On Saturday night, Royals held their season awards, with gun midfielder Dave Parker winning his fourth league best and fairest honour over youngster Tyron Smallwood.

Parker finished the season on the sidelines with a serious knee injury, but polled 52 votes to win the top honour from Smallwood (37), last year’s winner Henry Hodge (29), Corey Ward and Taylor Powell. The Weld Award was also won by Parker, with Hodge runner-up, while Tom Baldwin was rookie of the year and Smallwood player of the finals.

Rhys Jones, Trevor Craig and Kathleen Mier were all awarded Lions life membership.

In the minor grades, Brayden Parker and Collin Pass (reserves), Jaike Dale (colts) and Harry Crane (sixteens) were their other fairest and best recipients.

Kleemann medallist Zane Marwick added to his brilliant season with a third Railways league fairest and best in a runaway vote count last Friday.

Marwick polled almost half of the available votes, finishing with 206 to easily defeat Matt Van Schayk (139), Logan Stubber (122), Tayler Neale (97) and Craig Frost (86). Haydn Sproxton won the prestigious George Stephens Medal for outstanding services to the club and Ethan Knee was best under-21 player .Matt Warburton (reserves), Rory Gibbs (colts) and Mitch O’Neill (sixteens) were the Tigers’ minor-grade winners.

Dominant midfielder Ryan Gaerth won his first Denmark-Walpole league fairest and best award convincingly in his first season at the club.

Gaerth polled 107 votes to beat runner-up Jak Phillips (69), while Tom Rossignuolo (reserves), Max Cummuskey (colts) and Liam Park (sixteens) were the fairest and best winners in their minor grades.

Last Friday, Albany held their season awards, with ruckman Stewart Davies prevailing in a thrilling fairest and best count from Jack Banks.

Davies polled 99 votes to edge out Banks (92) with Michael Simpson (79) in third spot.

Tait McLean was backman of the year and Zac Pearson won the coaches award. Jono Woods (reserves), Bryce Blaszkow (colts) and Kya Faulkner (sixteens) were the Sharks’ fairest and best in the minor grades.