Bridgewater midfielder Zeb Broadbent was a dominant winner of the LVFNL’s Harding Medal.
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Broadbent went into Monday night’s count as favourite and the umpires rewarded the midfielder for his standout season.
Broadbent polled 31 votes, including nine best-on-grounds, to defeat Mitiamo star Doug Thomas by six votes.
Pyramid Hill’s Michael Callinan was third on 23 votes, with Calivil United’s Ben Knight fourth on 18 votes.
Broadbent, who only polled eight votes in 2015, took his game to another level in 2016.
He started the season in red-hot form and was judged best on ground by the umpires in five of the first six games.
Broadbent polled in eight of Bridgewater’s first nine games and by round 10 he had 23 votes to his name.
When he polled back-to-back three votes in rounds 12 and 13 victory was virtually assured.
In most other years Thomas would have won the medal, but he was forced to settle for runner-up honours for the second-straight season.
Thomas also started the season strongly, polling 17 votes in the first nine rounds.
Callinan didn’t poll a vote in the first month, but stormed home after that by earning seven best on grounds in the next 14 rounds.
Harding Medal leaderboard:
31 - Zeb Broadbent (Bridgewater), 25 – Doug Thomas (Mitiamo), 23 – Michael Callinan (Pyramid Hill), 18 – Ben Knight (Calivil United), 14 - Zac East (Bridgewater), 14 – Josh Metherell (Bridgewater), 14 - Tyson Sidebottom (Mitiamo), 13 – Justin Bateson (Marong), 13 – Lachlan Ford (Newbridge), 12 – Nathan McNally (BL-Serpentine), 10 – Mitch Farmer (Calivil United).
