League presentation dinner
Vote counts for the senior football and A grade netball best and fairest medals gave a dramatic finish to Gippsland League’s annual presentation dinner last week.
The Trood Award and Rodda Medal for football’s best and fairest was won by Warragul’s Brad Scalzo with the last vote read on the night.
Scalzo had trailed team mate Nathan Paredes by one vote after the second last round of games but got a three-vote best on the ground from the umpires in the Gulls’ win over Maffra that won the side a place in the finals.
Paredes did not poll in that game.
Scalzo received votes in 11 of the 18 home and away games for a total of 21 votes,
Paredes in eight games polled 19 votes.
Leongatha’s Ben Willis, third last year, his team mate Tom Marriott and Wonthaggi’s Michael Kelly shared third place with 15 votes each.
Last year’s medal winner Bob McCallum of Drouin was again the highest vote getter at his club with 10.
The Hutchison Medal for A grade netball also went down to the wire.
Montana Holmes of Moe polled 23 votes to defeat Wonthaggi’s Courtney Blair by a single vote.
Karina Proctor of Drouin and Samantha Pearce of Morwell were equal third with 19 votes.
It was Holmes’ second league best and fairest having won in 2013 when playing with Sale.
Three other Drouin players - Christie Edwards (18 votes), Sarah Dunne (15) and Jessie Hedley (14) - also polled strongly.
Earlier counts on the night for the minor grade medals were also close.
Nick Tucker (Wonthaggi) scored a one-vote win over Leongatha’s Justin Pellicano to take out the Hartley Medal in the reserves.
Pellicano had some consolation taking home the trophy as the reserves’ leading goalkicking.
The senior goal kicking award was won by Chris Dunne, also of Leongatha.
The Pearce Medal for B grade netball was also decided by a solitary vote, Maffra’s Tanarly Hood the narrowest of winners from club mate Coco Henry.
Kelly Hedley (16) and Linda Rasmussen (12) led the count at Drouin and the top Warragul vote getter was April West with 11.
In C grade, the Proctor Medal also went to Maffra when Sarah Edey scored 27 votes to win by two from Traralgon’s Loren Ponton.
Tasha Kimber was Drouin’s best on 12 votes.
Trood Award and Rodda Medal voting. Warragul 21 - Brad Scalzo. 19 - Nathaniel Paredes. 12 - Chris Carey. 3 - Leigh Sheehan. 2 - Ambu Uliando, Matt Moseley. Drouin 10 - Bob McCallum. 6 - David Olsen. 5 - Steve Ballingall, Dan Nicholls.
4 - Todd Beck, Ben Hughes.
3 - Brad Virgona, Luke Duffy, Darcy Irwin.
2 - Cody Harrison, Brod Fraser.
1 - Jordan Kingi, Keegan Bott.