The MCDFNL held an online vote count on Wednesday night where gun midfielder Horne became just the fourth Maldon player in the club's history to win the Berry Powell Medal.

In his return to the Bombers, where he previously played juniors, Horne polled 16 votes to win by three from Trentham's Joel Dovaston on 13.

Horne polled votes in six of the Bombers' 10 games, including four where he was adjudged best-on-ground against Newstead in round one, Talbot in round four, Royal Park in round six and Maryborough Rovers in round nine.

As well as dominating through the midfield, Horne was also a livewire in attack, booting 35 goals, including a bag of 10 against Dunolly on August 14.

Horne joins Glen Roy (1981), Ken Patton (1983) and Hayden Kelly (2015) as Maldon players to have won the Berry Powell Medal.

* MCDFNL Berry Powell leaderboard:

16 - Tommy Horne

(Maldon)

13 - Joel Dovaston

(Trentham)

12 - Zac Gervasoni

(Trentham)

11 - Anthony Taylor

(Talbot)

Meanwhile, Lexton goaler Rachel Phelan won a thrilling count for the league's A grade netball Nalder Tracey Medal.

The consistent Phelan polled 17 votes to edge out the league's Rising Star winner, Newstead's Caitlin Richardson, by one.

Phelan, who polled in eight games, clinched the medal with three votes in the Tigers' final game against Newstead - a match in which Richardson was awarded two votes.

Before the votes for the final-round Lexton-Newstead game were read out there had been a four-way tie for the lead, with Phelan, Richardson and the Avoca duo of Jess Duke and Maddy Egan all on 14 votes.

* MCDFNL Nalder Tracey Medal leaderboard

17 - Rachel Phelan

(Lexton)

16 - Caitlin Richardson

(Newstead)

14 - Jess Duke

(Avoca)

14 - Maddy Egan

(Avoca)

Netball Rookie of the Year - Caitlin Richardson (Newstead).

Football Rookie of the Year - Darcy Kelly (Maldon).

Max Martin Administrator of the Year - Jason Shaw (Trentham).

C grade netball best and fairest - Suzie Rinaldi (Harcourt).

B grade netball best and fairest - Kirby Postle (Avoca).

Reserves football best and fairest - Lachlan Pryor (Lexton).

Nalder Tracey A grade netball best and fairest - Rachel Phelan (Lexton).

Berry Powell Medal - Tommy Horne (Maldon).

Champion club - Harcourt.

MARYBOROUGH-Castlemaine District is one of Victoria's last leagues left standing with the hope of an against-the-odds return to the field and court this season.

With the MCDFNL having last month set a timeframe of being prepared to extend its season to the first weekend of October, the league still has the door open for a shortened finals series to be played if restrictions permit.

The MCDFNL had hoped regional Victorian restrictions would be eased in time to play a condensed three-week finals series involving the top six teams, reduced from its usual eight finalists.

However, with restrictions still in place that only allow for training and still no competition, the MCDFNL's best hope now is to play two weeks of finals.

The league's initial three-week finals series was based on a format of:

Week 1 - 3rd v 6th; 4th v 5th elimination finals.

Week 2 - 2nd vs 3rd or 6th; 1st vs 4th or 5th.

Week 3 - week 2 winners meet in grand final.

"If the season still hasn't been cleared to return by the September 18-19 weekend (this weekend) the executive will determine if the teams are to be culled further to a top-four," the league said in a statement outlining its finals scenario planning late last month.

In the senior football the six finalists are Harcourt (1st), Trentham (2nd), Carisbrook (3rd), Maldon (4th), Lexton (5th) and Natte Bealiba (6th).

In the A Grade netball the six teams that had qualified for finals are Avoca (1st), Harcourt (2nd), Carisbrook (3rd), Natte Bealiba (4th), Newstead (5th) and Lexton (6th).

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