By DAVID NAGEL
BERWICK skipper Madi Andrews and Doveton ruckman Russell Gabriel have tied for the 2015 Norm Walker Medal in a low-scoring count at the Cardinia Cultural Centre in Pakenham on Monday night.
Andrews capped off a great season, winning ‘Normie’, sharing the MVP award with Beaconsfield’s Scott Meyer and was named captain of the South East Football Netball League Team of the Year.
Andrews polled three votes in round 16 to join Gabriel on 17, the pair holding on from Cranbourne’s Mat Fletcher and Andrews’ Berwick team-mate Ash Smith both on 14.
Andrews was proud of his achievement, having finished second in 2013 and third last year, but was very much focussed on breaking Berwick’s 16-year premiership drought in Saturday’s SEFNL grand final against Cranbourne.
“Personally I suppose it’s a pretty good achievement, but doing everything I can to make Berwick a successful club is what it’s really all about right now,” Andrews said.
“We’ve brought some new players into the club and we’re playing some pretty good footy but we know it’s going to be tough against Cranbourne.”
Gabriel, who was absent on the night, won his second medal after winning in his only other season with the Doves in 2009.
The former Frankston VFL star dominated the stoppages with his size and strength and was a worthy winner despite missing four games through injury.
In other highlights on the night, Pakenham’s Jack Kowarzik made it back-to-back Bill Williamson Medals in the reserves, Cranbourne pair Daniel Kitto and Adrian Russo tied in the under 19s, while Berwick livewire Bailey Asher won the under 18 award by a vote from Beaconsfield’s Connor Guley.
NETBALL
PAKENHAM’s champion mid-courter Meaghan Winter was a hugely popular winner of the SEFNL A Grade best and fairest award on Monday night after scoring 25 votes and a runaway victory.
Winter, who as Meaghan Atkins was runner-up in the award for the last two years, turned the tables on Cranbourne’s 2013 winner Tara Cecil, who finished six votes back on 19.
Winter, who has been a star of the competition for many years, said the award was the individual highlight of her career.
“Obviously winning the premiership in 2013 is what it’s all about, but finally getting my hands on one of these feels pretty good,” said Winter, who gave the trophy a slight shake when it was placed in her hands.
The determined Winter said the standard of the competition had been taken to a new level in recent years.
“It’s great, the standard has always been pretty good but it has really improved over the last two years,” she said.
“It just keeps you motivated to keep on giving your best and keep on improving.”
Winter gave the slight nod to Narre Warren in this Saturday’s grand final against Hampton Park.
Narre coach Jade Heinrich, who finished equal fifth in the count, featured highly in her first year in SEFNL, winning the MVP award, was named starting centre in the Team of the Year and was named coach of that team alongside her husband Greg.
SEFNL AWARD WINNERS
FOOTBALL
SENIORS B&F – NORM WALKER MEDAL
Madi Andrews Berwick 17
Russell Gabriel Doveton 17
Mat Fletcher Cranbourne 14
Ash Smith Berwick 14
Scott Meyer Beaconsfield 12
RESERVES – BILL WILLIAMSON MEDAL
Jack Kowarzik Pakenham 22
UNDER 19
Adrian Russo Cranbourne 18
Daniel Kitto Cranbourne 18
UNDER 18
Bailey Asher Berwick 17
SENIOR – MVP
Madi Andrews Berwick
Scott Meyer Beaconsfield
LEADING GOALKICKERS
SENIORS
Kerem Baskaya Narre Warren 78
RESERVES
Shane Begent Cranbourne 47
UNDER 19
Harrison Money Berwick 58
UNDER 18
Ricky Johnson Doveton 35
NETBALL
A GRADE
Meaghan Winter Pakenham 25
Tara Cecil Cranbourne 19
Kim Coulson Hampton Park 18
Sara Drain Hampton Park 17
Jade Heinrich Narre Warren 16
Andi Dickson Beaconsfield 16
B GRADE
Natalie Montanari Doveton 22
Breanne Miller Doveton 22
C GRADE
Casey Cecil Cranbourne 23
D GRADE
Bridget Arthurson Beaconsfield 22
17 UNDER RED
Ashleigh Barnett ROC 28
17 UNDER WHITE
Kaisha Stacey ROC 20
15 UNDER RED
Melissa Webster Doveton 23
15 UNDER WHITE
Keeley Miller Doveton 26
13 UNDER RED
Maddison Chamberlain ROC 24
13 UNDER WHITE
Tahlia Lane Beaconsfield 30
SENIOR – MVP
Jade Heinrich Narre Warren
CLUB AWARDS
CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP – NETBALL
Narre Warren Football Club
CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP – FOOTBALL
Berwick Football Club
CHAMPIONSHIP CLUB – COMBINED
Narre Warren Football Netball Club
SERVICE AWARDS
200 GAMES
Marc Holt (Cranbourne), Michael Rodriquez (Doveton), Nathan Brown (Pakenham), Meagan McGill (Narre Warren), Toni Dart (Pakenham)
250 GAMES
Nathan Dawes (Hampton Park), Daniel Mislicki (Beaconsfield), Loretta Iverach (Tooradin), Shona Wells (Tooradin)
300 GAMES
Troy Datson (Cranbourne)
