On Sunday night, Baird won the Michelsen Medal for the premier player in the senior football competition, while Ryan was awarded the Betty Thompson Medal as the best player in A-grade netball.

Ironically, both Baird and Ryan finished runner-up in the respective awards last year.

Read more: re-live the vote counts via our live blog

Baird, the second-straight Bulldog to win the medal after Jack Geary won it in 2018, won a thrilling count by one vote from Gisborne duo Pat McKenna and Brad Bernacki and Strathfieldsaye midfielder Sam Heavyside.

10 players finished within three votes of the winner.

Storm forward Lachlan Sharp, Sandhurst's Nick Stagg, Golden Square's Jake Thrum, Eaglehawk's Ben McPhee, Gisborne's Ethan Minns and Maryborough's Coby Perry finished on 13 votes.

Heavyside and McKenna made fast starts to the count and at the halfway mark Heavyside led the count on 13 votes from McKenna on 11, with Baird one vote back in third.

Baird was judged best on ground in the Dogs' wins over Kyneton in round 10 and South Bendigo in round 13 to take the lead on 16 votes ahead of Heavyside on 15.

Baird didn't poll a vote in the final five rounds as the rest of the field made a charge.

McKenna moved within one vote with three rounds remaining, while his team-mate Ethan Minns moved into contention on 13 votes.

With one round remaining six players werewithin three votes of the lead - Baird, McKenna, Heavyside, Minns, Perry and McPhee.

Baird and McKenna didn't play in the Gisborne verus Golden Square game, while Minns didn't poll a vote. Bernacki polled the three votes to move to 15.

McPhee missed out in the Borough's big win over Kangaroo Flat leaving Heavyside and Perry as the only players that could defeat or catch Baird.

Heavyside and Perry failed to poll a vote in the Strathfieldsaye versus Maryborough game and Baird was crowned the winner.

Michelsen Medal leaderboard:

16 - Adam Baird (GS)

15 - Brad Bernacki (Gis)

15 - Sam Heavyside (SS)

15 - Pat McKenna (Gis)

13 - Nick Stagg (Sh)

13 - Jake Thrum (GS)

13 - Ethan Minns (Gis)

13 - Coby Perry (Mb)

13 - Lachlan Sharp (SS)

13 - Ben McPhee (Eh)

12 - Matt Goodyear (Gis)

11 - Josh Govan (Kyn)

11 - Bryce Curnow (SS)

11 - Riley Saunders (Eh)

11 - Josh Formosa (SS)

10 - Sam Harper (Eh)

10 - Matt Compston (GS)

8 - Matt Bilton (Mb)

8 - Jesse Collins (Mb)

7 - Luke Bucknall (Mb)

7 - Jon Coe (GS)

7 - Kellan Smith (SS)

7 - Nathan Horbury (SB)

7 - Chris Down (Sh)

7 - Clayton Holmes (Eh)

7 - Brody Haddow (SB)

7 - Rhys Magin (SB)

6 - Jono Lanyon (KF)

6 - Kallen Geary (SS)

6 - Ryan Gillingham (Eh)

6 - Alex Marklew (GS)

6 - Liam Barrett (GS)

While the Michelsen Medal count went down to the wire, Ryan's win in the Betty Thompson Medal was convincing.

Ryan was awarded best on court votes in the first two matches of the season and polled 10 votes in the Borough's first four games.

By the end of round seven Ryan had 14 votes - six clear of team-mate Allira Holmes and seven ahead of Gisborne's Tiana Newman.

At the halfway mark of the season Ryan (15) led Holmes on 10, with Newman and Kangaroo Flat's Chelsea Sartori on eight.

Holmes closed within two votes after 10 rounds, but Ryan earned three votes in round 11 to regain a five-vote margin.

Ryan polled three votes in rounds 12 and 13 to catapult to 21 votes and in a commanding position.

Sartori and Newman made their move and with two rounds left Ryan led the pair by three votes.

Just when it looked like it could be a grandstand finish Ryan polled three votes in round 17 to move to 24 and an unbeatable position with one round remaining.

Ryan eventually won by four votes from two-time winner Newman on 20, with Sartori and Sandhurst's Meg Williams equal-third on 18.

Betty Thompson Medal leaderboard:

24 - Ash Ryan (Eh)

20 - Tiana Newman (Gis)

18 - Meg Williams (Sh)

18 - Chelsea Sartori (KF)

17 - Julia Clarke (KF)

15 - Imogen Sexton (Sh)

15 - Allira Holmes (Eh)

15 - Maddy Stewart (Gis)

13 - Claire Gibbs (SS)

11 - Clare Vearing (Gis)

11 - Heather Oliver (Sh)

10 - Keely Hare (Mb)

10 - Chloe Langley (SB)

10 - Sophie Shoebridge (Sh)

10 - Emerson Lakey (Gis)

9 - Eliza Roughead (Mb)

9 - Rebecca Smith (Sh)

9 - Holly Doricic (Gis)

8 - Jamie-Lee Clohesy (SB)

8 - Ella Wicks (KF)

8 - Stephanie Freemantle (SS)

7 - Annie Spear (KF)

7 - Elley Lawton (Eh)

7 - Abbey Ryan (Eh)

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