Defenders dominate Sandhurst’s champion player awards

KEY defenders Jake Pallpratt and Imogen Sexton were the senior footy and A-grade netball best and fairest winners at Sandhurst Football Netball Club for the 2019 season.

Pallpratt achieved the rare feat of consecutive victories in the Sandy McPherson-Leo Hartney Memorial trophy.

The talented defender was also selected in the Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL Team of the Year.

Sexton played a crucial role in Sandhurst’s run to the A-grade premiership for the third year in a row.

Her timely intercepts are a major strength of her play and for a talented team in the maroon and blue.

In the senior footy best and fairest, Pallpratt scored 290 votes as onballer Nick Stagg was runner-up on 220.

Next best were ruckman Chris Down, 217, and key forward Matt Thornton, 150.

The A-grade netball award became a three-player race between Imogen Sexton, 54 votes; goal attack Heather Oliver, 40; and mid-court star Meg Williams, 40.

A great year for Sandhurst included the Ash Connick-coached seniors being fifth, and the David Gallagher-coached under-18s being runner-up.

On the netball court, the A-grade team which was jointly coached by Tamara Gilchrist and Heather Oliver won the grand final against Kangaroo Flat.

The A-reserve premiership decider was won by Sandhurst against Kangaroo Flat, B-grade was runner-up to Kangaroo Flat, and Sandhurst’s 17-under team defeated Golden Square in the grand final.

Sandhurst FNC awards for the 2019 season:

Senior football:

Best and fairest: Jake Pallpratt. Runner-up: Nick Stagg. Most consistent: Chris Down. Most courageous: Jake McLean. Coaches award: Josh Hann. Goalkicking: Matt Thornton, 42.

Reserves football:

Best and fairest: Ben Edwards. Runner-up: Hayden Gillingham. Most consistent: Jotham Higgs. Most courageous: Hayden Gillingham. Coaches award: Ethan Mulqueen. Goalkicking: Jasper Stewart, 30, and James Vlaeminck, 30.

Under-18s football:

Best and fairest: Isaac Carracher: Runner-up: Zac Sims. Most consistent: Tanner Nally. Most courageous: Blaze Houlden. Coaches award: Alex Welch. Goalkicking: Zac Featherby, 26.

A-grade netball:

Best and fairest: Imogen Sexton. Runner-up: Heather Oliver.

A-reserve netball:

Best and fairest: Kelsey Ralph. Runner-up: Ruby Turner.

B-grade netball:

Best and fairest: Briona Giddings. Runner-up: Tia Webb. Coaches award: Keeley Jones.

B-reserve netball:

Best and fairest: Mia McConnachie. Runner-up: Siobhan Liston. Coaches award: Ava Perez.

17-under netball:

Best and fairest: Tess Keating. Runner-up: Holly Lockhart.

Final standings in the senior footy best and fairest:

290 Jake Pallpratt; 220 Nick Stagg; 217 Chris Down; 150 Matt Thornton; 149 Lachlan Ross; 147 Zac Pallpratt; 142 Isaac Ruff; 126 Jake McLean; 116 Andy Collins; 114 Blair Holmes; 108 Lachlan Tardrew; 106 Josh Hann; 97 Jed Zimmer; 87 Liam Ireland; 73 Jake Wilkinson; 48 Lachlan Zimmer; 46 Vincent Rodi; 44 Jake Condon; 41 Adam Parry; 37 Oscar McKinley; 36 Will Holt; 35 Martin Leyden; 30 Jeremy Rodi; 24 Joel Wharton; 23 Alex Wharton; 17 Layton Ross; 12 Callum Prest; 10 Cobi Maxted; 5 Tom Calvert, James Mittell, Oscar Perez, and Cooper Smith.

A-grade netball:

54 Imogen Sexton, 40 Heather Oliver, 39 Meg Williams, 20 Rebecca Smith, 18 Sophie Shoebridge, 12 Brianna Dalrymple-Monro, 13 Carly Van den Heuvel, 12 Erica Dalrymple-Monro, 4 Ruby Turner, 3 Madi Sexton, 1 Matisse Perez.