EAGLEHAWK’S Shannon Milward won yesterday’s Bendigo Bank Bendigo Football League Michelsen Medal in a thrilling count that wasn’t decided until the final game of the season.Milward polled 23 votes to win the BFL’s highest individual honour at the All Seasons Quality Resort.Gisborne’s Gareth Bowes finished second, one vote behind Milward on 22.Milward’s teammate, Kain Robins, filled third place, polling 20 votes.Milward, Bowes and Robins were considered the three leading contenders for the Michelsen Medal after their consistent seasons.Entering the final round, Bowes led the count by one vote from Milward.But Bowes failed to poll in Gisborne’s round 18 victory over Kangaroo Flat, and in what was the last of the 72 games to be counted, Milward, 30, was awarded two votes in the Hawks’ 157-point win over Sandhurst to claim the medal.Milward’s win capped a double for the Hawks’ star midfielder, who also won The Advertiser Active Sports Management Player of the Year Award. “Coming into the last few rounds I knew I had played all right, but we had a lot of really good team performances, so anyone could have polled votes,’’ said Milward, who finished second to Reece Langan in 2000 when playing for Kangaroo Flat.“This won’t sink in for a while; I’ll try to block it out this week until we get through next weekend.’’Milward will line up for Eaglehawk in this Saturday’s grand final against Golden Square as the Hawks aim to win back-to-back flags for the first time in more than 100 years.While playing predominantly as a midfielder, Milward also kicked 42 goals for the Hawks this year.Asked what the secret to his consistent season was, Milward, who is based in Melbourne, hinted at an individual training program that has allowed him to cut down on his travel back to Bendigo during the week.“Last year I used to come back during the week to train with the boys, but this is the first season where I haven’t actually trained with the club,’’ said Milward, regarded as one of the BFL’s fittest players.“I’ve just been doing my own stuff in the gym and with a running program, and I guess as you get older and know your body a bit more, you train to what you know works.“I haven’t been saturated with footy, which has meant that when I’ve got back on the weekend I’ve been raring to go and really keen.“But having said that, you’re only as good as the blokes around you and we’ve got some really good contributors in the side, which shared the load.’’Milward bolted out of the blocks in the count, polling three votes in each of the first three rounds against Kyneton, Maryborough and Gisborne.The opening three rounds were the first of six games in which Milward was named best on ground, also polling three votes against Kangaroo Flat in round six, Sandhurst in round nine and the Roos again in round 15.Milward also polled two votes in games against Maryborough in round 11 and the final round against the Dragons, with his other vote against Golden Square in round 14.While Milward was the runaway leader early, Bowes polled consistently through the count and by round 14, the Bulldogs’ gun on-baller had drawn level with Milward on 18 votes.After Milward polled three votes in round 15, Bowes was then awarded four votes in rounds 16 and 17 to lead by one vote going into the final round, before he was overhauled.While he was runner-up, Bowes was the player who polled in the most games.Bowes, in his first season in the BFL, polled votes in 10 of Gisborne’s games, with Milward and Robins each being awarded votes in nine games.Robins, who won the medal in 2006, finished third on the back of a strong second half of the season.After polling just three votes in the first seven rounds, Robins was awarded 17 over the last 11 rounds, which included four best on grounds.While those who finished in the top three was expected, as usual, the count was full of surprises.South Bendigo’s Gavin Bowles polled better than expected, finishing fourth with 16 votes, as was Aaron Hawkins being Golden Square’s leader.Daniel McLaughlin and Mark Lloyd were expected to be Square’s top pollers, but with his 10 votes, Hawkins finished higher than his two teammates.Among those who didn’t poll as well as expected were Eaglehawk captain Brady Herdman (two votes), Kangaroo Flat skipper Tyrone Downie (six), Maryborough’s Matt Johnston (five), and South Bendigo’s Aaron Connaughton, who received no votes.