KDL award winners announced

By Tyler Maher

Oct 4, 2021

Star: Avenel’s Tiffany Bourke (GA) applies plenty of attacking pressure on Lancaster's defenders. Photo by Jodie Ferguson

The online presentation night for Kyabram District League was held on Friday.

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The McNamara Medal for senior football and Warren Medal for A-grade netball were handed out — to Lancaster's Tom Davies and Girgarre's Holly Butler respectively — but there were plenty of other players, administrators and club members recognised on the night.

Murchison-Toolamba's Daija Lavea won a tight count in the 13-and-under netball competition, taking out the Good Medal with 19 votes.

On the podium with 17 was Letiya Ennis of Tallygaroopna as well as Avenel's Wynter Morgan-Eeyles and Dookie United's Angus Kee on 16 votes.

A pair of rising stars of the competition could not be split in the 15-and-under Scoble Medal count.

Avenel's Tiffany Bourke and Rushworth's Josh Francis snared 18 votes apiece to win the award from Nagambie's Katie Perry on 15.

Rushworth also took out the 17-and-under Glover Medal after a dominant season from Ebonie Kaifa.

Kaifa racked up 15 votes in the shortened campaign, with Tallygaroopna duo Ella Davidson and Liv Burgess finishing on 11 votes.

The C-grade netball McCormack Medal is now in the keeping on Stanhope's Michaela Fisher.

The Lion roared to 19 votes to claim the crown from Shepparton East's Gracia Musafiri (17) and Tallygaroopna's Melissa Hosie (15).

In B-grade, another Lion reigned supreme when Maddy Steel took out the Whitford Medal.

Steel — in her first season at Stanhope — polled 17 votes to win a thrilling count, with Shepparton East's Maddison Newey and Avenel's Breeanna Hicks one back on 16 each.

Focused: Avenel’s Breeanna Hicks. Photo by Megan Fisher

History was made in the under-18 football best-and-fairest as Longwood's Dakota Pellegrino etched his name onto the Inch Medal.

For the Redlegs, Pellegrino's performance — in polling 20 votes and snaring first spot in the count — was the first league football medal win for the club since transferring across to the KDL just more than a decade ago.

Dookie United's Harri Walsh finished second with 16 votes and Undera's Logan Campbell polled 15 in third.

Tallygaroopna's Michael Amadei won the Wade Medal for the reserves football competition with 16 votes.

Shepparton East's Jye Burgess and Avenel's Josh Carrafa polled 12 votes apiece to round out the podium places.

Top year: Nagambie's Ella Barnes. Photo by Aydin Payne

Nagambie duo Jonathan Moore and Ella Barnes were crowned the respective football and netball Rising Star Award winners, while the Coach of the Year awards had a distinct Merrigum flavour.

Rising star: Young Nagambie ruckman Jonathan Moore has taken his craft to another level this year. Photo by Aydin Payne

Steve Lawlor won the Senior Football Coach of the Year gong, with Laura Gordon and Blynda Tranter taking out the Junior Netball Coach of the Year award.

Shepparton East's Erynn Hueston won the Senior Netball Coach of the Year award and Girgarre's Paul Parsons claimed the Junior Football Coach of the Year title.

Dookie United's Carmel Sorraghan was dubbed Administrator of the Year, while the leading goal-kickers in each football grade were also recognised.

It was no surprise in the senior ranks that Violet Town's Josh Mellington had his name called out after booting 113 goals.

Murchison-Toolamba's James Peck won the reserves’ award with 39 majors and Dookie United's Lachie Ludeman claimed the under-18 football gong with 38.

Goal Umpires Awards were handed out in the football ranks, with Merrigum's Jack Sinclair (seniors), Tallygaroopna's Wade Bonham (reserves) and Stanhope's Brady Wileman (under-18s) recognised.

In the netball competitions, the Good Sports Award is also a feature of the season.

Remarkably there was a seven-way tie in the 13-and-under competition.

Girgarre's Darcee McNeil, Longwood's Peta Webster, Shepparton East's Maggie Kerr, Stanhope's Chloe McLeod, Tallygaroopna's Hayden Steigenberger, Violet Town's Krystal Stevens and Dookie United's Angus Kee were all awarded in the grade.

Other winners included Ardmona's Pyper Zurawski (11-and-under), Tallygaroopna's Adeyson Steigenberger and Girgarre's Tahni Davies (15-and-under), Rushworth's Ebonie Kaifa (17-and-under), Shepparton East's Sophie Winmar (C-grade), Rushworth's Laura Martin and Undera duo Hannah Watt and Janaya Stewart (B-grade) and Avenel's Niki Lord (A-grade).

Davies edged out Avenel silky mover Braydon Avola by three votes in the McNamara Medal count, while Wombat teammate and speedster James Ross (13) rounded out the podium.

Stellar year: Avenel’s Braydon Avola was right up there in the Kyabram District League McNamara Medal count. Photo by Megan Fisher

There were plenty of familiar faces who rounded out the McNamara Medal top-10.

Nagambie young gun Blake Fothergill finished equal fourth on 11 votes with classy Avenel operator Jack Myers.

Dookie United's Pat McMullan filled fifth spot on 10 votes, while four players shared sixth.

Former Girgarre coach Billy Barnes, Merrigum ruckman Jake Ross, Murchison-Toolamba's Jordan McGregor and star Violet Town forward Josh Mellington finished on nine votes apiece.

In one of the closest Warren Medal counts in recent memory, Holly Butler jumped up from second spot in the final round to finish the year on 23 votes — one ahead of runner-up and Tallygaroopna talent Claudia Callagher.

Merrigum defender Kate Sloan rounded out the podium on 17 votes, while Redlegs playing coach Fiona Down and Nagambie midcourter Yvette Le Cerf finished on 15 votes apiece.