‘Av a look at that: Braydon Avola has been crowned the 2023 McNamara Medallist.
Photo by
Aydin Payne
Avenel’s Braydon Avola finally has his medal.
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After finishing one vote adrift of winning Kyabram District League’s senior best-and-fairest accolade in 2022, the damaging midfielder took out the 2023 McNamara Medal on Thursday night.
Held for the first time in-person since 2019, the league presentation night had Avola leave with the medal around his neck after polling 20 votes.
However, he came oh so close to sitting through a repeat of last year’s heartache.
Longwood’s Jye Formosa finished the count with 21 votes but was ruled out of the race due to being found guilty of charging in round seven.
Though he was reprimanded — not suspended — the league’s constitution states a player is not eligible for a best-and-fairest award if reprimanded.
To Avola’s glee, Formosa’s ruling out left him top of the pile ahead of Lancaster’s Cameron Simpson (18 votes).
Wombats coach Tom Davies finished fourth with 16 votes behind Shepparton East’s Thomas McCluskey on 17, and a three-way split between Murchison-Toolamba duo James Lloyd and James Milne and Nagambie’s Trent Laverie (14 each) closed out the top five.
Avola, Avenel’s vice-captain, becomes the first Swan to clinch the McNamara Medal since Kasey Duncan in 2017 and the fifth ever from the club to take out the prestigious gong.
But while his triumph was narrow in margin, the same can’t be said in the Warren Medal count.
Standout season: The 2023 Warren Medal was presented to Dookie United’s Gemma O’Sullivan.
Photo by
Aydin Payne
Dookie United’s Gemma O’Sullivan romped home in the A-grade netball best-and-fairest race with 37 votes, nine ahead of second-placed Jacqui Gahan of Girgarre.
While O’Sullivan was leagues ahead of the pack, the rest of the top five was fairly close.
Gahan’s 28 votes landed her ahead of Nagambie’s Sharni Lloyd (26), Merrigum’s Breanna Baker (23) and Shepparton East premiership winner Sarah Maskell (21).
O’Sullivan (nee Toy) joined the Thunder at the beginning of 2022 and has been a revelation on the wing and in goal attack, helping her side along to a grand final last season and a prelim mere weeks ago.
She is a former A-grade premiership winner at Shepparton Swans (2013), playing more than 200 Goulburn Valley League games.
League president Fraser Kerrins said the night was well enjoyed by all in attendance and was the perfect way to draw the curtain on another stellar season.
“It was a fantastic night where representatives from each of our member clubs came together to celebrate the league’s best-and-fairest as well as our other award winners,” he said.
“This is the first time since 2019, that we have held our presentation night in-person.”
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