NICHOLS MEDAL CHANCES
RUSSELL Jeffrey played a lot of Premier League football with Wanderers and Palmerston through the 1980s, ’90s and briefly into the noughties.
It is why the AFLNT Hall of Famer and Team of the Century member is highly qualified to pick a Nichols medallist from a very competitive and even 2018-19 NTFL season, ahead of tonight’s annual gala dinner.
Jeffrey never won the coveted award, even if he was the pre-count favourite 20 years ago and right in the mix on at least another five occasions.
A regular at NTFL matches where he watches the progress of his former sides and more closely, the rise to prominence of his son Joel in a Wanderers jumper, Jeffrey has isolated two frontrunners in the race for this season’s medal.
“I think it’s going to be a two-way run between Palmerston’s Matt Dennis and Nathaniel Paredes from St Mary’s,’’ Jeffrey told the Sunday Territorian.
“They’ve been too consistent and pretty much won matches off their own boots and that has got to get noticed in games of footy.
“Medals these days are basically aimed toward the on-ballers who are in the face of the umpires, where they pick up a lot of touches and have big influences on games.
“Certainly, if I was an umpire, I would be looking for players who do something with the ball when they get it in their hands, not necessarily the number of times they get it.’’
Jeffrey has also been impressed by Southern Districts midfielder Clinton Gallio, who despite missing several games at the end of the home-and-away season, is a very good user of the football.
“Young Clinton Gallio is a player I like. He’s a very good in-and-under player who has been able to turn games in Districts’ favour,’’ Jeffrey said. “He did miss a lot of games after Christmas, but if you can get the maximum votes or just under them in five or six games, you are going to be right in the race.’’