Gippsland Power pair Ash Centra and Xavier Lindsay have been crowned the 2024 Coates Talent League best and fairest winners.
Ball magnet Centra was the runaway winner in the Girls competition, while smooth-mover Lindsay stormed home to claim the Morrish Medal in the Boys competition.
Centra polled 25 votes to finish five clear of Bendigo Pioneers midfielder Lucia Painter, while 2023 winner Sara Howley from the Geelong Falcons was third with 19 votes.
She became the first Gippsland Power player to win the Coates Talent League Girls best and fairest, with the triumph adding another accolade to Centra’s impressive CV.
A two-time All Australian at under-18 level, Centra was Victoria Country’s MVP as a bottom-ager at the 2023 Marsh AFL National Championships and this year represented the Australia under-18 team as a member of the Marsh AFL National Academy Girls.
She started the 2024 campaign in red-hot form, collecting 47 disposals and kicking four goals in her first game of the season against the Murray Bushrangers and went on to have more than 30 disposals in six matches.
Centra averaged 27.1 disposals, 4.3 marks, 4.2 clearances, 4.1 tackles and 1.5 goals per game during the 2024 Coates Talent League Girls season and featured in the umpires’ votes in 10 of her 12 matches.
Lindsay became the first Gippsland Power in a decade to claim the Morrish Medal as the best and fairest player in the Coates Talent League Boys competition.
He polled 21 votes to finish two ahead of runner-up Cooper Hynes from the Dandenong Stingrays. Calder Cannons midfielder Jayden Nguyen and Oakleigh Chargers on-baller Jagga Smith were tied in third place on 18 votes.
Lindsay averaged 23.4 disposals, 9.3 handball receives, 5.4 clearances and 5.2 inside 50m entries across his 12 appearances this season.
He received votes in eight matches, which included a stretch of four-consecutive best on ground performances from Rounds 15 to 18 before suffering a season-ending PCL injury during the final match of the home and away campaign.
Lindsay also had a fantastic year at representative level, earning All Australian selection after producing several outstanding performances for Victoria Country at the Marsh AFL National Championships.
He also pulled on the Australia jumper as part of the Marsh AFL National Academy Boys program in their game against VFL side the Footscray Bulldogs in April.
Annabelle Glossop from the GWV Rebels and Liam Callaghan from the Oakleigh Chargers were presented the Personal Growth Awards, which celebrate a player in each of the Girls and Boys competitions who demonstrated outstanding leadership and contribution to their community.
After sadly losing her best friend to a rare sarcoma earlier in the year, Glossop arranged for her team to take part in Maddi’s Round – an initiative that raised cancer awareness and provided support to families in the local community impacted by cancer.
She was also the driving force in organising the Rebels’ White Ribbon Foundation day in May and is in the process of completing the level one coaching course to serve as head coach of the Rebels’ V-Line Cup team later this month.
Callaghan has made a profound impact on his peers on and off the field, with one of his major achievements being the development of the first student-led wellbeing program at his school, which was implemented across all year levels.
He created the program "Share Your Story" to promote connectedness and inclusion with the aim to support the mental health and wellbeing of his peers and has also led environmental awareness days.
COATES TALENT LEAGUE GIRLS BEST AND FAIREST
Ash Centra (Gippsland Power) 25 votes
Lucia Painter (Bendigo Pioneers) 20
Sara Howley (Geelong Falcons) 19
Holly Ridewood (Northern Knights) 18
Zoe Besanko (Dandenong Stingrays) 17
Marlo Graham (Northern Knights) 17
Tayla McMillan (Eastern Ranges) 15
Chloe Bown (Oakleigh Chargers) 14
Sarah Poustie (Oakleigh Chargers) 14
Mischa Barwin (Tasmania Devils) 13
Millie Lang (GWV Rebels) 13
MORRISH MEDAL (COATES TALENT LEAGUE BOYS BEST AND FAIREST)
Xavier Lindsay (Gippsland Power) 21 votes
Cooper Hynes (Dandenong Stingrays) 19
Jayden Nguyen (Calder Cannons) 18
Jagga Smith (Oakleigh Chargers) 18
Josh Smillie (Eastern Ranges) 17
Zak Johnson (Northern Knights) 16
Damon Hollow (Calder Cannons) 15
Tobie Travaglia (Bendigo Pioneers) 13
Isaac Kako (Calder Cannons) 12
Cody Anderson (Eastern Ranges) 11
Xavier Kardachi (Western Jets) 11
Harvey Langford (Dandenong Stingrays) 11
COATES TALENT LEAGUE GIRLS PERSONAL GROWTH AWARD
Winner: Annabelle Glossop (GWV Rebels)
Other finalists: Alexis Gregor (Bendigo Pioneers) and Rose Milthorpe (Murray Bushrangers)
COATES TALENT LEAGUE BOYS PERSONAL GROWTH AWARD
Winner: Liam Callaghan (Oakleigh Chargers)
Other finalists: Adrian Cole (Sandringham Dragons) and Lucca Grego (Western Jets)
COATES TALENT LEAGUE GIRLS TEAM OF THE YEAR
COATES TALENT LEAGUE BOYS TEAM OF THE YEAR
2024 COATES TALENT LEAGUE GRAND FINALS
The 2024 Coates Talent League Grand Finals will be played at IKON Park on Saturday, September 21. The day will commence with the Girls Grand Final at 10:45am, with the Boys Grand Final to be played from 1:15pm.
The 2024 Coates Talent League Girls Grand Final between the Oakleigh Chargers and Eastern Ranges is a rematch of the 2023 decider, which the Chargers won by seven points.
The 2024 Coates Talent League Boys Grand Final will be played between the Sandringham Dragons and GWV Rebels.
The Dragons will be chasing a third-consecutive premiership, while the GWV Rebels will be competing in just their second Coates Talent League Boys Grand Final and first since winning the premiership in 1997.
Entry to the Coates Talent League Grand Finals is free. Patrons are advised to enter IKON Park via Gate 6.
The 2024 Coates Talent League Grand Finals will be streamed live and free at AFL.com.au and the Coates Talent League App.
