Woodend-Hesket’s dynamic on-baller Daniel Toman was a hot favourite to win the Riddell League’s Bowen Medal for the second year in succession, but he had to share second place with Kyneton’s versatile Caleb Fisher.
The winner with 21 votes was giant Wallan ruckman Chris Stewart, a 37-year-old who may well be the oldest player to ever claim the prestigious best and fairest award.
Stewart was generally rated as ‘recruit of the year’ and with 11 premierships behind him, added a new dimension to the league as Wallan unsuccessfully tried to break a premiership drought of 32 seasons.
The league’s end-of-season’s vote counts and presentations took place at Melton on Thursday night.
Last season Toman won the Bowen with 21 votes, one ahead of Riddell’s Dylan Tarczon, and this season he received 18.
“Toman probably had his best season yet, but not winning more matches was probably detrimental to his prospects,” Hawks’ president Paul Podbury said.
The trio of Stewart, Toman and Fisher were named as the formidable ruck/on ballers in the RDFNL Team of the Year.
Toman was also chosen as the Most Valuable Player by opposition sides.
Each team played 16 home and away matches.
Woodend-Hesket’s Daniel Toman and Kyneton’s Caleb Fisher shared second place.
Macedon’s Al Meldrum was named Coach of the Year, and the Macedon club also had Damian Slater as coach of the senior women’s football team, and Katie Clarke in charge of the netball Team of the Year. Well done, Cats!
The Scarborough Medal for best and fairest in the Reserves was won by Wallan’s Matt Traynor, for the third time. Runner-up was leading goal kicker Nathan Hoy (Romsey).
The Watson Medal for the Under 19.5s were to tall Gisborne Giants captain, Tom Doyle, ahead of Macedon’s Hud Elmawey.
Macedon’s talented young ruckman Edward Ferguson took out the Steve Turner Rising Star Medal from a field of up and comers.
WOMEN’S B&F
The senior women’s Rookie Me football best and fairest went to the silky smooth ball winner Ruby Watts, who crossed to Macedon after formerly playing with Gisborne.
Runner-up was Melton’s Tayla Debono.
Watts was also the Most Valuable Player in women’s football, with a premiership to celebrate as well.
Lancefield, while finishing on the bottom of the ladder in senior football, was seen as a very innovative club, earning the Club of the Year award.
The Dome Security ‘Unsung Hero’ award went to Romsey’s dedicated president, Wayne Milburn.
Much travelled and successful goalkicker Dean Galea (Riddell) won the senior goalkicking in his first season with the Bombers, and will be back again in 2025.
Nathan Hoy was the Reserves top goalkicker, Finton Light (Macedon) and Jack Clough (Giants) shared the Under 19.5 goalkicking, and the women’s top goalkicker (easily) was Macedon’s Charlotte Noonan.
