Quartet in battle for award

Four players look set to fight out the 2017 Albany Advertiser Footballer of the Year Award as the voting goes in-house for the remaining three rounds of the Great Southern Football League season.

After 12 rounds of voting, Railways ball magnet Zane Marwick leads the award but his advantage is only four votes after North Albany star Matt Orzel collected two votes in his side’s big win at the weekend.

Fellow Kangas gun Jack McPhee (11 votes) and Denmark-Walpole midfielder Ryan Gaerth (10) also appear in strong contention with three matches to come.

Four players sit on nine votes — Mt Barker quartet Corey Byrne, Nic Chidgzey, Peter Taylor and Kym Monteath but would need a barnstorming finish with a maximum of nine votes available.

Marwick, the winner of this award in 2015, held a three-vote lead over Byrne back in round 8 and picked up three votes in his side’s win over Albany in round 9, before earning a single vote in round 11 against the Kangas. Orzel has also polled four votes since round 8 while McPhee leapt to 11 votes after a best-afield display against Royals in round 10.

Despite his side only winning two games this season, Gaerth has polled in five matches including a three-vote effort in their narrow loss to the Lions in round 9.

The award is voted on by Advertiser reporters and will be announced at the Kleemann Medal presentation next month.

2017 Albany Advertiser Footballer of the Year Award

Round 12

16: Zane Marwick (RAIL)

12: Matt Orzel (NA)

11: Jack McPhee (NA)

10: Ryan Gaerth (DW)

9: Corey Byrne (MB)

Nic Chidgzey (MB)

Peter Taylor (MB)

Kym Monteath (MB)

8: Dave Parker (ROY)

Logan Stubber (RAIL)

7: Taylor Powell (ROY)

Jesse Wynne (NA)