With the season behind them, it was time for the Saints to praise their best club members of 2023.
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On Saturday, October 14, the Benalla Saints Football Netball Club held its presentation night at its clubrooms.
One big question was who would take out the senior footballers’ best-and-fairest award.
It was a race in two after points had been tallied for the first 15 rounds of the season.
A slim margin separated Tom Bennett from Jordan Wolff.
As the votes rolled in for the final rounds, Wolff polled a staggering 42 points to leapfrog Bennett and claim the top prize.
In the A-grade netball vote count, there was a clear favourite.
Olivia Dalton led the tally by 18 points after 15 rounds and continued to poll votes in the final rounds.
She comfortably claimed the title of best-and-fairest with 70 votes, while Alex Davies and Kate Symes were equal runners-up with 53 votes.
What makes the best-and-fairest wins by Dalton and Wolff even more special is they are siblings.
The Saints also recognised the hard work going on off the field and court at their presentation night.
The Best Club Person award went to John Binion, while Len Willhelme was awarded life membership for services rendered to the club.
The Alby Hales Memorial Medal for Best Junior Club Persons went to Sam Cullen and Milly Evans, and the Brett Copper Award went to Tom O’Brien.
The awards winners were:
Netball:
Under-17s
- Runner-up: Nikita Hanson - 49 votes
- Best and Fairest: Zoe Liddington - 60 votes
- Coaches Award: Milly Evans
B reserve
- Runner-up: Jodie Symes - 53 votes
- Best and Fairest: Stacey Emms - 72 votes
- Coaches Award: Megan Horsborough
B-grade
- Runner-up: Emily Neilson - 43 votes
- Best and Fairest: Hannah McIntosh - 60 votes
- Coaches Award: Mim McKenzie
A-grade
- Runner-up: Alex Davies and Kate Symes - 53 votes
- Best and Fairest: Olivia Dalton - 70 votes
- Coaches Award: Alex Davies
Football:
Thirds
- Runner-up: Miller Gilcrist - 93 votes
- Best and Fairest: Tom Riley - 128 votes
- Goal kicking: Tom Riley
- Coaches Award: Jakob Adams
Reserves
- Runner-up: Jaidyn Chee - 67 votes
- Best and Fairest: Zac Amarant - 76 votes
- Goal kicking: Jaidyn Chee
- Coaches Award: Dan Hurley
Seniors
- Runner-up: Tom Bennett - 135 votes
- Best and Fairest: Jordan Wolff - 158 votes
- Goal kicking: Jarred Waite
- Coaches award: Tom O’Brien
Club awards
- Life members 150 senior games: Mim McKenzie, Tom O’Brien
- Life member for services rendered to the club: Len Willhelme
- Best club person: John Binion
- Abby Hales Memorial Medal for best junior club persons: Sam Cullen and Milly Evans
- Brett Cooper Award: Tom O’Brien