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MIDFIELDER Joe Atley's stellar season with the Bendigo Pioneers has been rewarded with selection in the TAC Cup Team of the Year.
The Pioneers skipper was named on the wing in the 22-player team, announced on Sunday night.
Atley finished equal sixth in Morrish Medal voting alongside his Pioneers teammate Kayle Kirby.
Both players polled nine votes.
North Ballarat Rebels midfielder Hugh McCluggage won the TAC Cup's best and fairest award with 16 votes.
He joins a distinguished list of Morrish Medal winners that includes former Bendigo Pioneers/Western Bulldogs and Richmond star Nathan Brown (1996), Essendon Dyson Heppell (2011) and Melbourne midfielder Clayton Oliver, who won the award last season with the Murray Bushrangers.
The honours continued to flow for the Pioneers organisation, with Aisling Tupper the winner of the Youth Girls Academy Challenge best-and-fairest.
Pioneers teammate and Bendigo Thunder star Isabella Ayre was joint winner of the academy challenge coaches award.
Ayre, who will line up for the Thunder in the VWFL Premier Division grand final on September 18, finished the academy season as the leading goalkicker.
Pioneers talent manager Steve Sharp said Tupper and Ayre's were remarkable achievements.
"It's fantastic, in their first year in it they won four out of five games," he said.
"That competition will be extended next year.
"Women's footy is only going to continue to grow and ahead of the national draft on October 12 we have some really good kids coming through."
Sharp could not speak more highly of Atley’s season in the TAC Cup and at the national under-18 championships.
“He had a good experience with Vic Country through the nationals and he was a great leader for us,” he said.
“He played a couple of VFL games with Geelong as well which has helped his development.
“He’s had a great year.”
Atley will be hoping to cap off an excellent season by being drafted in November.
Sharp said the midfielder was one of three fine draft prospects for the Pioneers, alongside Kirby and All-Australian under-18 midfielder Kobe Mutch.
Livewire forward Kirby has set AFL recruiters' tongues wagging after a pair of eye-catching performances for Richmond's VFL team in their final two rounds.
The youngster from Tyntynder, near Swan Hill booted five goals in a match-winning effort against Sandringham and followed up with four against Coburg.
“A bit like (Atley) he missed a few games with injuries, played well in the nationals, got suspended and played two VFL games,” he said.
“He was terrific especially towards the end of the season.”
Meanwhile, two former Pioneers have featured in a list of the top 25 players to have played TAC Cup, to mark the competition's 25th year.
Geelong champion Joel Selwood ranked eighth on the list, while St Kilda and North Melbourne star Nick Dal Santo was 19th.
The list was headed by Gold Coast and Geelong dual Brownlow medallist Gary Ablett, who represented Geelong Falcons at TAC level.
Chris Judd (Sandringham Dragons), Adam Goodes (North Ballarat Rebels), Brad Johnson (Western Jets) and Matthew Lloyd (Western Jets) completed the top five.
THE TAC CUP TOP 25
1. Gary Ablett Jnr (Geelong Falcons) Geelong/Gold Coast
2. Chris Judd (Sandringham Dragons) West Coast/Carlton
3. Adam Goodes (North Ballarat Rebels Sydney Swans
4. Brad Johnson (Western Jets( Western Bulldogs
5. Matthew Lloyd (Western Jets) Essendon
6. Luke Hodge (Geelong Falcons) Hawthorn
7. Sam Mitchell (Eastern Ranges) Hawthorn
8. Joel Selwood (Bendigo Pioneers) Geelong
9. Brent Harvey (Northern Knights) North Melbourne
10. Jonathan Brown (Geelong Falcons) Brisbane Lions
11. Matthew Scarlett (Geelong Falcons) Geelong
12. Dane Swan (Calder Cannons) Collingwood
13. Scott Pendlebury Gippsland Power Collingwood
14. Dustin Fletcher (Western Jets) Essendon
15. Barry Hall (Murray Bushrangers) St Kilda/Sydney/Western Bulldogs
16. Jimmy Bartel (Geelong Falcons) Geelong
17. Steve Johnson (Murray Bushrangers) Geelong/GWS
18. Jarryd Roughead Gippsland Power Hawthorn
19. Nick Dal Santo (Bendigo Pioneers) St Kilda/North Melbourne
20. Justin Leppitsch (Dandenong Stingrays) Brisbane Lions
21. Cameron Ling (Geelong Falcons) Geelong
22. Robert Murphy (Gippsland Power) Western Bulldogs
23. Chris Johnson (Northern Knights) Fitzroy/Brisbane Lions
24. Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong Falcons) Adelaide/Geelong
25. Dan Hannebery (Oakleigh Chargers) Sydney