Sport
The News lists its top five Morrison Medal favourites at the Goulburn Valley League halfway mark
Blink and you miss it — we are past the midway point of the Goulburn Valley League season.
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More than two months have flown by and the weekend’s action marked the turn of the hairpin bend as sides prepare to step on the gas and fly towards finals.
The big dance seems miles away. So does league presentation night.
But after nine rounds, we can form an inkling of an opinion on which sides and players will stand tallest when silverware is on the line.
While we haven’t tested the crystal ball out and cast predictions on the 2025 GVL premier, The Shepparton News’ sports team has instead reviewed the first half of the season and put forward five names in the conversation for the Morrison Medal.
5) Ash Holland (Shepparton)
Despite Shepparton’s shock drop in recent weeks, last year’s Morrison medallist Ash Holland is still among the competition’s best.
After winning their opening four matches, the Bears have lost the past five games and now sit outside the top six.
However, the Flying Dutchman remains arguably the best country ruckman in the state, if not the country, and his performances in 2025 have been mighty.
Averaging 118.6 ranking points, 4.2 clearances, 15.1 disposals and 10.6 contested possessions — still with room to get back to his imposing best — Holland is proving difficult to conquer.
His hit-out dominance shows his greatest impact; on average, Holland is registering 51 hit-outs and 10.4 hit-outs to advantage a match.
Not to mention his recent Herculean effort of 82 hit-outs against Seymour in round seven.
4) Sam Reid (Echuca)
With more inexperience in Echuca’s senior list than previous seasons, having a player of Sam Reid’s calibre to not only guide the next generation, but take the impetus once again with the Sherrin in hand is invaluable.
The experienced midfield veteran has stitched together a strong season in the Murray Bombers’ engine room, the hunger for a fourth consecutive flag spurring Reid to new heights.
The 35-year-old sits second in the league for contested possessions, collecting 18.3 a game with a best return of 30 in Echuca’s round nine comeback against Mooroopna.
Reid’s clearance work also remains elite, sitting fourth for clearances with 9.9 a game.
And of course, the former AFL man continues to collect a stack of the football, averaging 31 disposals a game.
He’s been a key piece of the puzzle since joining Echuca in 2022 and, right now, Reid is shaping to be one of its biggest drivers again.
3) Jack Murphy (Seymour)
The most recent winner of The News’ GVL Football Player of the Month award is a worthy member of this top five.
Seymour playing co-coach Jack Murphy has been a precise and attacking menace for opposition sides in 2025.
While there are plenty of talented midfielders across the league, Murphy’s impact with ball in hand sets him apart.
The Lions' leader has averaged 34.3 disposals this season at 78 per cent efficiency while still doing plenty of grunt work with 10.1 contested possessions and six clearances a match.
Murphy has been a threat going forward booting 15 goals from nine games while averaging 5.3 goal involvements and 7.8 score involvements.
He also gains plenty of yardage with his disposals as he averages 23.9 kicks.
The ball magnet has only dropped below 30 disposals on three occasions this season, with his lowest tally being a “miserly” 25.
2) Mitch Trewhella (Rochester)
Trewhella’s second season at Moon Oval might be tracking even better than his first.
Considering he was runner-up in the 2024 Morrison Medal, that should be a scary prospect for teams at the pointy end of the ladder.
Since crossing from Bendigo Football League, the bullocking Tigers midfielder has been a revelation and a big reason Rochester is currently 8-1 and second on the ladder.
He’s tallied 30-plus disposals on six occasions, averaging 32 and 15 contested possessions a game.
Even collecting the footy at that rate, Trewhella’s efficiency sits at a classy 77 per cent, reflecting a polished midfield game style.
His best return?
A 43-disposal, 21 contested possession masterclass against Tatura, but his performance against a fast-finishing Bears stands as his finest to date, collecting 40 disposals at 83 per cent efficiency and nine marks to quell Rochester’s preliminary final opponent from last season.
A maiden GVL representative jumper awaited Trewhella for his efforts, but his exploits in the yellow and black are making all stand up and take notice.
And if the Tigers’ talisman can keep this form line up, Rochester’s first flag since 2008 might not be far off.
1) Mick Mattingly (Kyabram)
Could ‘Mick Matt’ do it again?
The 2019 Morrison medallist has returned from two years in Adelaide and a season injured on Kyabram’s pine and exerted the kind of form in 2025 that deserves acclaim.
Kyabram’s midfield bull has been treating GVL opposition like red rags, lighting up corridors like emergency LEDs while having the ball on a string during his true comeback season in the sash.
Mattingly is averaging 34 disposals at 75 per cent efficiency with nine goals to his name, also boasting a per-game output of 8.3 clearances, 6.4 inside 50s, 5.7 tackles in seven matches.
His best effort came with a best-on-ground tag in a statement win over Echuca, racking up 44 touches (25 contested), 11 clearances, nine inside 50s and a goal.
Sure, he’s missed two games through injury, but Mattingly is back on deck this weekend and will seek to pick up where he left off after suffering a hamstring twinge in round seven.
Honourable mentions: Matt King (Mansfield), Lewis McShane (Shepparton), Jack Johnston (Mooroopna) and Kaine Herbert (Kyabram).