MIDFIELDER Cooper Leon and goalshooter Chloe Langley have marked great seasons by winning the senior footy and A-grade netball best and fairest awards at South Bendigo FNC for 2021.
A first-year player at the Bloods, Leon played a crucial role at centre ball-ups and stoppages.
The skill of the hardworking midfielder caught the attention of many as he polled 98 votes in a season cut to just 12 games because of Covid lockdowns.
Leon’s consistency was a highlight, especially in the early rounds as the Bloods won the opening four rounds on their way to a 9-3 finish and fifth place on the ladder.
Gun goalkicker Kaiden Antonowicz was runner-up for the club champion award on 83 votes.
A previous winner of the Ron Best Medal for the league’s leading goalkicker, Antonowicz kicked 63 majors this season.
Captain Brody Haddow also played a crucial on-ball role and polled 75 votes to be third in the best and fairest.
Re-signed as senior coach for a fourth year, Nathan Horbury was next best on 67 votes from the classy Tom Brereton, 53 votes.
The reserves best and fairest was won by Lachlan Furness, 41 votes, from Jayden Sheehan, 23, and Regan Harvey, 21.
A tally of 23 goals earned Sheehan the goalkicking award.
In the under-18s, Declan McMahon was a runaway winner on 69 votes and also earned the goalkicking trophy.
Although she missed two netball matches because of Covid lockdown in Melbourne, Chloe Langley achieved back-to-back A-grade club champion awards.
Langley played a mix of goalshooter and goal attack and polled 36 votes in the best and fairest award.
In a closely-fought contest, Keiarah Brooks was runner-up on 34 votes as Sarah Nash, 28, and Emily Cossar, 26, polled well in a season where the team in red and white achieved a win-loss record of 6-4 and were fourth on the ladder.
Langley was the BFNL Rising Star in 2019 and has played a key role in attack for the Janelle Hobbs-coached South Bendigo A-grade team.
Team champion for A-reserve was Amy Morrissey on 39 votes.
It was a closely-fought contest in A-reserve as Amanda Walters polled 37 votes to be runner-up.
The B-grade award went to Paige Campbell on 55 votes.
Runner-up was Tegan Maddern on 37 votes.
A tally of 48 clinched the B-reserve award for Matilda Osborne.
Runner-up was Annie Hockey on 37 votes.
Champion player in 17-and-under was Ella Flavell on 62 votes.
Next best in the champion player was Jeanette Ross on 37 votes.
It was a fine season on the netball court for all five of the club’s teams.
South Bendigo achieved top-five placings in A-reserve, B-grade, B-reserve and 17-and-under.
Bloods’ football best and fairest for the 2021 season:
Seniors:
98 Cooper Leon; 83 Kaiden Antonowicz; 75 Brody Haddow; 63 Nathan Horbury; 53 Tom Brereton; 36 Will Keck; 34 Zac Hare; 21 Michael Herlihy; 20 Ollie Simpson; 18 Oscar White; 16 Braydan Torpey; 15 Sam Maher; 13 Joel Swatton; 11 Alex Smith-Ralph; 10 Sunny Brazier; 9 Brock Harvey; 7 Mitch Goodwin; 6 Riley Walsh; 4 Daniel Nalder; 2 Will Allen, Wil McCaig, Jake Miller; 1 Cameron Taggert, Andrew Vanheumen.
Reserves:
41 Lachlan Furness; 23 Jayden Sheean; 21 Regan Harvey; 14 Patrick Andrews; 12 James Murphy; 10 Matthew Long, Mitch Winter-Irving; 9 Alex Smith-Ralph, Riley Walsh; 8 Connor Robertson; 7
Wil McCaig, Nathan Newlan; 5 Jack Maher, Jed Rouse, Cody Stewart; 4 Liam Shiell, Will Tobin; 3 Tyler McLeod, Josh Newlan; 2 Kade Blow, Matt Hore, Mitch Hore, Aaron Leahy, Sam Maher, Chris Poole; 1 Charlton Hindle, Declan McMahon.
Under-18s:
69 Declan McMahon; 39 Will Crane; 38 Myles Livingston; 9 Emmanuel Boboya, Max Quinn; 8 Aidan Brasser; 7 Zac Walsh; 4 David Mill; 3 Logan King, Pawu Kirirua Gill; 2 Callum Broderick, Harry Downing, Hayden Smith; 1 Xavier Dole, Will Douglass, Lewis Gillett, Lincon Hocking.
Written by Nathan Dole.