Leongatha midfielder Tom Marriott has claimed his second Trood Award and Rodda Medal in an exciting conclusion to the online count on Sunday night.
With three rounds to go, Marriott was trailing Morwell’s Tristan Waack by 19 votes to 21.
Waack polled two votes in the team’s Round 16 match against Wonthaggi despite getting pummelled by 69 points and not being named in the “best players” list that week.
Marriott got three votes as the best-on-ground in Leongatha’s 86-point win over Maffra in Round 16.
In Round 17, Waack polled one vote against Drouin and Marriott evened the score on 24 each with two votes against Moe.
In the final round of the season, Morwell recorded a thrilling win over Sale to make the finals at the 11th hour and Waack picked up one vote, behind his teammate Tyler Brown and Sale’s Jack Leslie with three but Leongatha’s Tom Marriott was in the boxseat after the Parrots 22-goal win over Drouin.
He polled three votes in the game, as best-on-ground to take out the league’s top award with 27 votes to Tristen Waack’s 25.
The league official reading out the votes said Marriott had now joined elite company as one of a small number of players with two league best awards, including Andrew Soumilas (Garfield/Drouin) 2005, 2011, Hayden Burgiel (Maffra) 2001, 2004 and Greg Morley (Traralgon) 1992, 1998 in recent years with Traralgon’s Jim Silvestro and Maffra’s Jeff Gieshen other two-time winners.
Speaking to the Sentinel-Times, Tom Marriott said he was surprised by the result.
“To be honest, we’ve all been focussed on our preparation for Saturday’s game and a chance to play in a grand final after not having finals for three years, with the opportunity to go after that elusive flag,” he said.
“It’s a team game so that’s the goal you’re focussed on but I’m sure, after next weekend I’ll get a chance to look back and appreciate it a lot more.
“But for sure, it’s an honour. I think it’s also a tribute to how well everyone has played. There were votes going everywhere (to Leongatha players) during the count and it certainly helps when you win each week.
“You can’t do it on your own.”
In other awards, Kasie Rump won the Dawn Pearce B Grade best and fairest with 31 votes from Morwell’s Anna Solomon 27 and teammate Kate Sperling on 25.
Makenzie Gourlay (Leongatha) won the Karen Proctor Medal C Grade with 29 votes from Emma Ton 20 second and Jude Reynolds equal 5th and Lara Gill won the Under 15s best and fairest award with 25 votes.
The leaders’ board at the end of the count was as follows: Tom Marriott (Leongatha) 27, Tristen Waack (Morwell) 25, Jack Leslie (Sale) 22, Aiden Lindsay (Wonthaggi) 19, Shannen Lange (Sale) 17, Hudson Holmes (Maffra) 14, Aaron Heppell (Leongatha) 13, Tom Schneider (Traralgon) 13, Nick Graham (Warragul) 12 and Mark Collison (Traralgon) 11.
Results: Football - Trood Award & Rodda Medal (seniors): Tom Marriott 27 votes, Rex Hartley Medal (reserves): Mason Porykali (Morwell) 22 votes, Wilkinson Medal (thirds) Lachlan Allman (Maffra) 31 votes, Shaw Carter Medal (fourths) Max Stobie (Maffra) and Oliver Wilson (Warragul) 18 votes. Netball – Hutchison Medal A Grade Shannon Freeman (Morwell) - 33 votes, Dawn Pearce Medal B Grade Kasie Rump (Leongatha) 31, Karen Proctor Medal C Grade Makenzie Gourlay (Leongatha), U17s Montanna Styles (Traralgon) 29, U15s Lara Gill (Leongatha) 25, and U13s Ella Bigham (Traralgon) 37.