A stunning six-match run in the second half of the season has been enough for Leopold captain Mitch Burgess to be crowned the Don Mathieson medallist as GFNL best-and-fairest for 2026.
Burgess polled 16 of his 23 votes between from rounds 12-17 to beat home two previous winners.
Ned Harris, who shared the Mathieson with Bell Park’s Jett Bermingham last year, and 2024 winner Doyle Madigan finished tied second on 22 votes.
After Leopold had the bye in Round 19, Harris was still alive heading into the final round clash with St Albans, trailing Burgess by two votes.
However, he could only secure one vote for his 31-disposal effort, with 41 disposals from teammate Taj McMillan earning the three votes, while Supersaints spearhead Tom Higgins received two votes after kicking seven goals.
Madigan stormed onto the podium with consecutive three votes to round out the home-and-away season.
His teammate Todd White finished fourth on 14 votes, while St Albans midfielder Fletcher Keck and Bell Park’s Jack Sarcevic tied for fifth a vote further back.
Sarcevic would have been further up the leaderboard if not for an overseas trip that saw him miss five matches.
When counting went live after Round 11, Harris appeared well placed to become a consecutive winner of the award.
He sat on 14 votes, five clear of Towners teammate Mitch Diamond, and two-time winner Harry Benson, who was overseas for the majority of the second half of the season.
Madigan was among eight players a vote further back, with Burgess on seven votes, which included best-on-ground performances in rounds 2 and 3.
Burgess’ burst included four best-on-ground perfomances, with three of those coming in consecutive weeks from Round 12, as Leopold put itself back in finals contention.
A two-time premiership player, Burgess, who played Talent League with the GWV Rebels, is in his sixth season at Memorial Park after crossing from Hampden league club Warrnambool post-Covid.
Burgess is Leopold’s fifth Mathieson medallist following Mark Dahlhaus (1994), Rick Wilde (2002-03), Tony Brown (2006) and Guy O’Keefe (2014).
X: @krockfootball
CLUB LEADERBOARDS
BELL PARK
| Player | Votes |
|---|---|
| Jack Sarcevic | 13 |
| Jett Bermingham | 11 |
| Hamish Lucas | 11 |
| Stephen Bensted | 5 |
| Oliver Hicks | 4 |
| Lachlan Patten | 4 |
| Eli Pearce | 4 |
| Zach Lamb | 3 |
| Mitchell Mahady | 3 |
| Fraser Marris | 3 |
| Euriah Hollard | 2 |
| Rhys McWaters | 2 |
| Ollie Bridgewater | 1 |
| Noah Hollard | 1 |
| Matthew Jones | 1 |
COLAC TIGERS
| Player | Votes |
|---|---|
| Kody Spokes | 11 |
| Zachary Zdybel | 9 |
| Leigh Gorwell | 6 |
| Darcy Lang | 5 |
| Micah Robb | 5 |
| Josh Garner | 4 |
| Adam Garner | 3 |
| Jarryn McCormack | 3 |
| Chaise Murray | 3 |
| Jarrod Walters | 3 |
| Ethan Liddle | 2 |
| Hamish Darroch | 1 |
| Ben Mccarthy | 1 |
GEELONG WEST GIANTS
| Player | Votes |
|---|---|
| Tanner Lewis | 12 |
| Maxwell Kelly | 7 |
| Bailey Harvey | 3 |
| Lachie Horniblow | 2 |
| Cameron Edwards | 1 |
| Jay Kaltenbach | 1 |
| Mac Scoullar | 1 |
| August Stelma | 1 |
GROVEDALE TIGERS
| Player | Votes |
|---|---|
| Joe McCarthy | 11 |
| Nathan Deans | 7 |
| Tom Gillett | 6 |
| Ryan Abbott | 5 |
| William Ford | 4 |
| Judah Greene | 3 |
| Jack Kelly | 3 |
| Rory Quinn | 3 |
| Jak Tute | 3 |
| Nathan Kreuger | 2 |
| Cooper Whyte | 2 |
| Billy Spicer | 1 |
| James Tsitas | 1 |
| Harrison Whyte | 1 |
LEOPOLD
| Player | Votes |
|---|---|
| Mitchell Burgess | 23 |
| Darby Henderson | 10 |
| Tate Porter | 4 |
| William Sheahan | 4 |
| Mason Williams | 3 |
| Kyle Bumpstead | 2 |
| Jay Dahlhaus | 2 |
| Harry Morphet | 2 |
| Marcus Thompson | 2 |
| Adam Enever | 1 |
| Jed Henderson | 1 |
NEWTOWN & CHILWELL
| Player | Votes |
|---|---|
| Ned Harris | 22 |
| Mitch Diamond | 9 |
| Blake Sutterby | 9 |
| Connor Fopiani | 6 |
| Taj McMillan | 6 |
| Liam Nash | 4 |
| Cameron Wilkinson | 4 |
| Jett Modola | 3 |
| Mitchell Dodos | 2 |
| Alex Souflas | 2 |
| Charlie Byrne | 1 |
| Archer Harkness | 1 |
| Alfie Wojcinski | 1 |
NORTH SHORE
| Player | Votes |
|---|---|
| Jacob Sammut-Miljevic | 6 |
| Harry Purcell | 1 |
SOUTH BARWON
| Player | Votes |
|---|---|
| Doyle Madigan | 22 |
| Todd White | 14 |
| Matthew Caldow | 8 |
| Taylor Mulraney | 6 |
| Zach Stevens | 5 |
| Patrick Kelly | 4 |
| Jonty Broughton | 3 |
| Ben Kellett | 3 |
| Andrew Boseley | 2 |
| Leigham Elzinga | 2 |
| Rowan Gough | 2 |
| Lewis Page | 2 |
| Hamish Sinnott | 2 |
| Lachlan Weidemann | 2 |
| Kelly O’Neil | 1 |
ST ALBANS
| Player | Votes |
|---|---|
| Fletcher Keck | 13 |
| Tom Higgins | 9 |
| Jacob Russell | 3 |
| Ethan Guida | 2 |
| Bailey Brogden | 1 |
| Nathan Cole | 1 |
ST JOSEPH’S
| Player | Votes |
|---|---|
| Jack Jovanovic | 12 |
| James Hose | 11 |
| Paddy De Grandi | 7 |
| Mitch Chafer | 6 |
| James Gow | 6 |
| Liam Kershaw | 4 |
| Giuseppe Posterino | 4 |
| Ryan Connolly | 3 |
| Alex Hickey | 3 |
| Joel O’Dwyer | 3 |
| Jai Adams | 2 |
| Angus Humphrey | 2 |
| Callum Mitchell | 2 |
| Harrison Smith | 2 |
| Zac Knights | 1 |
| Josh Nurnaitis | 1 |
| Malachi White | 1 |
ST MARY’S
| Player | Votes |
|---|---|
| Brayden Ham | 10 |
| Harry Benson | 9 |
| Elijah Wales | 8 |
| Lachy Peck | 6 |
| Ryan Pendlebury | 6 |
| Bayley Cockerill | 5 |
| Patrick Dowling | 5 |
| Hamish Bourke | 4 |
| Luke Bartolo | 3 |
| Jack Blood | 3 |
| Henry Cook | 3 |
| Oliver Flynn | 3 |
| Christopher Jansen | 3 |
| Harry McMahon | 3 |
| Jack Willson | 3 |
| Sam Bourke | 2 |
| Nicholas Dowling | 2 |
| Fletcher Hughes | 2 |
| Joshua Sanders | 2 |
