Region’s best stake their claim for football and netball award

By Bransen Gibson

May 24, 2022

On top: Echuca United’s Jessica Saunders, left, is tied with Teal Hocking of Rochester atop the netballer of the year ladder. Photo: Steve Huntley

Contender: Rochester's Teal Hocking is the co-leader of the netballer of the year award alongside Echuca United’s Jessica Saunders. Photo: Rodney Braithwaite

Frontrunner: Picola United's Blake Jorgensen is leading the way in the footballer of the year award. Photo: Steve Huntley Photo by Steve Huntley

With over a third of the 2002 football and netball seasons in the book, the race is heating up at the top of the Moama Bowling Club-GAME ON podcast Footballer and Netballer of the Year award.

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In the football, Picola United’s Blake Jorgensen is leading the way with 13 votes through eight rounds.

The Blues midfielder has won three consecutive best and fairest prizes at United and has been voted the best on ground four times so far this season.

Leitchville Gunbower’s Jobee Ward has also been voted BOG four times in 2022 and he sits just behind Jorgensen in second place on 12 votes.

Alongside Ward, Echuca United’s James Harney is also sitting on 12 votes.

Harney has been BOG three times, while also picking up votes in two other games.

Nicholas Pavlou from Moama is in fourth place with 11 votes, with he, Harney and Jorgenson each receiving votes in five games — the most this season.

In netball, Teal Hocking from Rochester and Echuca United’s Jessica Saunders are on top of the ladder with 11 votes apiece.

Saunders has been voted best on once, but has also collected two votes on four other occasions.

They hold a narrow advantage over LBU’s Jess Hardess and Jess Beaton from Picola United who are both on 10.

Hocking, Beaton and Hardess have all been voted best on three times so far this season.

There are four more players tied on nine votes — Steph Vick and Bianca Willis from Echuca, and Grace Hammond and Corey Drennan from Tongala.

Eighty-one individual netballers have polled at least one vote so far this season, while 111 footballers have received a vote.

Both the football and netball awards will carry $2500 in prize money for the outstanding players of the 2022 seasons, with the major share of $1750 pocketed by the winner, $500 for runner-up and $250 for third.

The award covers 10 clubs from across the region and includes four different leagues.

Echuca and Rochester from the Goulburn Valley league, Murray league clubs Tongala, Echuca United and Moama, Mathoura and Picola United from the Picola District League and three clubs from the Heathcote league, Leitchville-Gunbower, Colbinabbin and Lockington Bamawm United, will feature in the award.

Votes are be cast by the opposition coach for the awards on a 3, 2, 1 basis.

By Bransen Gibson