BY NATHAN DOLE
ON-BALLERS are tipped to dominate Sunday’s night calling of votes for the Michelsen Medal awarded to fairest and best in the Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL’s senior footy action.
The league’s night of nights starts at 6pm at Bendigo Club in Strathdale.
Based on recent Michelsen history it’s the on-ballers and ruckmen who have featured prominently in votes awarded each match by the field umpires.
After deciding to commit full-time to Sandhurst after a brilliant VFL career with Collingwood, Lachlan Tardrew has starred for the Dragons.
There will be plenty of team-mates featuring in votes, but Tardrew was nominated by the match committee as Sandhurst’s “best on” in eight matches.
After kicking 80 goals to be a runaway winner of the Ron Best Medal, Sandhurst key forward Fergus Greene is another likely to poll plenty of votes.
Other key players in the Dragons’ run of 14-2 and top of the ladder finish in the home-and-away series included Cobi Maxted, Caleb Connick and Nick Stagg.
Gisborne’s on-ball brigade of ruckman Braidon Blake, ruck-rover Flynn Lakey, and centreman Brad Bernacki dominated in many of the Bulldogs’ wins.
The talented trio are likely to lead the race to be Gisborne’s first medal winner since Scott Walsh in 2012.
After missing last year’s finals the Rob Waters-coached Bulldogs have bounced back to be in another grand final.
Strathfieldsaye Storm’s run to achieve a win-loss tally of 11-5 was led by Daniel Clohesy, Lachlan Gill, Cooper Jones, and key forward James Schischka.
It’s been a terrific effort by the Luke Freeman-coached Storm to again be in the premiership race.
Despite some calls of it being a gloomy season after last September’s premiership victory, Golden Sqaure marked a 10-6 record in the home-and-away series.
The run by the Brad Eaton-coached Bulldogs was ended in a first semi-final by Strathfieldsaye.
Stars in Square’s surge included Jordan Rosengren, Ricky Monti, Tom Toma, Jayden Burke, Tom Strauch, Jack Stewart, Macey Eaton, and ruckman/forward Kai Daniels in his first season of Bendigo FNL senior footy.
A year ago it was Eaglehawk’s Noah Wheeler who joined the league’s elite as a Michelsen medallist.
Most consistent for the Travis Matheson-coached Two Blues across this season were co-captains Billy Evans and Joel Mullen.
Others from the Hawks who could pick up several votes are young forward/ruckman Bailey Ilsley, on-baller Ben Thompson, and ruckman Brayden Frost.
This year marks the golden anniversary since Eaglehawk’s Allan ‘Bruiser’ Williams won the Michelsen Medal.
A brilliant resurgence by Castlemaine was led by first-year coach and key forward Michael Hartley.
The experience Hartley brought from stints at AFL level with Collingwood, Essendon and Hawthorn was a massive bonus for the Magpies’ young squad.
Castlemaine captain Bailey Henderson played a mix of on-ball and attack and is likely to have caught the umpires’ attention in many matches.
The Magpies’ run to a much-improved record of seven-nine and sixth place was led by Kalan Huntly, Rising Star winner Ryan Eyre, Liam Wilkinson and Zavier Murley.
A 4-12 record means South Bendigo is unlikely to have few players mark a top-10 finish in the medal race.
Those who did shine for the Bloods were on-ballers Brody Haddow and Anthony Zimmer, and classy forward Brock Harvey.
Leading vote-getters for Kangaroo Flat are likely to be wingman Luke Ellings, captain Toby Roberts, Jack Lefroy, and Ethan Roberts.
The Michael Ellings-coached Roos were eighth on a 3-13 record.
A winless season means Maryborough is unlikely to have gained many votes.
Magpies’ coach Coby Perry had an outstanding season in which he regularly racked up 40-plus possessions.
Perry could emulate the feat of Kennington’s Rod Southon who was a “shock” winner of the Michelsen in 1988.
Another player from Maryborough likely to feature in the votes is Kya Lanfranchi who had plenty to work to do in defence and won many contests.
Best known of all Michelsen medallists is the legendary Greg ‘Diesel’ Williams who claimed back-to-back wins when at Golden Square in 1982 and ’83.
Williams went on to play 250 matches in an AFL career which spanned three clubs – Geelong, Sydney and Carlton.
He was the Brownlow medallist in 1986 and ’94, Norm Smith medallist in Carlton’s premiership victory in ’95, and selected on interchange in the AFL’s Team of the Century.
Sandhurst has a proud history of Michelsen Medal winners.
Those to have won the Bendigo FNL’s highest individual honour from the Dragons include Kevin Curran, 1952; Noel Evans, ’53; Jim Byrne, ’55; Brian Walsh, ‘69; Bruce Reid, ‘76; Peter Tyack, ’79; Mick Lenaghan, ’81; Brendan Hartney, ’87 and ’89; and Simon McLean, ’92.
In the past 30 years the medal has also been claimed by Sandhurst stars Frank Coghlan, ’95; Lee Coghlan, 2009; ruckman Tim Martin in 2013 and ’14; and Kristian Height, 2016.
Other multiple winners of the Michelsen which honour long-time mayor and former Bendigo FL chairman Jack Michelsen have been Derek Cowen, Matt Fitzgerald, Frank Fitzpatrick, Tony ‘Bluey’ Southcombe, Heinz Tonn, Herb Zegelin.
It was 18 years ago Eaglehawk’s Kain Robins won the Michelsen Medal.
The gun forward is still kicking on and will play for Marong in the Loddon Valley FNL seniors grand final on Saturday at John Forbes Oval in Mitiamo.
A unique feat in Michelsen Medal history was the victory by Eaglehawk’s Brodie Filo in 2015 which happened 24 years after his dad, Derrick had done so when starring for Castlemaine.