Myrtleford’s star English import Tom Youngs has been picked by the majority of AWFA senior men’s coaches to take out this year’s Star Player award.
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Youngs has been tipped by six of the league’s 11 coaches to claim the top honour and featured in everyone’s top-three.
If successful, Youngs would become the third straight Myrtleford player to win the award after Will Dennis (2016) and Savoys’ co-coach Matt Park (2015) were recgonised in the past two seasons.
His closest rivals appear to be Boomers’ defender Dustin Patten and Albury City young gun Thorne Maw.
Youngs missed a chunk of matches in the middle of the season after breaking his arm in the derby clash with Wangaratta at Myrtleford, but starred upon his return to put himself in contention with a sublime run home.
“The easiest way to put it is he’s too good for the league really,” teammate Jesse Stephens said.
“I don’t think he’ll be here next year, he’s just a class above.
“The good thing is, teams have had a plan to stop him, but if he’s getting man-marked or he can’t get enough of the ball, he’ll drag himself out wide and you’ve also got ‘Parksy’ (Matt Park) who is unbelievable as well, Patrick (Sibomana) and Daniel (Kioses), so there’s other options.”
In the senior women’s, Albury City’s Bridget McDiarmid has a strong chance to make it two Star Player triumphs in a row.
Four of the six senior women’s coaches tipped McDiarmid to repeat last year’s achievement, with Wangaratta duo Bianca Mulqueen and Leanne Branson, as well as St Pats’ captain and 2016 winner Claire Mahoney also in the mix.
SENIOR MEN’S
Jayden Vescio (Myrtleford)
Tom Youngs (Myrtleford), Thorne Maw (Albury City), Matt Hasler (Twin City Wanderers)
Mario Antonello (Wangaratta)
Tom Youngs (Myrtleford), Tyler Curran (Twin City Wanderers), Riley Hamilton (Wangaratta)
Andrew Grove (Boomers)
Dustin Patten (Boomers), Tom Youngs (Myrtleford), Thorne Maw (Albury City)
Kade Rixon (Melrose)
Thorne Maw (Albury City), Jerome Dunphy (Albury Hotspurs), Tom Youngs (Myrtleford)
Shaun Wilhelm (Twin City Wanderers)
Dustin Patten (Boomers), Thorne Maw (Albury City), Tom Youngs (Myrtleford)
Matt Maw (Albury City)
Tom Youngs (Myrtleford), Dustin Patten (Boomers), Thorne Maw (Albury City)
Scott Kidd (Albury United)
Tyler Curran (Twin City Wanderers), Tom Youngs (Myrtleford), Lachlan Arkinstall (Melrose)
Bill Puckett (Cobram)
Tom Youngs (Myrtleford), Tyler Curran (Twin City Wanderers), Jerome Dunphy (Albury Hotspurs)
Robert Tuksar (Albury Hotspurs)
Kade Rixon (Melrose), Jerome Dunphy (Albury Hotspurs), Tom Youngs (Myrtleford)
Ian Johnson (Wodonga Diamonds)
Tom Youngs (Myrtleford), Tyler Curran (Twin City Wanderers), Matt Hasler (Twin City Wanderers)
Phil Page (St Pats)
Tom Youngs (Myrtleford), Andrew Grove (Boomers), Jerome Dunphy (Albury Hotspurs)
SENIOR WOMEN’S
Robert Brown (Albury City)
Bridget McDiarmid (Albury City), Christina Mancuso (Wangaratta), Claire Mahoney (St Pats)
Tom Marshall (Wangaratta)
Leanne Branson (Wangaratta), Bianca Mulqueen (Wangaratta), Bridget McDiarmid (Albury City)
Tony Cigana (Albury United)
Bridget McDiarmid (Albury City), Bianca Mulqueen (Wangaratta) , Christina Mancuso (Wangaratta)
Josh O’Farrell (St Pats)
Bridget McDiarmid (Albury City), Bianca Mulqueen (Wangaratta), Claire Mahoney (St Pats)
Caron Stiler (Wodonga Diamonds)
Claire Mahoney (St Pats), Bridget McDiarmid (Albury City), Leanne Branson (Wangaratta)
Adam Waters (Melrose)
Bridget McDiarmid (Albury City), Claire Mahoney (St Pats), Maya Davis (Melrose)
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