Star Newtown & Chilwell midfielder Ned Harris and gun Bell Park recruit Jett Bermingham have shared the Don Mathieson Medal as GFNL best-and-fairest.
Bermingham, a two-time Maskell medallist as Hampden league best-and-fairest, polled three votes in the Dragons’ final round win over Leopold to join Harris on 23 votes.
St Albans midfielder Fletcher Keck and St Mary’s talisman Paddy Dowling, a grandson of Don Mathieson, tied for third on 15 votes.
Bell Park’s Eli Pearce, Eagle big man Cam Wilkinson, Colac ruck Zach Zdybel, and South Barwon’s Todd White tied for fifth on 13 votes.
When voting went live after Round 9, Harris and Dowling led the count on 10 votes.
Bermingham, who missed selection in the team of the year, was a vote behind that duo on nine, with Keck fourth on eight votes.
Harris and Dowling extended their lead to two in Round 10, with both attracting three votes, to move to 13, with Bermingham adding two votes to his tally to sit on 11 votes.
Keck moved into double figures with three votes in the Supersaints Round 11 win over Lara, with Bermingham’s two votes against Newtown & Chilwell drawing him level with Dowling and Harris on 13.
With Dowling overseas for rounds 12-14, his challenge effectively ended, with Harris and Bermingham making their move.
Harris was best-on-ground in rounds 12 and 14, moving to 19 votes, one clear of Bermingham, who gained three votes in Round 12 and two in Round 14.
Keck stayed within striking distance, with two votes in the Round 14 loss to Grovedale moving him to 13.
The Supersaint polled a further two votes in Round 15, with Harris taking the outright lead on 20, as the one vote he polled in the Opening Round loss to St Joseph’s became part of his tally.
After not polling in Round 15, Bermingham was managed in Round 16, while Harris didn’t poll, and Keck’s challenge came to an end.
Harris received three votes in the Towners’ Round 17 win over Lara to climb to 23 votes, while Bermingham received two votes as the Dragons took care of Grovedale, moving to 20.
With Newtown & Chilwell losing to St Mary’s in Round 18, Harris went voteless, leaving the door open for Bermingham to join him at the top of the leaderboard.
A 25-disposal, 11-tackle effort in the Dragons’ win over Leopold was enough to draw the three votes from the umpires and produce the ninth tie in the medal’s 46-year history.
Bermingham, who became the seventh player from Bell Park to win the Mathieson, and first since Steve Paulke’s second victory in 2013.
He joins the late Alan Woodman as a winner of the Mathieson and Maskell medals.
Harris finds himself in elite company at Newtown & Chilwell, joining three-time winner Matt McMahon and club icon Basil Flynn as winners of the Mathieson.
CLUB-BY-CLUB LEADERBOARDS
Bell Park
| Player | Votes |
|---|---|
| Jett Bermingham | 23 |
| Eli Pearce | 13 |
| Jack Sarcevic | 12 |
| Lachlan Patten | 5 |
| Oliver Hicks | 4 |
| Hamish Lucas | 4 |
| Fraser Marris | 4 |
| Stephen Bensted | 3 |
| Benjamin Lloyd | 3 |
| Hamish Dawson | 2 |
| Nicholas Petering | 2 |
| Jacob Nihill | 1 |
| James Worme | 1 |
Colac
| Player | Votes |
|---|---|
| Zachary Zdybel | 13 |
| Ben McCarthy | 10 |
| Jonathan Simpkin | 10 |
| Ryan Monaghan | 5 |
| Jack Skinner | 5 |
| Adam Garner | 4 |
| Jarrod Walters | 4 |
| Joel Cooper | 3 |
| Darcy Lang | 3 |
| Chaise Murray | 3 |
| Sebastian Ross | 3 |
| Kody Spokes | 3 |
| Jarryn McCormack | 2 |
| Micah Robb | 2 |
| Lachlan Simpkin | 2 |
| Brady Hall | 1 |
| Oskar Smartt | 1 |
Geelong West Giants
| Player | Votes |
|---|---|
| Ethan Liddle | 9 |
| Lachie Horniblow | 8 |
| Maxwell Kelly | 4 |
| Tanner Lewis | 4 |
| Noah Allen | 2 |
| Brady Smigowski | 2 |
| Bailey Harvey | 1 |
| Finley O’Keefe | 1 |
Grovedale
| Player | Votes |
|---|---|
| Ryan Abbott | 12 |
| William Ford | 8 |
| Nathan Deans | 3 |
| Nathan Kreuger | 3 |
| Leigh Ellis | 1 |
| Joe McCarthy | 1 |
| Rory Quinn | 1 |
Lara
| Player | Votes |
|---|---|
| Darby Henderson | 5 |
| Tom Gunther | 2 |
| Cameron Edwards | 1 |
| Joshua Sanders | 1 |
Leopold
| Player | Votes |
|---|---|
| Connor Giddings | 10 |
| Mitchell Burgess | 8 |
| Samuel Scott | 8 |
| Marcus Thompson | 8 |
| Tate Porter | 6 |
| Tylar Watts | 6 |
| Harris Jennings | 4 |
| Logan Wagener | 4 |
| Lachlan McLean | 3 |
| William Sheahan | 3 |
| Trent Thompson | 3 |
| Kyle Bumpstead | 2 |
| Billy Clark | 2 |
| Tom Feely | 2 |
| Harry Wall | 2 |
| Mason Williams | 1 |
Newtown & Chilwell
| Player | Votes |
|---|---|
| Ned Harris | 23 |
| Cameron Wilkinson | 13 |
| Liam Nash | 11 |
| Connor Fopiani | 7 |
| Braden Hocking | 6 |
| Will O’Dwyer | 5 |
| Gennaro Bove | 4 |
| Mitch Diamond | 4 |
| Logan Morey | 3 |
| Archer Harkness | 2 |
| Mitchell Dodos | 1 |
| Ben Pennisi | 1 |
North Shore
| Player | Votes |
|---|---|
| Jacob Sammut-Miljevic | 5 |
| Connor Walmsley | 2 |
| Jason Davenport | 1 |
South Barwon
| Player | Votes |
|---|---|
| Todd White | 13 |
| Jonty Broughton | 12 |
| Doyle Madigan | 11 |
| Matthew Caldow | 8 |
| Fraser Fort | 7 |
| Sam James | 7 |
| Ben Kellett | 5 |
| Thomas Peirce | 4 |
| Rowan Gough | 2 |
| Patrick Kelly | 2 |
| Harry Cunningham | 1 |
| Lewis Page | 1 |
St Albans
| Player | Votes |
|---|---|
| Fletcher Keck | 15 |
| Jacob Russell | 6 |
| Tom Higgins | 4 |
| Nic Clarke | 3 |
| Brock McDonald | 3 |
| Jim Botsaris | 2 |
| Bailey Brogden | 2 |
| Sam Donegan | 2 |
| Matthew McKenzie | 2 |
| Lucas Gray | 1 |
St Joseph’s
| Player | Votes |
|---|---|
| James Gow | 11 |
| Mitch Chafer | 9 |
| Alex Hickey | 9 |
| Paddy De Grandi | 6 |
| James Hickey | 6 |
| Luke Webb | 6 |
| Lewis Antonac | 3 |
| Keelin Betson | 3 |
| Joseph Chaplin | 3 |
| Joel Edwards | 3 |
| Felix Henderson | 3 |
| James Hose | 3 |
| Hunter Lewis | 3 |
| Callum Mitchell | 3 |
| Oscar Morrison | 3 |
| Jack Mullen | 3 |
| Oliver Hanneysee | 2 |
| Liam Betson | 1 |
| Ryan Connolly | 1 |
St Mary’s
| Player | Votes |
|---|---|
| Patrick Dowling | 15 |
| Michael Rudd | 10 |
| Sam Bourke | 8 |
| Brayden Ham | 7 |
| Fletcher Hughes | 7 |
| Jack Blood | 5 |
| Nicholas Connors | 5 |
| Ryan Pendlebury | 5 |
| Jarryd Garner | 3 |
| Elijah Wales | 3 |
| Hamish Bourke | 2 |
| Bayley Cockerill | 2 |
| Christopher Jansen | 1 |
| Keidan Rayner | 1 |
