Related – Storm star wins Betty Thompson Medal

Kristan Height confirmed his status as a country football great when he won the BFNL’s Michelsen Medal on Sunday night.

The Sandhurst midfielder became the first player to win the Michelsen Medal,  the Morris Medal in the Ovens and Murray League and the Morrison Medal in the Goulburn Valley League.

Height trailed Strathfieldsaye star Kallen Geary by two votes going into the final round of votes.

Geary missed the Storm’s final round clash with Gisborne, while Height kicked four goals in the Dragons’ win over Kyneton and was judged best on ground.

The three votes gave Height a total of 24 votes, one more than Geary on 23.

Golden Square’s Tom was third on 17 votes, two clear of his team-mate Adam Baird and South Bendigo ruckman Kieran Strachan.

“It won’t sink if for a while,’’ Height said of his history-making achievement. 

“You don’t play for individual awards, you play for team success and, hopefully, that comes on the weekend.

“I thought the Sandhurst boys would share the votes around and a lot of us would all end on about the same. I thought I had a consistent year and not a massive standout year.

“I thought one of the Geary boys would come home and win it.”

Height polled in nine of his 17 games and was judged best on ground six times.

He spent the majority of games in the midfield, but also proved a tough match-up when rested as a deep forward.

He kicked 39 goals in 17 home and away games to be the Dragons’ leading goalkicker.

From as early as round 10 it was clear that Height or Geary would win the medal. With eight rounds remaining Height was on 14 votes, one clear of Geary. Both players polled five votes in rounds  12 and 13 before Geary took the lead on the back of a three-vote game in round 14.

Height grabbed back the lead when he polled two votes in Sandhurst’s round 15 win over the Storm.

After both players were scoreless in round 16, Geary had to poll at least one vote in round 17 to have any chance of winning the medal.

He was judged best on ground in the Storm’s big win over Kangaroo Flat and grabbed a two-vote lead.

However, it was Height who was to have the final say.

The 33-year-old will now look at add a BFNL premiership medal to his expanding football CV when the Dragons play Golden Square in next Saturday’s BFNL grand final.