Promising young rover Scott Harding never lowered his standards when sent back to the Suncoast Lions and finished as the club’s leading votegetter in AFLQ’s 2007 Grogan Medal count on Monday night.
The diminutive Harding, who made his senior debut in 2006 after being elevated from the rookie list, finished sixth overall behind winner Todd Featherstone.
It was an impressive performance by Harding, who played more senior games than he did at State league level.
He didn’t poll a vote until the halfway mark of the season, then polled best afield votes in Rounds 10, 11, 13 in wins against Redland, Mt Gravatt and Broadbeach respectively.
Harding’s final best afield vote came in Round 17 in a losing side at Broadbeach, earning him senior selection the following week.
He finished with 12 votes, six behind
Featherstone won local football’s most prestigious individual prize with a two-vote on the last card of the night, having been tied with last year’s winner Matthew Payne (Zillmere) and Mt Gravatt onballer Ash Evans after 18 rounds.
Featherstone played rugby league through most of his childhood in
Making his acceptance speech in front of 400 people at the Royal on the Park Hotel, he lamented not having turned to the game sooner.
He romped to
Another Suncoast midfielder Albert Proud finished in eighth place with 11 votes. He polled in five games.
The biggest surprise of the night was the lack of recognition by the umpires for big ruckman Cameron Wood, who dominated several games through the Velocity Sports Cup season.
Wood polled on just three occasions and finished with five votes.
Top 10 votegetters:
18: Todd Featherstone (
16: Matt Payne (Zillmere)
16: Ash Evans (Mt Gravatt)
13: Josh Vearing (Mt Gravatt)
13: Mick Stinear (Mt Gravatt)
12: Scott Harding (Suncoast Lions)
12: David Lillico (Morningside)
11: Albert Proud (Suncoast Lions)
11: Nikos Keim (Zillmere)
10: Justin Wilson (Morningside)
10: Shane Morrison (Mt Gravatt)
Suncoast votegetters:
12: Scott Harding
11: Albert Proud
5: Cameron Wood
5: Chris Schmidt
4: Richard Hadley
3: Chris Johnson
3:
3: Ash McGrath
3: Wayde Mills
3: Colm Begley
3: Daniel Dzufer
2: Ben Fixter
2: Jason Roe
2: Rhan Hooper
1: Scott Clouston
1: Matt Tyler
1: Mitchell Clark
1: Ali Pinda (top-up player)
