Talented Sharks pair in medal success

For the third successive year, the Rod Gillies Medal has been awarded to a promising Albany player after talented left-footer Brock Anning won a tight finish to the 2018 edition of the Great Southern Football League’s colts fairest and best award on Tuesday night.

Anning, who made his league debut for the Sharks last season, played 14 of a possible 15 games in the colts competition this year and was dominant through the middle of the ground.

The 17-year-old had six votes after five rounds and doubled that tally by round 10 before holding off fast-finishing teammate Zainel Bin Busu in the closing stages.

Bin Busu polled two best-afield efforts in the final five rounds but it wasn’t enough to reel in Anning who claimed the esteemed award with 18 votes.

Royals’ Nic Finlay and Bin Busu finished with 15 votes and Lions midfielder Ben Watson was next with 12 votes.

Railways’ Joe Alvin was busy midway through the count and was an equal leader on 12 with Anning after 10 rounds, but failed to poll in the last five games, while teammate Ryan Davies finished with nine.

Anning has played six league games and was overwhelmed to win the medal as he prepares to play a key role in the Sharks’ tilt at a colts premiership in a just over a week.

He follows the footsteps of Bryce Blaszkow (2017) and Brandon Woods (2016) as winners of the Gillies Medal from the Sharks.

Earlier in the night the Sharks had success, with athletic midfielder Kya Faulkner prevailing in a thrilling finish to the Warrick Proudlove Medal, awarded to the best and fairest player in the 16s competition.

Silky Lions midfielder Tyreice Brown had nine votes on the board by round 5, but Faulkner hit the front by round 10 after polling nine votes in that period. Faulkner hung on despite strong challenges from Brown and Sharks teammate Max Baker in the last five rounds to win by a single vote.

The 15-year-old finished with 19 votes to shade Brown (18 votes), who snared five votes in the last five matches.

Baker was third on 15, followed by Lions’ Liam Buss (14) and Sharks’ Jarrod Brack (12) while Jared Hayes and Noah Madaffari also polled double figures with 11.

Brack won the sixteens goal kicking award with 39 majors while Lions’ Cameron Lazar took out the colts leading goal kicker trophy after his 49 goals in the regular season.

Bin Busu and Tigers’ Jayden Scott were named the Great Southern Storm’s best players at the Landmark Country Football Championships and Great Southern Colts Carnival respectively.