Queenscliff great Jayden Durran has proved that class is ongoing by becoming the club’s first Don Cole Medal winner in 28 years tonight (Wednesday).
The triple-premiership-winning veteran of 129 senior games – including two this year – finished on 18 votes to edge out former Drydale captain Josh Hopgood in a thrilling count by one vote.
When the vote count went live with four rounds remaining, Durran had 16 votes, two more than Hopgood, with Geelong Amateur spearhead Riley Mattner, who was about to spend a three-match stretch in the seniors, a vote further back on 13.
Neither Durran or Hopgood polled in round 15 or 16 before the latter attracted the three votes in Round 17 to take a one-vote lead over the Couta and Geelong Amateur’s Cody Diana, who had polled consecutive three votes to put himself in contention.
With Hopgood and Diana both not playing in the final round, Durran polled two votes as the Coutas had the better of Portarlington to join Wayne Hucker (1996), Mark Libardi (1993) and Robert Clark (1977) as Coutas to win the award.
Diana and Mattner shared third spot, with Torquay forward Luke Wittman rounding out the top five on 15 votes.
X: @krockfootball
CLUB-BY-CLUB VOTES
| ANGLESEA | |
| Jai Anderson | 8 |
| Camdyn Hutchinson | 6 |
| Tom Presnell | 4 |
| Liam Carolan | 3 |
| Patrick Gray | 3 |
| Matthew Connell | 3 |
| Simon Umbers | 3 |
| Finn Diamond | 3 |
| Aidan Connell | 3 |
| James Moverley | 3 |
| Kuiper Hede | 3 |
| Sean Hermann | 2 |
| James Gray | 2 |
| Liam Cruickshank | 2 |
| Josh King | 2 |
| Ike Hardman | 1 |
| Max Mauderer | 1 |
| Tom Eskrigge | 1 |
| BARWON HEADS | |
| Tyson Windus | 13 |
| William Pelham | 11 |
| Bailey Graham | 9 |
| Charlie Walter | 5 |
| Kye Baulch | 5 |
| Riley Box | 4 |
| Benjamin O’Sullivan | 3 |
| Declan Clark | 3 |
| Louis Hannett | 3 |
| Hunter Connolly | 2 |
| Jake Stainsby | 1 |
| Oscar Young | 1 |
| Darby Graham | 1 |
| Luca Vella | 1 |
| Tim Chapman | 1 |
| Kyle Maher | 1 |
| DRYSDALE | |
| Joshua Hopgood | 17 |
| Corey Watson | 7 |
| Ashley Bryant | 7 |
| Toby Wiffen | 6 |
| Tom Ryan | 5 |
| Ricky Reid | 3 |
| Jackson Smith | 3 |
| Mitchell Clark | 3 |
| Jeremiah Kalbitzer | 3 |
| Jackson Payne | 2 |
| Nickolas Aringo | 2 |
| George Christofi | 1 |
| Declan Foley | 1 |
| Mason Davis | 1 |
| Luke Chapman | 1 |
| GEELONG AMATEUR | |
| Riley Mattner | 16 |
| Cody Diana | 16 |
| Patrick Ryan | 11 |
| Harrison Hampshire | 6 |
| Matthew Ellison | 4 |
| Dylan Cox | 3 |
| Nicholas Clydesdale | 3 |
| Jacob Edwards | 3 |
| Gus Sweeney | 2 |
| William Kelly | 2 |
| Isaac Holroyd | 2 |
| Nick Maishman | 2 |
| Jack Gaspari | 2 |
| Noah Edwards | 2 |
| MODEWARRE | |
| Leigh Anderson | 10 |
| Fletcher Joseph | 6 |
| Jack Barrow | 5 |
| William Koopman | 4 |
| Jayson Thompson | 4 |
| Evann Katos | 2 |
| Jacob King | 2 |
| Cooper McKim | 2 |
| Daniel Tennant | 2 |
| Lachlan Bath | 1 |
| NEWCOMB | |
| Pat McGinley | 5 |
| Angus Farrow | 4 |
| Colin Holt | 4 |
| Jeanpaul Dumont | 3 |
| Sam McDonald | 2 |
| Jim Hall | 2 |
| Damien Horbury | 2 |
| Martin Carey | 2 |
| Thewin Robertson | 1 |
| Jay Finck | 1 |
| OCEAN GROVE | |
| Rowan Hore | 11 |
| Harry Cashin | 6 |
| Patrick Norton | 5 |
| Brandon Poulter | 4 |
| Oliver Monteith | 3 |
| Kirby Reilly | 3 |
| Lachlan Bedendo | 3 |
| Samuel Charville | 2 |
| Joshua Wooding | 2 |
| Tyson Ruck | 2 |
| Joe Pierce | 2 |
| Fletcher Long | 2 |
| Craig Goodger | 1 |
| Thomas Smith | 1 |
| Ryan Cook | 1 |
| Leighton Driscoll | 1 |
| PORTARLINGTON | |
| Ryan Salvador | 5 |
| Damian Tabakovic | 4 |
| Jordan Vlahos | 3 |
| Harrison Vella | 2 |
| Samuel Vagg | 2 |
| Nathan Smith | 1 |
| QUEENSCLIFF | |
| Jayden Durran | 18 |
| Jordan Wilson | 9 |
| William Savickas | 5 |
| Cade Knight | 5 |
| Matt Golightly | 4 |
| Brod Dawson | 3 |
| Kai Keenan | 3 |
| Daniel Tester | 3 |
| Oliver Skurrie | 3 |
| Jacob Bakker | 3 |
| Bailey Prato | 2 |
| Jasper Blair | 2 |
| Harry Wall | 1 |
| Patrick Tucci | 1 |
| TORQUAY | |
| Luke Wittman | 13 |
| Nick Garner | 12 |
| Hugh Darke | 11 |
| Seamus Doyle | 9 |
| Reef Page | 8 |
| Tom Grace | 5 |
| Jonti Wylie | 5 |
| Mackenzie Burns | 5 |
| Luke Mahony | 5 |
| Harry McLeod | 3 |
| Cooper Heard | 3 |
| Clay Page | 3 |
| Will Tamassy | 3 |
| Brendan Carlyon | 3 |
| Tyler Emmerson | 2 |
| Tom Butler | 2 |
| Harrison Mackay | 1 |
| Chad Grossman | 1 |
| Roy Dixon | 1 |
