PORT MacDonnell assistant coach Daron McElroy is the warm favourite to win his first Mail Medal when Mid South East football and netball counts are held at the Millicent War Memorial Civic and Arts Centre today.
The ruckman and key position player began his footy career with Kongorong and then headed to West Gambier for five seasons where he tasted premiership success.
His past three seasons have been spent at the Bay where he was often in the shadow of his skipper and four-time Mail medallist Will Macdonald
A veteran of 155 games with the Demons, Macdonald was named as the best and fairest in the MSEFL competition in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2015.
Macdonald has been the stand-out player back at his home club of Casterton/Sandford in 2018 and he might win the Western Border’s Brian Hennessey Memorial Medal.
It will be announced at the Millicent Football Netball Club at McLaughlin Park tomorrow.
With the umpires favouring Port MacDonnell talls, this could be a good omen for McElroy’s chances.
Among his seaside team mates to challenge him for votes are utility player Mark Smith and forward Jake Turner.
Other winners of the Mail Medal who are still playing in the MSEFL are Matt Faulkner (Hatherleigh, 2001), Ryan Dew (Robe, 2005), Brett Lindner (Nangwarry, 2007), Ben Mules (Kalangadoo, 2000) and Bronson Saffin (Kongorong, 2011).
Saffin missed many games due to injury but always picks up Mail Medal votes owing to his eye-catching style of play and superb skills.
Exactly the same could be said about Robe coach Jack Kelly but his team has had far more success than Saffin’s.
Newcomer Jake Wehl had an outstanding first half of the season, fellow recruit Jake Pitt has claimed the league goalkicking trophy and vice-captain Jonny Agnew has been in peak form.
Agnew’s consistency over many seasons in the MSEFL and WBFL makes him the sentimental favourite.
The Eagles and the Magpies have featured in the minor round and will attract plenty of votes.
The Hatherleigh players to feature in the polling will be skipper Gerard McGrath, utility player Joe Ferguson-Lane and assistant coach Caolan Buckley.
Kalangadoo’s best performers in the Mail Medal count will be Andrew Stone, Mitch Lowe and newcomer Ben Gregory.
Reigning premiers Mount Burr should also poll a healthy number of Mail Medal votes with the names of coach Tom Renzi, teenage ruckman Henry Crauford and Dylan Ridley in the mix.
It is four years since a Mozzie won a Mail Medal and that was Clint Gallio who is now coaching Millicent in the Western Border finals.
Although it may not produce a Mail Medal winner, there are many pundits who believe the Mozzies will win a fourth consecutive premiership.
There are no Tantanoola players who have been standouts in 2018 with the exception of new assistant coach Sam Haniford.
He has done his best work in the backlines but defenders are often overlooked for Mail Medal votes.
Glencoe has one of the pre-count favourites in Zacc Cocks who is the reigning Mail Medallist and a past Walker Medallist.
A proven vote-getter and a second-year coach, Cocks has stood out with a mention in the best players on 15 occasions and this is a competition high.
Only Dylan Childs, Matt Kasparian and Tom Edwards might take significant votes from him.
Nangwarry has not attracted many Mail Medal votes in recent seasons and teenager Joel Virtanen should lead the polling of the Saints.
All will be revealed at the Mail Medal function on August 26 where Millicent sporting and civic identity Frank Brennan will again be the master of ceremonies.
The MSE netball association will also hand out its annual trophies and the equivalent function for the junior footballers and netballers will be held at this venue that morning.
The host club for the two functions is Kongorong.
