SUANFC midfielder Tom Young has won the 2016 Timothy Driscoll Medal following a remarkable season, which saw him finish 16 votes clear of second-place.
Young started the season slowly, polling just 14 votes in the first 10 rounds, 15 votes behind last year’s winner Matthew Rawlinson (SUANFC use a 6-5-4-3-2-1 voting system, with the best player receiving 6 votes.).
Flipping his form between Round 11 and 16, the former Magpie and Bulldog polled 22 votes in 5 games, including two best-on-ground performances against the Suns and Thunder.
Young finished the season in fine form, polling a further 15 votes in the final 3 games to take out the Club’s most prestigious award with 53 votes, ahead of Rawlinson, who also won the Clinton Cole Scholar of the Year Award and 3-time winner Tim Barton.
Other NEAFL award winners on the night included Lewis Stevenson (Carter-Ramus Best Finals Player), Spencer Krochmal (SUANFC Rising Star Award), Aaron Day (Players’ Player Award), Jarrod Irving (Coaches Award) and Jake Derickx (Leading Goalkicker Award).
Colts captain Nicholas Bertino won the Jason McLennan Medal (Colts B&F) and Player’s Player Award after an outstanding year for SUANFC’s U/19 side, while Henry Lamshed (Best New Colt & Leading Goalkicker) and Xavier Nelson (Coaches Award) also picked up medals on the night.
The newly named Jan Ramus Junior Club Volunteer of the Year Award was won by Kirsty Bass from the Glebe Greyhounds Junior Football Club, after a great year of volunteering at the locally-based club with over 400 players.
Outgoing General Manager Tristan Liles, NEAFL Team Manager Sam Sleigh and NEAFL Assistant Coach Jarrod Crosby were each recognised for their efforts throughout the season, while NEAFL Coach Daniel Gilmore was presented with a framed jersey following memorable speech’s from both Austin Lucy and Tim Barton thanking Gilmore for his impact on the Club’s football program.
SUANFC thanks all 2016 Driscoll Medal Event Partners, including CPLUSC, Bendigo bank Pyrmont, Urbanest, Young Henrys, The Bank Hotel, M.J Bale, Grande Vindima, Bec & Bridge, 20th Century Fox, Everything Peppermint, Mr.Tipply’s, Taronga Zoo, Hype DC, Kitepower Australia, Treasury Estate Wines and GM Photographics.