2021 NFNL Men's Football Awards | Northern Football Netball League

All the results from the 2021 NFNL Men’s Football Awards.

Heidelberg midfielder Lachlan Wilson claimed the 2021 Frank Rosbrook Medal as the best and fairest player in Meadows Greyhounds Division 1.

Wilson polled 17 votes to finish one ahead of North Heidelberg’s Jesse Tardio. 2019 winner Tom Bell and 2021 leading goal kicker Ahmed Saad finished tied for third on 13 votes.

Wilson burst onto the scene in 2016, when he claimed the best on ground medal in Heidelberg’s grand final win over Macleod in his fourth senior game and at just 17 years of age.

He has gone on to become one of the elite midfielders in the NFNL and this year featured in the umpires votes in seven matches, which included four best on ground performances.

Lower Plenty utility Tom Keys claimed the MC Labour Division 2 best and fairest.

Keys has long been one of the competition’s star players and added the competition best and fairest award to a list of achievements that includes a premiership, club best and fairest and multiple Team of the Year selections.

He polled 16 votes to finish one ahead of Eltham co-captain Brent Macaffer, while Banyule ruckman Tim Martin was third on 14 votes.

Keys became the third Lower Plenty player to win the Division 2 best and fairest, following Patrick Flynn’s triumph in 2018 – in which Keys finished runner-up – and Darcy Barden in 2011.

Kilmore midfielder Chris Ryall was crowned the Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3 best and fairest, despite playing only eight matches in 2021.

He polled 15 votes in his first seven games, before having his season cut short by a knee injury sustained in the Round 11 win at Heidelberg West.

Ryall made history by becoming the first Kilmore player to win an NFNL senior football best and fairest award.

Heidelberg West midfielder Masaki Miki was runner up on 13 votes, ahead of Kilmore’s Chris Barton and Mernda’s Josh Mazzarella on 12 votes.

Heidelberg’s Matthew Smith was named the Coaches MVP in Meadows Greyhounds Division 1.

A former vice-captain of Collingwood’s VFL team, Smith had an immediate impact in his first season at Warringal Park

He polled coaches votes in eight matches, which included polling 22 of a possible 30 votes in his first three matches for the Tigers.

Banyule’s Reuben Blackmore-Moore won the Coaches MVP in MC Labour Division 2.

Blackmore-Moore featured in the votes in all but two games to finish on 52 votes, ahead of a quintet of Lower Plenty players, which included Josh Turner, Tom Keys, Darcy Barden, Tom Blake and Ben Paterson.

Chris Barton claimed the Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3 Coaches MVP in his first season with Kilmore.

Barton polled votes in each of the final nine matches of the season to win the award with 59 votes. He finished 14 ahead of Heidelberg West’s Masaki Miki, while Blues teammate Leigh Irons was third.

West Preston-Lakeside was rewarded for an outstanding year on and off the field by claiming the 2021 NFNL Senior Club of the Year.

Thomastown stalwart Ernie O’Brien was named the Volunteer of the Year, while Luke Richardson took out the Senior Football Umpire of the Year award.

The NFNL congratulates all award winners and finalists on their outstanding performance during the 2021 season.

More information on the presentation of all awards to their respective winners will be announced once lockdown measures have eased.

Please continue below for all the results from the 2021 NFNL Men’s Football Awards.

BEST AND FAIREST

Meadows Greyhounds Division 1 – Frank Rosbrook Medal

1st – Lachlan Wilson (Heidelberg) – 17 votes
2nd – Jesse Tardio (North Heidelberg) – 16 votes
3rd – Thomas Bell (Greensborough) and Ahmed Saad (West Preston-Lakeside) – 13 votes
Click here for full vote listing

MC Labour Division 2

1st – Tom Keys (Lower Plenty) – 16 votes
2nd – Brent Macaffer (Eltham) – 15 votes
3rd – Tim Martin (Banyule) – 14 votes
Click here for full vote listing

Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3

1st – Chris Ryall (Kilmore) – 15 votes
2nd – Masaki Miki (Heidelberg West) – 13 votes
3rd – Christopher Barton (Kilmore) and Joshua Mazzarella (Mernda) – 12 votes
Click here for full vote listing

Division 1 Reserves

1st – Nicholas McColl (Bundoora) – 15 votes
2nd – Michael Finn (Heidelberg) – 13 votes
3rd – Charlie Robinson (Heidelberg) – 12 votes
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Division 2 Reserves

1st – Luke Deslandes (Lower Plenty) and Noah Stanley (St Mary’s) – 9 votes
2nd – Jordan Dupont (St Mary’s) – 8 votes
3rd – Matthew Cupo (Thomastown) and Jarrod Woods (Diamond Creek) – 7 votes
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Division 3 Reserves

1st – Michael Arcus (Mernda) and Alexander Vasilevski (Kilmore) – 15 votes
2nd – Liam Jolly (South Morang) – 13 votes
3rd – Tom Kimpton (Heidelberg West) – 8 votes
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Marbuilt Division 1 Under-19s

1st – Christian Roberts (Montmorency) – 15 votes
2nd – Jack Nicolo (West Preston-Lakeside) – 14 votes
3rd – Mitchell Kane (Heidelberg) and Finnbar Maley (Eltham) – 10 votes
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Marbuilt Division 2 Under-19s

1st – Cooper Bugeja (North Heidelberg) – 17 votes
2nd – Jasper Collins (Lower Plenty) – 11 votes
3rd – Mitchell Rust (Macleod) – 9 votes
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Marbuilt Division 3 Under-19s

1st – Domenic Di Giandomenico (Bundoora) – 11 votes
2nd – Joshua Gazzola (Bundoora) – 10 votes
3rd – Luke Jackson (Laurimar) – 7 votes
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COACHES MVP

Meadows Greyhounds Division 1

1st – Matthew Smith (Heidelberg) – 44 votes
2nd – Jesse Donaldson (Montmorency) – 42 votes
3rd – Jesse Tardio (North Heidelberg) – 41 votes
Click here for full vote listing

MC Labour Division 2

1st – Reuben Blackmore-Moore (Banyule) – 52 votes
2nd – Joshua Turner (Lower Plenty) – 48 votes
3rd – Tom Keys (Lower Plenty) – 47 votes
Click here for full vote listing

Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3

1st – Christopher Barton (Kilmore) – 59 votes
2nd – Masaki Miki (Heidelberg West) – 45 votes
3rd – Leigh Irons (Kilmore) – 41 votes
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LEADING GOAL KICKER

Meadows Greyhounds Division 1

Ahmed Saad (West Preston-Lakeside) – 54 goals

MC Labour Division 2

Jack Langford (Banyule) and Ryan Pingree (Diamond Creek) – 29 goals

Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3

Josh Williamson (Laurimar) – 43 goals

Division 1 Reserves

Matthew Lewis (Greensborough) – 36 goals

Division 2 Reserves

Mackenzie Graham (Banyule) – 39 goals

Division 3 Reserves

Adam Jacklin (South Morang) – 35 goals

Marbuilt Division 1 Under-19s

Harrison White (Heidelberg) – 41 goals

Marbuilt Division 2 Under-19s

Zachary Stowell (North Heidelberg) – 27 goals

Marbuilt Division 3 Under-19s

Luke Jackson (Laurimar) – 27 goals

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Winner

Ernie O’Brien (Thomastown)

Finalists

Samantha Barnes (Yarrambat)
Zac Cole (Old Eltham Collegians)
Julie Hibberd (Ivanhoe)
Phillip Martin (Keon Park)
Yvonne Tunley (Lalor)
Arzy Yacoub (Mill Park)