Dramatic finish to race for George Symons Medal
IT WAS a dramatic finish to the counting of votes for the George Symons Medal awarded to fairest and best in the Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL under-18s football competition.
After the final card was called during Monday night’s broadcast on Radio Fresh FM it was Maryborough’s Tom Myers atop the leader board on 25 votes.
Runner-up was Golden Square’s Zac Wescott on 24 votes as Sandhurst captain Alex Carr polled 23 votes to be in third place.
Myers is the first Maryborough player to win the Symons Medal.
It was an outstanding season for the Magpies’ rising star as Maryborough achieved a win-loss tally of 10-8 to end the home and away series in fourth place.
Maryborough beat Strathfieldsaye in the elimination final by 25 points, but could not stop Sandhurst’s charge to an 80-31 victory in the first semi-final.
At Golden Square, Wescott played a crucial role in the Bulldogs being top of the ladder at the end of the home and away series.
The Bulldogs have won their way to the grand final.
Carr and his Dragons’ team-mates will be doing all they can to reach the season decider when they tackle Gisborne in this Saturday’s preliminary final.
The top 15 in this season’s race for the George Symons Medal:
25 Tom Myers, Maryborough.
24 Zac Wescott, Golden Square.
23 Alex Carr, Sandhurst.
17 Lachlan Thompson, Kyneton.
16 Dayten Uerata, Sandhurst.
15 Jack McMahon, Golden Square.
15 Kane Minns, Gisborne.
14 Ben McConachy, Castlemaine.
13 Siologa Siu, Strathfieldsaye.
12 Cody Young, Kyneton.
12 Jack Lacey, Strathfieldsaye.
12 Xavier Dingfelder-Hope, Kangaroo Flat.
11 Riley Leedham, Gisborne.
10 Jarrod Ainsworth, Gisborne.
10 Zach Bird, Kangaroo Flat.
Previous winners of the Bendigo FNL under-18s best and fairest award include Golden Square’s Neville Strauch, Bruce Claridge, Ricky Nixon, Darren Moorhead and Nathan Brown.
South Bendigo’s Merv Smart and Colin Tully starred for the Bloods at under-18s level and at senior footy.
Tully went on to play for Collingwood in the VFL. His career included the 1970 grand final against Carlton.
Eaglehawk’s Rod Ashman earned the award and later kicked on to a brilliant career with Carlton as a rover/forward pocket.
Best afield in the Bendigo FNL under-18s grand final is awarded the Rod Ashman Medal.
Other Symons medallists from the Borough include Cory Jacobs and Ryan Threlfall.
The honour board includes Sandhurst’s Peter Tyack, a gun rover and multiple premiership winner at South Bendigo.
Also on the list are Kennington’s Quentin Blackmore; Castlemaine’s Shawn Filo; Sandhurst’s Seb Greene; Scott Jackman and Mitch Trewhella from Kangaroo Flat.
Now starring for Strathfieldsaye, Baxter Slater was a Symons medallist in his time with Gisborne.
ROUND-BY-ROUND VOTES
THERE were 105 players who polled votes in the George Symons Medal awarded to the fairest and best in the Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL under-18s football competition.
This season’s winner, Maryborough’s Tom Myers was adjudged best afield by the umpires in four matches.
George Symons Medal, under-18 football
Round one
Gisborne v Strathfieldsaye
3 Jarrod Ainsworth, Gis.; 2 Lewis Gordon, Gis.; 1 Riley Leehdam, Gis.
Maryborough v Castlemaine
3 Damon Nitschke, Mb; 2 Tom Myers, Mb; 1 Lachie Jones, Cm.
South Bendigo v Eaglehawk
3 Noah Eliades, Eh; 2 Austin Spiteri, Eh; 1 Fraser McKinstry, SB.
Sandhurst v Kangaroo Flat
3 Alex Carr, Sh; 2 Thaine Bake, Sh; 1 Callum Craig, Sh.
Golden Square v Kyneton
3 Zac Wescott, GS; 2 William Hamilton, GS; 1 Lachlan Thompson, Kyn.
Round two
Castlemaine v Gisborne
3 Darcy Young, Gis.; 2 Riley Leedham, Gis.; 1 James Gray, Gis.
Eaglehawk v Maryborough
3 Kaian Constable, Mb; 2 Zak Myers, Eh; 1 Tom Myers, Mb.
Kangaroo Flat v South Bendigo
3 Jack Leersen, KF; 2 Jay Newman, KF; 1 Izack Brown, KF.
Kyneton v Sandhurst
3 Alex Carr, Sh; 2 Declan Delaney, Sh; 1 Lachlan Thompson, Kyn.
Strathfieldsaye v Golden Square
3 Tommi Turner, GS; 2 Bailey Cain, GS; 1 Jack Lacey, S’saye.
Round three
Gisborne v Eaglehawk
3 Riley Leedham, Gis.; 2 Lachlan Evans, Gis.; 1 Kane Minns, Gis.
Maryborough v Kangaroo Flat
3 Tom Myers, Mb; 2 Connor Evans, KF; 1 Lucas Hurse, Mb.
South Bendigo v Kyneton
3 Lachlan Thompson, Kyn.; 2 Gabriel Yow Yeh, Kyn.; 1 Oliver Plunkett, Kyn.
Sandhurst v Golden Square
3 Bailey Cain, GS; 2 Jack McMahon, GS; 1 Harrison Kelly, GS.
Castlemaine v Strathfieldsaye
3 Jack Lacey, S’saye; 2 Jesse Gill, S’saye; 1 Ben McConachy, Cm.
Round four
Kangaroo Flat v Gisborne
3 Jarrod Ainsworth, Gis.; 2 Aaron Nevins, KF; 1 Jack Leersen, KF.
Kyneton v Maryborough
3 Tom Myers, Mb; 2 Taj Bond, Mb; 1 Lachlan Thompson, Kyn.
Golden Square v South Bendigo
3 Tommi Turner, GS; 2 William Hamilton, GS; 1 Zac Wescott, GS.
Strathfieldsaye v Sandhurst
3 Dayten Uerata, Sh; 2 Wilson Butler, Sh; 1 Alex Carr, Sh.
Eaglehawk v Castlemaine
3 Ben McConachy, Cm; 2 Kyan Martin, Cm; 1 Samuel Gorrie, Eh.
Round five
Gisborne v Kyneton
3 Frankie Ellis, Gis.; 2 Harrison Bryant, Gis.; 1 Jacob Grinter, Gis.
Maryborough v Golden Square
3 Jack McMahon, GS; 2 Nick Sherriff, GS; 1 Zac Wescott, GS.
South Bendigo v Sandhurst
3 Dayten Uerata, Sh; 2 Logan Kilcullen, Sh; 1 Alex Carr, Sh.
Castlemaine v Kangaroo Flat
3 Curtis McLennan, Cm; 2 Aaron Melis, KF; 1 Zach Bird, KF.
Strathfieldsaye v Eaglehawk
3 Jed Daniels, S’saye; 2 Hugh Behrens, S’saye; 1 Jesse Gill, S’saye.
Round six
Golden Square v Gisborne
3 Bailey Cain, GS; 2 Kane Minns, Gis.; 1 Tommi Turner, GS.
Sandhurst v Maryborough
3 Wilson Butler, Sh; 2 Robert Muscat, Mb; 1 Lachlan Bursill, Mb.
South Bendigo v Strathfieldsaye
3 Charlie Morrison, S’saye; 2 Riley Slevin, S’saye; 1 Evangelos Santas, SB.
Kyneton v Castlemaine
3 Xavior Noy, Cm; 2 Cody Young, Kyn.; 1 Dempsey Roberts, Kyn.
Kangaroo Flat v Eaglehawk
3 Zach Bird, KF; 2 Xavier Dingfelder-Hope, KF: 1 Charlie Hillier, Eh.
Round seven
Gisborne v Sandhurst
3 Kane Minns, Gis.; 2 James Gentles, Gis.; 1 Harrison Bryant, Gis.
Maryborough v South Bendigo
3 Kaian Constable, Mb; 2 Damon Nitschke, Mb; 1 Tom Myers, Mb.
Castlemaine v Golden Square
3 Ben McConachy, Cm; 2 Darcy Edmiston, GS; 1 Kyan Martin, Cm.
Eaglehawk v Kyneton
3 Cody Young, Kyn.; 2 Lachlan Thompson, Kyn.; 1 Carter Shevlin, Eh.
Strathfieldsaye v Kangaroo Flat
3 Evan Cole, S’saye; 2 Siologa Siu, S’saye; 1 Xavier Dingfelder-Hope, KF.
Round eight
South Bendigo v Gisborne
3 Riley Leeham, Gis.; 2 Zaydyn Lockwood, SB; 1 James Gentles, Gis.
Maryborough v Strathfieldsaye
3 Taj Bond, Mb; 2 Tom Myers, Mb; 1 Lucas Hurse, Mb.
Sandhurst v Castlemaine
3 Oliver Morris, Sh; 2 Alex Carr, Sh; 1 Logan Kilcullen, Sh.
Golden Square v Eaglehawk
3 Samuel O’Shannessy, Eh; 2 Jack McMahon, GS; 1 Zac Wescott, GS.
Kyneton v Kangaroo Flat
3 William Armstrong, Kyn.; 2 Lachlan Thompson, Kyn.; 1 Bailey Ryan, Kyn.
Round nine
Gisborne v Maryborough
3 Kane Minns, Gis.; 2 Riley Leedham, Gis.; 1 Matthew Barake, Gis.
Castlemaine v South Bendigo
3 Ben McConachy, Cm; 2 Nick Lord, Cm; 1 Evangelos Santas, SB.
Eaglehawk v Sandhurst
3 Dayten Uerata, Sh; 2 Jack English, Sh; 1 Logan Kilcullen, Sh.
Kangaroo Flat v Golden Square
3 Zac Wescott, GS; 2 Billy Meade, GS, 1 Zach Bird, KF.
Strathfieldsaye v Kyneton
3 Jack Lacey, S’saye; 2 Lincoln McKern, S’saye; 1 Hugh Behrens, S’saye.
Round 10
Strathfieldsaye v Gisborne
3 James Gray, Gis.; 2 Harrison Bryant, Gis.; 1 Declan Lowther, S’saye.
Castlemaine v Maryborough
3 Diesel Palmer, Mb; 2 Lachlan Bursill, Mb; 1 Curtis McLennan, Cm.
Eaglehawk v South Bendigo
3 Zak Myers, Eh; 2 Evangelos Santas, SB; 1 Nixon Reed, Eh.
Kangaroo Flat v Sandhurst
3 Oliver Morris, Sh; 2 Dayten Uerata, Sh; 1 Henry Edwards, Sh.
Kyneton v Golden Square
3 Zac Wescott, GS; 2 Jack McMahon, GS; 1 Billy Meade, GS.
Round 11
South Bendigo v Kangaroo Flat
3 Zach Bird, KF; 2 Aaron Nevins, KF;. 1 Lachie Raymond, KF.
Gisborne v Castlemaine
3 Lewis Gordon, Gis.; 2 James Gray, Gis.; 1 Zach Paterson, Gis.
Sandhurst v Kyneton
3 Xavier Austin, Sh; 2 Jack English, Sh; 1 Logan Kilcullen, Sh.
Golden Square v Strathfieldsaye
3 Siologa Siu, S’saye; 2 William Hamilton, GS; 1 Zavier Grant, GS.
Maryborough v Eaglehawk
3 Tom Myers, Mb; 2 Oscar Tatchell, Mb; 1 Zak Myers, Eh.
Round 12
Kyneton v South Bendigo
3 Lachlan Thompson, Kyn.; 2 Evangelos Santas, SB; 1 Aaron Cheng, Kyn.
Strathfieldsaye v Castlemaine
3 Zachary Grieve, S’saye; 2 Jack Lacey, S’saye; 1 Curtis McLennan, Cm.
Eaglehawk v Gisborne
3 Jarrod Ainsworth, Gis.; 2 Lachie Bianco, Gis.; 1 Matthew Barake, Gis.
Golden Square v Sandhurst
3 Thaine Bake, Sh; 2 Zac Wescott, GS; 1 Jack McMahon, GS.
Kangaroo Flat v Maryborough
3 Jack Leersen, KF; 2 Connor Lee, KF; 1 Xavier Dingfelder-Hope, KF.
Round 13
Castlemaine v Eaglehawk
3 Zak Myers, Eh; 2 Noah Eliades, Eh; 1 Deacon Marsh, Eh.
Gisborne v Kangaroo Flat
3 Harrison Bryant, Gis.; 2 Hamish Thomas, Gis.; 1 Jarrod Ainsworth, Gis.
Sandhurst v Strathfieldsaye
3 Tobie Travaglia, Sh; 2 Dayten Uerata, Sh; 1 Thaine Bake, Sh.
South Bendigo v Golden Square
3 Zac Wescott, GS; 2 Oliver Eaton, GS; 1 Tommi Turner, GS.
Maryborough v Kyneton
3 Oscar Tatchell, Mb; 2 Tom Myers, Mb; 1 Cody Young, Kyn.
Round 14
Kangaroo Flat v Castlemaine
3 Xavier Dingfelder-Hope, KF; 2 Connor Evans, KF; 1 Jack Leersen, KF.
Eaglehawk v Strathfieldsaye
3 Pala Kuma, S’saye; 2 Siologa Siu, S’saye; 1 Samuel O’Shannessy, Eh.
Kyneton v Gisborne
3 Kane Minns, Gis.; 2 Cody Young, Gis.; 1 Lachlan Evans, Gis.
Sandhurst v South Bendigo
3 Alex Carr, Sh; 2 Thaine Bake, Sh; 1 Isaac Tzouroutis, Sh.
Golden Square v Maryborough
3 Tom Myers, Mb; 2 Jack McMahon, GS; 1 Lucas Hurse, Mb.
Round 15
Strathfieldsaye v South Bendigo
3 Siologa Siu, S’saye; 2 Evan Cole, S’saye; 1 Zaydyn Lockwood, SB.
Castlemaine v Kyneton
3 Ben McConachy, Cm; 2 Curtis McLennan, Cm; 1 Gabriel Yow Yeh, Kyn.
Eaglehawk v Kangaroo Flat
3 Connor Evans, KF; 2 Samuel Pitson, KF; 1 Zach Bird, KF.
Gisborne v Golden Square
3 Kane Minns, Gis.; 2 Rory McCrann-Peters, Gis.; 1 Lachie Bianco, Gis.
Maryborough v Sandhurst
3 Alex Carr, Sh; 2 Tom Myers, Mb; 1 Declan Delaney, Sh.
Round 16
Kyneton v Eaglehawk
3 Lachlan Thompson, Kyn.; 2 Cody Young, Kyn.; 1 Joshua Johnston, Kyn.
Kangaroo Flat v Strathfieldsaye
3 Xavier Dingfelder-Hope, KF; 2 Lachie Raymond, KF; 1 Aaron Nevins, KF.
Sandhurst v Gisborne
3 Dayten Uerata, Sh; 2 Lewis Gordon, Gis.; 1 Alex Carr, Sh.
South Bendigo v Maryborough
3 Damon Nitschke, Mb; 2 Taj Bond, Mb; 1 Zaydyn Lockwood, SB.
Golden Square v Castlemaine
3 Jack McMahon, GS; 2 Zac Wescott, GS; 1 Tommi Turner, GS.
Round 17
Kangaroo Flat v Kyneton
3 Connor Lee, KF; 2 Xavier Dingfelder-Hope, KF; 1 Lachlan Thompson, Kyn.
Gisborne v South Bendigo
3 Jacob Grinter, Gis.; 2 Jack Clough, Gis.; 1 Matthew Barake, Gis.
Castlemaine v Sandhurst
3 Alex Carr, Sh; 2 Callam De Bono, Cm; 1 Wilson Butler, Sh.
Eaglehawk v Golden Square
3 Zac Wescott, GS; 2 Zackery Tickell, GS; 1 Billy Meade, GS.
Strathfieldsaye v Maryborough
3 Jack Lacey, S’saye; 2 Tom Myers, Mb; 1 Jed Daniels, S’saye.
Round 18
South Bendigo v Castlemaine
3 Zaydyn Lockwood, SB; 2 Fraser McKinstry, SB; 1 Ben McConachy, Cm.
Kyneton v Strathfieldsaye
3 Siologa Siu, S’saye; 2 Cody Young, Kyn.; 1 Jaidi Jackson-Leahy, S’saye.
Sandhurst v Eaglehawk
3 Alex Carr, Sh; 2 Jaxon Howard, Sh; 1 Thaine Bake, Sh.
Golden Square v Kangaroo Flat
3 Noah Warfe, GS; 2 Zac Wescott, GS; 1 Zach Bird, KF.
Maryborough v Gisborne
3 Jack Clough, Gis.; 2 Matthew Barake, Gis.; 1 Tom Myers, Mb.
