That grand final win was in the Heathcote league and two members of that team were a part of the 72-point premiership win — Murray Barrett and Mick Auld.
Ash Comer was judged best afield in the win, making up for the fact he had to surrender his share of the McNamara Medal (he tied for the league best and fairest award) after being reported during the home-and-away season.
Premiership coach Gavin Exell kicked 11 goals in the win, with Simon Harrison, Leigh Haw and Harry Liversidge among the Lions’ best players.
Stanhope lost the Under-18 grand final to Avenel, in spite of two goals from Matt Sheers and Todd Harrison led the defence famely in the 28-point loss.
Patrick Rattray, who later kicked 100 goals in the senior KDL competition for Nagambie in a premiership-winning year, was best-on-ground and Michael Donovan — who recently umpired his 200th game in the Goulburn Murray region — kicked two goals.
∎ Mark Patten, co-coach of the 2022 Stanhope senior outfit, was winner of the reserve-grade Wade Medal for the Kyabram district league. He polled 29 votes to finish 10 clear of his nearest rival.
Lancaster: 2000
Andrew and Michael Collins were Lancaster’s best players in its 17-point win against Nagambie in the reserves grand final.
Rodney Boatwood, Trevor Goode and Justin Hooper all kicked goals in the win, while Peter Leon, Leigh Wilkinson and Willy Connally were among the Wombats best.
∎ Corey Carver finished runner-up for the second occasion in the Kyabram district league best and fairest vote count, behind ineligible Stanhope mid-fielder Ash Comer.
A year earlier Carver had finished runner-up in the award, but the Wombats did have a winner with Under-17 star Dustyn Brown. He polled 10 best-on-ground awards in the Inch Medal to win the award by 13 votes.
Kyabram: 2000
Paul Newman — this year’s senior Kyabram coach — kicked two goals for the Bombers’ Under-18 team in its 41-point preliminary final loss to Shepparton.
Kayne Pettifer and Josh Vick offered support to Newman and winger Damien Wearden was also among the Bombers’ best, along with Josh Dicketts and Nick Thomson.
Newman was best-on-ground in the elimination final win against Shepparton United, kicking three of the team’s nine goals.
Merrigum: 2000
Lisa Drysdale was crowned the best player in the Kyabram district league’s A-grade competition, polling votes in 12 matches.
∎ Merrigum was knocked out of the race for the senior KDL premiership by Nagambie, in the preliminary final.
The 28-point loss came despite the best efforts of Glenn Greig and on-baller Hayden Howard, while Leigh Allen kicked four goals.
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