MYRTLEFORD co-coach Brad Murray has enhanced his already impressive C.V. by winning a sixth senior best-and-fairest award.
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The decorated 33-year-old beat good mate and fellow Morris medallist Kristan Height and ruckman Matt Dussin for the Alpine Saints’ top gong on Saturday night.
It was Murray’s second club award after winning it in 2013, while he has also won best-and-fairests at West Perth, Port Adelaide Magpies, Echuca and Blackburn.
“It’s always a good honour to win a B and F,” the tough-as-nails midfielder said.
“It would be good to see some young guys win the B and F, like (Mitch) Dalbosco and Matty Dussin.
“Hopefully one of the young guys can jump up and win one next year.
“At this stage of my career it’s not what I play for.
“I’m just trying to pass on my experience to the boys.”
Murray will continue as co-coach with Leigh Corcoran next season and has no plans for retirement.
“I’m definitely playing next year,” he said.
“It would be good to have another couple, that’s what I’ll be aiming for.
“It depends on injuries, you never know what’s going to happen.”
Several clubs held their vote counts after the last round, with Corowa-Rutherglen defender Al Austin claiming back-to-back Jim Sandral Medals.
Austin pipped star midfielder Sam Carpenter by three votes, with Kade Kuschert third, 12 votes behind.
“It was a bit of a surprise,” said Austin, 26, who is unsure of his playing future.
“I thought Carps and Kade had great years so I thought one of them might have won.
“I had good patches and bad patches, (but) I was reasonably consistent.”
North Albury veteran Dan Leslie won his second Keith Shea Medal, with Lachlan Taylor-Nugent runner-up.
Leslie played as a “top-up” player for Kevin Sheedy’s Greater Western Sydney in a 2011 NAB Challenge match against North Melbourne.
But Hoppers coach Jason Akermanis says he’s shocked Leslie didn’t ‘make it’ at AFL level.
“They put him as a key position when I would have put him as a ruck rover,” Akermanis said.
“The recruiters put him in the wrong box.
“He reads the game well, he can mark, he can kick and he would have been a dynamo for the right team.
“With his motor, he would have played on-ball, comfortably.”
At the Rovers, star full-back Tyson Hartwig took home his second Bob Rose Medal, and first since 2013.
He moved equal with his father Leigh, who won the club’s best-and-fairest award in 1979 and 1978.
