Sandover Medal Preview

SOUTH Fremantle hasn’t had a Sandover Medal winner since Toby McGrath in 2005 but that could very well change this Monday night with goalkicking midfielder Haiden Schloithe entering the night one of the favourites.

The 2011 Sandover Medal winner Luke Blackwell and last year’s winner Rory O’Brien appear to be two players in the running to take out the award as the WAFL’s fairest and best player for the second time, but there isn’t a shortage of players that they will be contending with on the night.

The Sandover Medal count for 2014 will be held this Monday night in the Grand Ball Room at Crown Perth with the event broadcast live on radio via 91.3 SportFM from 6.30pm while it will be live streamed at www.thewest.com.au from 8.30pm.

While Blackwell and O’Brien are a chance to be dual winners, three midfielders fresh out of the AFL system in the form of South Fremantle’s Haiden Schloithe, Subiaco’s Kyal Horsley and East Fremantle’s Bradd Dalziell are expected to be right in the running.

South Fremantle’s Ashton Hams is another in his first year out of the AFL expected to poll well but he’s ineligible after receiving a reprimand for an indiscretion during the season.

West Perth’s prolific ball winning trio Shane Nelson, Aaron Black and Rohan Kerr, Swan Districts’ pair Ryan Davis and Blaine Boekhorst, and East Perth trio Craig Wulff, Steven Payne and Brendan Lee are others who could poll well.

Schloithe is in his first season full-time back with South Fremantle after two years as a rookie-listed player at Fremantle, and took his game to another level in the Bulldogs’ midfield.

That has already seen Schloithe win the WJ Hughes Medal as South Fremantle’s fairest and best winner for 2014 and not only is he now a genuine Sandover Medal contender, but he could also find himself back on an AFL list in 2015.

Schloithe certainly was at the forefront of the umpires right through the year as well earning a remarkable 86 free-kicks, mostly for high tackles.

Schloithe kicked 25 goals in his 20 games this season including four in Round 6 against East Fremantle and he also averaged almost 24 possessions a game including 38 in Round 4 against Swan Districts, 37 in Round 5 against West Perth and 30 in Round 16 against Perth.

South Fremantle captain Ryan Cook could very well be right up in the leaderboard before getting injured in Round 15.

Young midfielder Tim Kelly, ruckman Brock Higgins, Bernie Naylor Medallist Ben Saunders, on-baller Toby Bairstow and wingman Brendan Verrier could be others along with Schloithe, Hams and Cook to rack up plenty of votes as well.

LEADING SANDOVER MEDAL CONTENDERS

LUKE BLACKWELL (Claremont)
19 games, 557 possessions, 3 goals, 69 marks, 64 tackles
Certain votes in: 7 matches (Rounds 2, 6, 15, 17, 18, 21, 22)
Possible votes in: 8 matches (Rounds 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 20, 23)
Games missed: 1
Votes in 2013: 22

BRADD DALZIELL (East Fremantle)
18 games, 492 possessions, 22 goals, 102 marks, 56 tackles
Certain votes in: 6 matches (Rounds 1, 4, 9, 12, 15, 22)
Possible votes in: 5 matches (Rounds 5, 7, 16, 17, 18)
Games missed: 2
Votes in 2013: 20

RORY O’BRIEN (East Fremantle)
20 games, 586 possessions, 9 goals, 108 marks, 76 tackles, 49 free kicks
Certain votes in: 3 matches (Rounds 12, 15, 22)
Possible votes in: 6 matches (Rounds 1, 5, 13, 17, 18, 20)
Games missed: 0
Votes in 2013: 55 (Winner)

STEVEN PAYNE (East Perth)
20 games, 501 possessions, 12 goals, 110 marks, 41 tackles
Certain votes in: 4 matches (Rounds 1, 8, 10, 21)
Possible votes in: 7 matches (Rounds 2, 7, 11, 12, 15, 18, 22)
Games missed: 0
Votes in 2013: 0

CRAIG WULFF (East Perth)
18 games, 454 possessions, 17 goals, 90 marks, 45 tackles
Certain votes in: 3 matches (Rounds 3, 16, 22)
Possible votes in: 7 matches (Rounds 1, 8, 12, 15, 18, 20, 21)
Games missed: 2
Votes in 2013: 21

HAIDEN SCHLOITHE (South Fremantle)
20 games, 473 possessions, 25 goals, 86 marks, 66 tackles, 86 free kicks
Certain votes in: 4 matches (Rounds 4, 5, 6, 22)
Possible votes in: 4 matches (Rounds 12, 16, 21, 23)
Games missed: 0
Votes in 2013: 12

KYAL HORSLEY (Subiaco)
17 games, 454 possessions, 14 goals, 89 tackles
Certain votes in: 6 matches (Rounds 12, 14, 17, 18, 19, 23)
Possible votes in: 7 matches (Rounds 4, 8, 9, 11, 13, 16, 22)
Games missed: 3
Votes in 2013: Not in WAFL

BLAINE BOEKHORST (Swan Districts)
19 games, 396 possessions, 8 goals, 83 marks
Certain votes in: 2 matches (Rounds 8, 10)
Possible votes in: 6 matches (Rounds 1, 3, 5, 12, 13, 21)
Games missed: 1
Votes in 2013: 0

RYAN DAVIS (Swan Districts)
20 games, 370 possessions, 34 goals, 90 marks, 63 tackles
Certain votes in: 4 matches (Rounds 3, 5, 8, 15)
Possible votes in: 4 matches (Rounds 4, 11, 13, 21)
Games missed: 0
Votes in 2013: 9

AARON BLACK (West Perth)
20 games, 605 possessions, 9 goals, 143 marks
Certain votes in: 5 matches (Rounds 9, 11, 19, 21, 23)
Possible votes in: 9 matches (Rounds 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 20, 22)
Games missed: 0
Votes in 2013: 30

ROHAN KERR (West Perth)
20 games, 517 possessions, 10 goals, 146 marks
Certain votes in: 1 match (Rounds 11)
Possible votes in: 4 matches (Rounds 4, 14, 19, 23)
Games missed: 0
Votes in 2013: 13

SHANE NELSON (West Perth)
20 games, 622 possessions, 6 goals, 78 marks, 66 tackles, 41 hit outs
Certain votes in: 4 matches (Rounds 8, 14, 19, 23)
Possible votes in: 6 matches (Rounds 1, 2, 3, 6, 11, 12)
Games missed: 0
Votes in 2013: 20