Angaston footballer Craig Harvey missed the first six games of the season, didn’t poll his first votes until round nine and his second in round 12.
However the centreman still managed to win the 2010 Schluter Medal for the best and fairest in the Barossa, Light and Gawler Football Association.
Harvey, 31, was presented the accolade at the annual medal count held at the Vine Inn on Monday night.
“I did a pretty good pre-season but just before the start of the season I was diagnosed with a recurrence of a very rare bone tumour just below my knee,” Harvey said.
“I told Hadds (coach Craig Hadden) that I was probably going to miss most of the year and hoped I might get back for the last few games but with medical advances I was able to get back earlier.”
Tanunda utility Sam Agars led the count with 15 votes until round 17 when Harvey collected two votes against Tanunda to go clear with 17. A single vote in the final match saw Harvey finish on 18 and atone for his second-place finish behind Willaston captain Shaun Baker in 2009 where he missed six games late in the season with a broken jaw.
“It would have been very ambitious going to the count thinking I was a chance but I’m greatly honoured to join such a prestigious group of winners.
“Although this is an individual honour you don’t win without team-mates, and I need to thank my wife Virginia and son Mitchell for their support and understanding along with the entire Angaston Football Club, they’ve given so much support over the years.”
Agars finished second while a trio of outstanding footballers finished equal in third place on 13 votes. They were pre-count favourite Tanunda’s Luke Wells, Sean Brading of Gawler Central and Barossa District’s Michael Taylor who missed a number of games mid-season while travelling overseas.
Meanwhile Tanunda wingman Dale Giles has won the 2010 Herald Medal as the best and fairest player in Barossa, Light and Gawler Reserves football.
Giles polled 15 votes to edge out Barossa District captain Jeff Woods (14) and Gawler Central’s Brett Campbell (13).
Having previously played A grade footy at Central Augusta in the Spencer Gulf league, Giles was surprised to have caught the umpires’ eye.
“I’ve been lucky to play in a really good team but I had no idea that I would get this,” Giles said.
“I’d really like to thank the Herald for the medal.”
Giles’ Magpies are set to play in the grand final at Willaston in two weeks but he described the conditions in the second semi-final at Angaston on Saturday as the worst he’s played in.
“I’ve played in some pretty extreme conditions like 40 degree heat but that was something that really knocked you around.”
In the under 17s Barossa District’s midfielder Josh Osborne collected the Bulldogs’ Medal with 24 votes.
Freeling’s Jake Ashenden finished runner-up on 19 while Herald football writer, Aaron Bain from South Gawler headlined a quartet of players including Barossa’s Jack Madgen and Angaston duo Alex Daken and Sam Colquhoun on 15 votes.
Nuriootpa’s Jackson Baldwin (15 votes) won the Des Shanahan Medal in the under 15s ahead of Tanunda’s Will Mudge and Freeling’s Adam Langford.
Baldwin said despite the win he has his eyes on a bigger prize.
“We’re in the grand final and I want to win a premiership medal along with my mates,” Baldwin said. “This is a great honour but I hope to have another medal hanging next to it in a couple of weeks.”
Angaston’s under 17 coach Michael Ryan was named the junior coach of the year while a major highlight of the night was the awarding of seven retrospective Mail medals to players who lost on a count back in the days where joint winners were not recognised.
They were Ron Weidenbach (Nuri, 1951), Jim Martin (Gawler Central, 1951), Mel Wedding (Willaston, 1955), Bob Gibson (Freeling, 1973), Jeff Gerlach (Nuri, 1977), Frank Kurzell (Willaston, 1979) and Geoff Davies (Two Wells, 1983).
Five of the recipients were present with Jeff Gerlach absent. The late Bob Gibson was represented by his son Darren in a very emotional presentation.
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