Two-horse race? Great Southern Football League coaches make their predictions for 2020 Kleemann Medal

Four of the six coaches believe this year’s battle for the Kleemann Medal is a race in two, between North Albany young gun Talon Delacey and Denmark-Walpole star Shayne Zanetti, when the Great Southern Football League holds the count on Monday night. Delacey and Zanetti have been widely tipped as the two hot fancies to win the 62nd edition of the Henry Kleemann Medal, after both have produced wonderful seasons in shortened 10 home and away games. Three of the six league coaches believe it will be the Kangas teenager who will be presented with the GSFL’s highest individual honour while Jamie Ramm and Magpies co-coach Ryan Gaerth believe Zanetti will win. Tigers coach Troy Leo was the only one to tip outside of the two favourites, naming Lions linkman Brayden Parker as the man to cause an upset. Last year’s Kleemann medallist Logan Stubber believes as little as 10 votes could be enough to win but has tipped former West Perth big man Zanetti to become the next name on the honour roll. Stubber, who has spent 2020 on the sidelines with an anterior cruciate ligament, said Zanetti has been a dominant force in the ruck for the resurgent Magpies. “Shayne Zanetti has had a great consistent season and is such an influential player not only in the ruck but also up forward,” Stubber said. “In this season I think you would only need 10 votes to win and Shayne has had three or four best on ground performances.” Lions coach Andrew Ruck says he believes Delacey “has sown it up” while Bulls coach Brad Hook said the youngster’s ability to rack up big possession numbers and kick goals is the reason he will win. Gaerth believes his teammate Zanetti, who was injured in round eight and failed to play the final two rounds, can hang on in close finish. Delacey played all 10 games in the regular season and kicked 21 goals but had a quiet final three games of the year. Zanetti featured in eight games for the Magpies and quite possibly could have polled votes in the first seven rounds. Zanetti and Delacey were tied in the Albany Advertiser Football of the Year Award on 13 votes when that went in-house at the end of round seven. In the Coaches Player of the Year award, Zanetti held a slender four-vote advantage over Talon Delacey before that voting also went silent. The Kleemann Medal is the highlight of Monday night’s awards at Centennial Stadium. COACHES’ PREDICTIONS Andrew Ruck (Royals) 1- Talon Delacey 2- Shayne Zanetti 3- Declan McNamara Roughie- Mitch Green Troy Leo (Railways) 1- Brayden Parker 2- Talon Delacey 3- Kane Shephard Roughie- Ryan Kinnear Ryan Gaerth (Denmark-Walpole) 1- Shayne Zanetti 2- Alec Haskins 3- Jayden Woods Roughie- Ash Smith Leigh Hislop (North Albany) 1- Talon Delacey 2- Shayne Zanetti 3- Matt Palfrey Roughie- Ryan Kinnear Brad Hook (Mt Barker) 1- Talon Delacey 2- Shayne Zanetti 3- Ryan Kinnear Roughie- Henrick Alforque Jamie Ramm (Albany) 1- Shayne Zanetti 2- Talon Delacey 3- Matt Palfrey Roughie- Cam Allison