THE Morrish Medal is a double delight for the second consecutive year after Dandenong Stingrays star Taj Campbell-Farrell and Tasmania Devils captain Lachlan Cowan tied for the prestigious NAB League best-and-fairest award on Wednesday night.
Campbell-Farrell and Cowan polled 18 votes for the season to edge out Gippsland Power captain Bailey Humphrey by one, with Sandringham Dragons skipper Will Ashcroft finishing fourth on 15 and GWV Rebels key forward Aaron Cadman fifth on 14.
The prolific Stingray, 18, played the last of his 10 NAB League games in Round 12 before going in for surgery on compartment syndrome in his feet, a painful condition he played through for most of the season while still averaging 29 disposals, 5.3 tackles and 5.4 inside-50s per match.
His best outing was a stunning 40 disposals, six marks and 10 inside-50s against the Dragons in Round 8 and only once did he dip below 20 possessions when restricted to 19 by Bendigo Pioneers in Round 3.
Rebounding defender Cowan, 17, has been a driving force in Tasmania’s charge into the NAB League semi-finals for the first time in their history, averaging 27.4 disposals, 5.0 marks and 8.5 rebounds in 11 games, never dropping below 20 touches and having a best game of 33 possessions, nine marks and five inside-50s against NT Thunder Academy in Round 5.
AFL National Talent Manager Kevin Sheehan told the NAB League awards telecast the pair were more than worthy winners.
“(Campbell-Farrell) got a couple of games in his 17th year last year and was a star right from game one this year,” he said.
“He stands out with a shock of blonde hair and his ball-winning ability (and I) love the way he distributes it as well – he’s a popular teammate, the boys love getting around him and he’s a wonderful leader in the way he plays.
“(I’d liken him to Sydney’s) Josh Kennedy, who wins the contested ball and he’s got great vision, which allows him to use it very well.”
“Lachie is just the third player from a non-Victorian side to win the Morrish behind of course Saints great Lenny Hayes and fellow Tasmanian Luke Shackleton.
“He averaged 27 disposals in his 10 (home-and-away) matches, along with three tackles and five marks per game but his standout performances of the year undoubtedly were with the Allies through the NAB AFL Under-18 championships.
“(He’s a bit like) Tom Stewart – he takes on the big kicks at times, so why not at underage level be trying to hit that 45 that goes 45m because that breaks the game open just as Tommy Stewart does.”
Campbell-Farrell, a product of Rye Demons from the Mornington Peninsula league and the third Dandenong player to win the medal after Dean Watson and Alex Benbow, told Sheehan and host Nigel Carmody his win was “a good surprise” given the injury issues that ended his season in early July.
“(Stingrays coach) Nick Cox brought me into the coach's room and we're having a little chat about something and they were filming me, then he started rambling on about Clayton Oliver and he (said) ‘one thing you two have in common – you’ve both won the Morrish Medal’,” he said.
“I just get a pressure build up in my foot and it's very painful when I run – so from about halfway through the first quarter of most games I'm getting excruciating pain in my feet and it just lasts throughout the whole game.
“I have had to play through that most of the year, but luckily I could still play alright with it and the boys put together a good season as well.”
Campbell-Farrell said he modelled his game on some of the AFL’s best modern-day extractors, including Oliver.
“I like watching Patrick Cripps and Clayton Oliver as well, getting the contested ball and flicking their hands out – I reckon that's something I can do well and something I bring to my team.
North Launceston’s Cowan, whose run and carry was a feature in the Devils’ quarter-final win over Bendigo last week, models his game on the best rebounding half-backs, but was more delighted to be part of a Devils team that could be on the verge of creating history.
“I’m rapt for the boys – we’ve had a pretty good year, it has been surprising to a few people in Tassie,” he said.
“And yeah, I feel like I've had a good season as well being a part of that team.
“Probably Bailey Dale’s a big one (role model) from the Western Bulldogs – he kicks out and sets up from the back half and gets the ball moving as a very attacking half back, and probably Sam Docherty, who intercepts well and rolls through the midfield at times.”
Cowan said the prospect of Tasmania possibly getting its long-awaited AFL team had given the young Devils a real boost for this season.
“I feel like it has – our coach Jez (Jeromey Webberley) has been good, bringing the team together like this is probably as together as we've ever been as a Tassie side … I feel like it's a big factor why we're winning so many games this year,” he said.
“I’d love to play for Tassie at some stage and put it on the map again.”
By contrast, Campbell-Farrell has enjoyed a long period of success at Rye and growing up on the Mornington Peninsula.
“I played all my juniors at Rye and we won five premierships, so we ad a very good junior team coming up through the ranks there in the MPJFL and interleague,” he said.
“I also enjoy the beach and getting in the water, it’s something that I’m really big on.”
Third-placegetter Humphrey had a flying start to the year, polling 13 votes in the first five weeks before missing the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships and several games with his own bout of compartment syndrome, while Western Jet Massimo D’Ambrosio was also on first month with 10 votes before being taken by Essendon in the NAB AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft, going on to win a NAB AFL Rising Star nomination later in the season.
Ashcroft went into the count as favourite after averaging 35.3 disposals in his 10 home-and-away games, including ridiculous games of 51 and 42 possessions, and remained in contention right to the end.
2022 MORRISH MEDAL TOP 10
18 Taj Campbell-Farrell (Dandenong Stingrays/Rye)
18 Lachlan Cowan (Tasmania Devils/North Launceston)
17 Bailey Humphrey (Gippsland Power/Moe)
15 Will Ashcroft (Sandringham Dragons/Old Brighton Grammarians)
14 Aaron Cadman (GWV Rebels/Darley)
12 Harley Reid (Bendigo Pioneers/Tongala)
10 Massimo D’Ambrosio (Western Jets/Point Cook)
9 Harvey Gallagher (Bendigo Pioneers/Sandhurst)
9 Olivier Northam (Geelong Falcons/St Joseph’s)
9 Nicholas Quigg (Murray Bushrangers/Seymour)
MORRISH MEDAL HONOURBOARD
2022 (joint – Taj Campbell-Farrell (Dandenong Stingrays), Lachlan Cowan (Tasmania Devils)
2021 (joint) – Flynn Lakey (Calder Cannons), Josh Rentsch (GWV Rebels)
2019 – Lucas Rocci (Western Jets)
2018 – Liam Stocker (Sandringham Dragons)
2017 – Jack Higgins (Oakleigh Chargers)
2016 – Hugh McCluggage (North Ballarat Rebels)
2015 – Clayton Oliver (Murray Bushrangers)
2014 – Alex Carr (Gippsland Power)
2013 (joint) – Ben Cavarra (Eastern Ranges), George Cameron (Geelong Falcons), Jacob Chisari (Bendigo Pioneers), Josh Scott (Gippsland Power)
2012 – Nick Graham (Gippsland Power)
2011 – Alex Benbow (Dandenong Stingrays)
2010 (joint) – Dyson Heppell (Gippsland Power), Jackson Sketcher (Sandringham Dragons)
2009 – Anton Woods (Northern Knights)
2008 (joint) – Jarryd Blair (Gippsland Power), Farran Priest (Murray Bushrangers)
2007 – Matthew Kreuzer (Northern Knights)
2006 – Fort Caruso (Calder Cannons)
2005 – Fort Caruso (Calder Cannons)
2004 – Matthew Bate (Eastern Ranges)
2003 – Mungara Brown (Northern Knights)
2002 – Luke Shackleton (Tassie Mariners)
2001 – David Rodan (Calder Cannons)
2000 – David Rodan (Calder Cannons)
1999 – Matthew Stolarczyk (Gippsland Power)
1998 – Lenny Hayes (NSW-ACT Rams)
1997 – Derek Murray (Murray Bushrangers)
1996 – Nathan Brown (Bendigo Pioneers)
1995 – Paul Hood (Geelong Falcons)
1994 – Gary Moorcroft (Northern Knights)
1993 – Dean Watson (Southern Stingrays)
1992 – Brad Smith (Northern Knights)
Twitter: @BRhodesVFL