NORTH Bendigo’s Jarrod Findlay has joined his cousin as a winner of the Heathcote District league’s Cheatley Medal.
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The classy Findlay won the medal on Wednesday night with 15 votes.
Findlay’s cousin and team-mate, Tyson Findlay, is a previous winner of the Cheatley Medal in 2014.
It was one of the lowest counts in the medal’s history, with Findlay’s 15 votes the least by a winner since Colbinabbin’s Damien Slater also won with 15 in 2004.
Findlay polled votes in seven games, including a pair of best-on-grounds against Leitchville-Gunbower in round seven and Elmore in round nine.
Findlay, who joined North Bendigo in 2016, edged out Ryan Semmel by one vote, with the Huntly co-coach narrowly missing out on becoming the first three-time winner of the medal.
Semmel was the only player outside of players from North Bendigo or Leitchville-Gunbower to finish in the top eight.
Semmel only had eight votes after round 15, before making a late charge with six in the final three rounds.
As well as his cousin, Tyson, Findlay also joins Josh Gitsham (2011 and 2012) as North Bendigo players to win the Cheatley Medal since the Bulldogs joined the league in 1996.
Reflective of their dominant seasons, Leitchville-Gunbower (89) and North Bendigo (81) combined for 170 of a possible 192 votes.
• The reserves Tom Morgan Medal was easily won by Huntly’s Taylor Smart.
Smart amassed 32 votes, including six best-on-grounds, to win by 15 from Leitchville-Gunbower’s Hayden Harmer.
The medal was the first to be awarded since the passing of Tom Morgan, who died last month aged 87.
Leaderboard:
32 – Taylor Smart (Hunt)
17 – Hayden Harmer (LG)
15 – Jasper Ibbeson-Coatsworth (WH)
14 – Brayden Stepien (Hunt)
• The under-17 Roulston Medal was won by North Bendigo on-baller Manny Thalasinos with 30 votes.
Leaderboard:
30 – Manny Thalasinos (NB)
22 – Bailey Boyack (Elm)
20 – Will Presnell (LBU)
20 – Sam Welch (Mt P)
Meanwhile, Wednesday night’s vote count broke from tradition for the Heathcote District league.
For the first time the league streamed all its votes via Youtube. A presentation day for all winners will be held at the Bendigo Club on Sunday, September 3.
