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MFL | Thrilling O’Dwyer Medal count ends in a tie

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It’s a tie: Tongala’s Nicholas Jamieson has tied for the O’Dwyer Medal with Nathalia’s Brodie Ross. Photo: Steve Huntley Photo by Steve Huntley

Tongala has produced its second straight O’Dwyer medallist, with midfielder Nicholas Jamieson tying with Nathalia’s Brodie Ross for the Murray Football League’s top individual gong.

On the league’s night of nights at Moama Bowling Club on Sunday evening, former Footscray midfielder Jamieson and Purples’ stalwart Ross tied on 25 votes in a thrilling count, with Ross polling three final-round votes to square the tally.

It is the first time the league has had joint winners since 2008 and Jamieson joins teammate and 2021 winner Coby McCarthy as one of three Blues medallists, the other being Daryl Harrison.

Ross polled votes in 12 games with three best-on-ground performances in Nathalia’s mid-season revival, also nabbing the league’s MVP honour as voted by clubs.

Jamieson polled in the same amount of games with five best-on-grounds as Tongala progressed to the semi-finals.

The 2019 O’Dwyer medallist Jackson Gash polled 22 votes to finish runner-up as he and Mulwala prepare for a blockbuster grand final on Saturday against Cobram.

In the reserves, Deniliquin’s Aiden Free pipped teammate Logan Ives and Tongala’s Todd Van Roy by one vote to take out the Damien Jones medal, while Cobram’s Lucas Roberts claimed the thirds’ best-and-fairest.

Mikael Corso in the fourths added another league award for Cobram, while also taking out the under-14s goal-kicking with 74 majors.

The league sharpshooters were recognised with Daniel Campbell taking out the Les Mogg senior goal-kicking award with 61 majors.

Tongala’s Mark Watson was the reserves leader with 64 goals for the season, while Moama young gun Jobe Shanahan, a key figure in the Pies’ senior finals push, led the thirds’ competition with 60 goals for the year.

Numurkah’s Kade O’Dwyer was judged the MFL’s rising star.

In A-grade netball, Nathalia’s Tegan Sutton secured a thrilling one-vote win over Congupna’s Morgan Zotti, while Steph Hammond (Mulwala) earned MVP honours.

Deniliquin’s Annie Harvey was judged rookie of the year.

Nathalia’s Jess Hicks tied with Mulwala’s Nat Ferguson on 28 votes to be named the best-and-fairest in B-grade. Moama’s Georgina Crowe was a close second with 25 votes.

In C-grade, Barooga’s Breanna Anthony took out the league award with 25 votes, two ahead of Echuca United’s Kate Donehue.

C-reserve saw a Finley family affair with Peta Gowans taking out the award ahead of Paula Gowans.

Nieve O’Dwyer of Numurkah claimed the under-17 netball award with 37 votes ahead of Tongala’s Sienna Johnstone with 32.

Under-15 honours went the way of Deniliquin’s Ava Richards, just pipping Cobram’s Tahlia Pate.

In the under-13s, Zioni Garling-Mathyssen claimed the top prize ahead of Moama's Diaz Agg.