Lynch Medal field wide open in tight year

THE previous two winners of the Alastair Lynch Medal are again set to feature in the running for the 2019 award and continue North Launceston’s dominance of the TSL’s highest individual accolade.

Last year’s winner Josh Ponting — who was best on ground in the Bombers’ third straight premiership last month — and media player of the year Brad Cox-Goodyer, who saluted in 2017, have both had outstanding individual campaigns this season.

However with the competition evening out and the emergence of the Tigers, who played in their maiden finals campaign, Ponting and Cox-Goodyer will face some stiff opposition.

“I’m hoping it is going to be a really tight count, I think we’ve had a really even year in terms of team performances,” TSL general manager Carl Saunder said ahead of tonight’s count.

“I don’t think there has been a huge amount of standout performers to warrant a runaway winner, that’s for sure.

“If you look at North Launnie, for the long part of the year they weren’t the dominant team they have been previously.

“The teams at the top end of the ladder dominated the team of the year, and you would think they will be at the top end of the vote count.”

Former Hawthorn midfielder Kieran Lovell and fellow Tigers midfield ball magnet Ryan Matthews are expected to challenge strongly, as are Launceston duo Fletcher Seymour and Jobi Harper.

Seymour was only pipped by Cox-Goodyer in the final round for the player of the year crown.

“You’ve gone into the last couple having a fair idea who would be up there and win, but if you look at the RACT Medal that Brad won in the end, that was in the last round over Fletcher Seymour who has had a fantastic year,” North coach Taylor Whitford said.

“Kieran Lovell will be heavily mentioned, we have Brad and Josh who we hope do really well, but I think it is a very open field actually.”

North Hobart coach Richard Robinson hopes one of his stars can pull a surprise, despite the Demons finishing at the bottom end of the ladder. “Ponting will be hard to beat again, even though he is in a very good side he stands out because he carries the footy and breaks the lines with his pace,” Robinson said.

“I would love to see Sammy Darley poll well too because I think he’s had an outstanding year. Some games when we got beaten easily he got 40 touches.”