Seymour’s Ben Rigoni, Shepparton United’s Jessie Barnes secure GVL’s top honours

While Barnes won her third consecutive Wellman Family Medal, romping to a six-vote victory after producing yet another dominant season.

Rigoni becomes the sixth Seymour player to win the Morrison Medal and finished the season with impressive averages of 24.4 disposals, 6.6 clearances and 5.7 tackles a game.

Speaking after the count, Rigoni said the victory came as a shock.

“It feels good, I never thought this would happen at the start of the year, so to come away with the win tonight its a great surprise,” Rigoni said.

“I didn’t think I was much of a chance, I thought maybe top five but that’s as far it’d go, so to be the winner it came as a shock.”

A tight battle from start to finish, Rigoni finished with a total of 22 votes, narrowly edging out Kyabram pair Kaine Herbert (21) and Zac Keogh (18) to add his name to the esteemed list of Morrison medallists.

Mansfield skipper Brett Mahoney, rising Shepparton Swans star Zac Banch and reliable Echuca on-baller Sam Willoughby tied for fourth place with 17 votes.

Rigoni wasn’t the only Seymour senior footballer to come away with an award, with utility Riley Mason being rewarded for his breakout season by winning the Mooroopna Golf Club Rising Star award.

And Mooroopna spearhead Chris Nield took home the Steve O’Toole Leading Goal Kicker crown, finishing the senior football season with a return of 77 goals.

The Wellman Family Medal count was a little less dramatic, with Barnes taking control from the start to finish with an imposing total of 31 votes.

Becoming the first person to win three straight Wellman Family Medal’s, Barnes said she was still coming to terms with the magnitude of the accomplishment.

“It is pretty crazy (to win again), I didn’t think it’d be possible for someone my age but here we are,” Barnes said.

“Honestly I didn’t think I was must of a chance coming, I know the calibre of the competition and there are some great players, so I had no expectations and the win came as a nice surprise.”

A shining light for Kyabram, midcourter Hollie Reid finished runner-up with 25 votes, while two-time winner Steph Vick (23) took out third spot and Rochester’s Bridgette Holt, Seymour coach Ellie O’Sullivan and Shepparton Swans goaler Sophie Atkinson tied for fourth with 18 votes.

Tatura’s Molly Kennedy took the mantle as the competition’s best young player, securing the Mooroopna Golf Club Most Talented Award.

In the remaining awards, the reserves football Abikhair Medal count was equally as enthralling as its seniors counterpart, with Euroa’s Craig Bamford and Tatura’s Matt Rennie sharing the honour.

The under-18 Pattison Medal will join the Morrison in heading south down the Goulburn Valley Hwy to Seymour, with young gun Angus Murray emerging four votes clear of Kyabram’s Liam Francis.

While in the under-16s, the Scott Watson Medal would fittingly go to a Euroa player, as the club president presented the honour to Ryan Hill after an outstanding season.

In the lower netball competitions, Rochester’s Annie Hughes was rewarded for a dominant B-grade campaign, winning the Sandra Cox Medal by a whopping nine votes.

The B-reserve Gaye Eaton Medal was a much closer affair, with Echuca’s Jessica Davidson taking top honours with a total of 28 votes, one clear of Rochester’s Ash Flanagan and teammate Tayla Wagner.

The Carol Ryan Rising Star award, which recognises the champion 17-and-under netballer, went to Rochester’s Ava Cottam.

And the Jacqui Hudgson Medal for the 15-and-under competition was won by Kyabram’s Ava Pell.

The GVL also honoured its top coaches for season 2022.

On the football side of things, Echuca duo Andrew Walker and Simon Maddox took out the GMCA Senior Coach of the Year award, while Shepparton Swans under-18 mentor Rob Auld won the GMCA Youth Coach of the Year.

While it was a family affair in the netball, with Mooroopna’s Di Hanslow securing the Netball Vic Senior Coach of the Year, while daughter Bree Hanslow was recognised as the Netball Vic Youth Coach of the Year for her efforts with the Cats’ under-17 squad.

Rounding out the award winners, Tatura’s Catherine Brooks was recognised as the Administrator of the Year, Seymour’s Douglas McLarty the GOTAFE Volunteer of the Year, with the Veolia Spirit of the GVL going to Seymour’s Karen Wright.

And finally, Echuca was dubbed the George Hunter Champion Club for 2022