Woods and Finlay win GSFL colts and sixteens medals

Albany midfielder Brandon Woods has become his club’s first recipient of the Rod Gillies Medal after finishing a runaway winner in Tuesday night’s vote count for the fairest and best colts player in the Great Southern Football League.

Woods, who made the switch from Denmark-Walpole to the Sharks this year, played all 15 games in the regular season and finished 10 votes clear of his nearest rival in the count.

The 17-year-old had seven votes after five rounds and by round 10 had opened a four-vote buffer on Mt Barker’s Joel Gray before storming to victory with three consecutive best-on-field efforts in the last three matches.

Woods polled in nine games, collecting 25 votes to defeat fast-finishing North Albany midfielder Rhett Lloyd (15 votes).

Lloyd did not poll in the first nine rounds but came with a late run that included four best-on-field efforts.

Royals duo Cent Amores and Tom Baldwin were next best on 13 votes along with Gray, while Kangas’ Corey Hitchcock and Railways ball magnet Jack Steel were the only other players on double figures with 10.

Woods thanked the Sharks for making him feel so welcome at the club.

“I feel stoked to win this award,” he said. “This is one of my best seasons of footy.

“It has been a great change. The Sharks have made me feel at home.”

Earlier in the night, promising talent Nic Finlay became the first Royals player to take home the Warrick Proudlove Medal after prevailing in a tight sixteens count over Sharks pair Zainel Bin-Busu and Fraser Eaton.

Finlay played 12 home and away matches for the Lions and polled in seven games to finish on 14 votes, just ahead of Bin-Busu and Eaton on 10.

Lions’ Mitchell Ballard, Magpies’ Codey Baxter and Tigers’ Tom Wolfe were next best with nine votes each, while trio Rivah Bocian, Karel Cronje and Richard Cullinan finished on eight.

Finlay, who has spent most of his season at half forward, was shocked by his win.

“I didn’t expect to poll that well,” he said.

“I’ve found the step up from juniors great and hopefully we can win the grand final now.”

Tigers star Beau Ewen was awarded the Great Southern Storm’s fairest and best player at both the Landmark Country Football Championships and the Great Southern Colts Carnival.

Jordan Wallam (35 goals) and Bocian (31) were also recognised as the colts and 16s leading goalkickers respectively.