Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
MYRTLEFORD star Kristan Height became the first player in history to win both the Morris and Morrison Medals when he captured the Ovens and Murray’s highest individual accolade last night.
Height, 31, polled 26 votes to romp in the league’s best and fairest award by a whopping eight votes.
Lavington veteran Matt Pendergast finished runner-up on 18.
Height is the only player to win league best and fairests in both the Ovens and Murray and Goulburn Valley leagues.
The former Echuca ace won the Morrison Medal in 2010.
“It’s a bit of a shock,” Height said.
“A few people from the club kept tapping me on the shoulder, saying I was a chance, but I didn’t think we’d won enough games.”
Yarrawonga ruckman Brandon Symes and Wangaratta speedster Matt Grossman tied for third on 17 votes.
There were two major shocks on the night.
Albury ace Brayden O’Hara failed to fire a shot, polling just 11 votes after entering the count as the overwhelming favourite.
O’Hara’s midfield mates Chris Hyde (16 votes), Joel Mackie (14 votes) and Dean Polo (12 votes) upstaged him.
But in a bigger shock, ineligible Yarrawonga champion Craig Ednie, who took out the award in 2006, failed to poll a single vote.
Height became the 10th Myrtleford player to win the Morris Medal and the first since co-coach Brad Murray in 2005.
He was judged best on ground four times for the year, with two of those three-vote performances coming in defeat.
He polled two votes in six games.
The former Hawthorn rookie attracted votes in 12 of Myrtleford’s 18 games and finished the season strongly.
He polled at least one vote in all of the last seven rounds.
“I’m really excited for next year,” Height, who recently re-signed, said.
“The club runs a really good program and the whole community gets behind it.