Bell Post Hill has received a boost ahead of Saturday’s preliminary final clash against East Geelong, with captain Jack Yates taking out the Neville Whitley Medal as GDFNL best-and-fairest.
The tough-as-nails Panther took the lead with 16 votes with a best-on-ground performance against Bannockburn when the count went live in Round 11, one clear of East Geelong captain John McIntyre and Anakie spearhead Andrew Boseley, and wasn’t headed from that point on.
Three-vote efforts in rounds 12 and 15 extended his lead to four over Boseley and teammate Dylan Witney, with two votes in the Round 17 win over Inverleigh securing victory.
Yates, who polled the equal-third most votes last year despite being ineligible due to a suspension that delayed his start to 2025 until Round 3, finished on 24 votes.
He finished four clear of league-leading goalkicker, Anakie spearhead Andrew Boseley, and Werribee Centrals gun Michael Culliver, who both polled 20.
Belmont Lions gun Bradley Michell and 2021 joint winner Witney rounded out the top five with 19 and 18 votes, respectively.
McIntyre, who missed the final two rounds due to injury, finished sixth on 17 votes.
Yates is the sixth winner of the Whitley Medal/GDFNL Division 1 best-and-fairest, joining Troy Renfey (1990), Stuart Beynon (1993), Shaun Lewis (2008), Shane Tobin (2013), and Matty James (2018).
X: @krockfootball
CLUB-BY-CLUB VOTES
ANAKIE
20 – Andrew Boseley
15 – Luke Dahlhaus
14 – Brad Gerrard
11 – Oscar Barter
8 – Joshua Mawson
3 – Jake Long
1 – Jayden Davey
1 – Robbie Milne
BANNOCKBURN
15 – Connor Jervies
6 – Fletcher Wilson
5 – Rhys Ginn
4 – Josh Kunjka
3 – Darcy Giddings
2 – Ashton Phillips
2 – Louis Clifton
2 – Tristan Battaglia
1 – Rob Maibaum
BELL POST HILL
24 – Jack Yates
18 – Dylan Witney
5 – Dylan Godwin
3 – Sam Quinn
3 – Zane Jones
2 – Liam Meyrich
2 – Matthew Purnell
1 – Tim Barton
1 – Nick Costello
BELMONT LIONS
19 – Bradley Michell
10 – Benjamin Evans
8 – James Beasley
7 – Ben McPherson
6 – David Allitt
5 – Jak Evans
4 – Noah Houtsma
4 – Michael Murdoch
2 – Joshua Wilson
2 – Andy Wylie
1 – Brooklyn Johnston
CORIO
5 – Herschelle Carr
4 – Matthew James
4 – Joel Bennett
4 – Toby Bennett
3 – Russell Cowan
1 – Jack Green
EAST GEELONG
17 – John McIntyre
9 – Ben Crombie
8 – Jack Beardsell
7 – Zac Smith
7 – Jude Payne
5 – Jacob Nolan
4 – Andrew Steele
3 – Jeremy Ollis
3 – Lachlan Zimmer
3 – Jake McLean
2 – Ryan Lempa
1 – Galen Munari
GEELONG WEST
7 – Brayden Mitchell
5 – Matthew Sondergold
5 – Jacson Collins
3 – Nick Butters
2 – Alex Blair
2 – Daniel Craven
2 – James Pullan
2 – Harry Fraser
1 – Thomas Jenkins
1 – Scott Frangos
INVERLEIGH
13 – Luke Wilson
12 – Jarrod Love
7 – Casey Meehan
6 – Dalton Grundell
5 – Boe Collins
3 – Mason Dickson
2 – Noah Sneskov
2 – David Peel
1 – Guy O’Keefe
1 – Jack Fiolet
1 – Dean Muir
NORTH GEELONG
10 – Osca Riccardi
9 – Cooper Vaughan
9 – Rory Desnoy
7 – Jacsen Jewell
6 – Damian Fazio
6 – John Fazio
5 – Thomas Schwennesen
3 – Noah Bily
3 – Zac Schwennesen
3 – Thomas Davis
3 – Blake Miller
2 – Noah Penny
2 – Mitch Habib
THOMSON
16 – Jordan Camm
7 – Billie Smedts
5 – Dylan Jose
4 – Andrew Jarvis
4 – Zachary Plant
3 – Darcy Troop
3 – Jed Hanneysee
1 – Ben Kamaric
1 – Samuel Jacka
1 – Paul Davis
1 – Daniel Freeman
1 – Lucas Boyd
WERRIBEE CENTRALS
20 – Michael Culliver
10 – Tyler Crennan
7 – Kur Kur
6 – Josh McDonald
3 – Tate Camilleri
3 – Justin Porter
2 – Carmello Saliba
2 – Blake Taylor
2 – Patrick Daley
WINCHELSEA
11 – Tavae Sauni
7 – Cassidy Parish
7 – Indiana Parish
6 – David Isbister
3 – Finlay Parish
3 – Cam Primmer
2 – Caleb Brown
2 – Tyler Beasley
1 – Lachie Gemmill
1 – Baxter Boddington
