Magpies’ midfielder claims Alan McDonald Medal
CASTLEMAINE midfielder Archie Rixon has claimed the Alan McDonald Medal the Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL’s reserves fairest and best for the ’25 season.
The vote count for the award was held on Monday night on Radio Fresh FM 101.5.
In a season where he played eight senior and eight reserves matches for the Magpies, Rixon won a closely-fought race for the medal.
A great run by Rixon included the maximum three votes in rounds five, six and seven.
He was also adjudged best afield in the 14th round and earned two votes in the next match.
Rixon polled votes in five of the eight reserves matches he played to finish on 14 votes.
It’s Castlemaine’s first win in the McDonald Medal since ruckman Guy Marshall did so in 2003.
Runner-up in this season’s medal race was Eaglehawk’s Jaxon Vroom on 12 votes.
The league’s top two had been opponents in the elimination final which Castlemaine won.
It was the Magpies’ first open-age finals win on the footy field in 23 years.
Castlemaine was beaten by a point in last Sunday’s first semi-final clash with South Bendigo.
Among the highs of Rixon’s season were representing the Bendigo FNL in the under-19s inter-league clash with the Victorian Amateurs at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
The Alan McDonald Medal honours South Bendigo’s legendary coach of the 1950s.
Dubbed ‘Fox’, McDonald was playing coach in South Bendigo’s remarkable run of premiership success in 1950, ’51, ’54, ’55 and ’56.
A coaching career of more than 250 matches with the Bloods followed a stint of 49 games he played for Richmond across 1939-41 and again in ’43.
McDonald was senior coach of Richmond from 1957 to 1960.
He was inducted to the Bendigo FNL Hall of Fame in 1996.
Previous winners of the Alan McDonald Medal include Eaglehawk’s Dwayne Smith, Kyneton’s Bob Beare and Terry Mangan, South Bendigo’s David McCormick, Golden Square’s Luke Rosa, Sandhurst’s Mark Robinson, and Nathan Newlan, twice with Kangaroo Flat and once with South Bendigo.
This year’s winner of the Bart ‘n Print Rising Star is Golden Square forward Jack McMahon.
Across 15 senior matches for the Bulldogs, McMahon predominantly played as a key forward and was rated elite for contested marks.
He also kicked 25 goals for the blue and gold and was vice-captain of Bendigo’s under-19 in the inter-league clash with the Victorian Amateurs young guns.
Finalsits for the Bart ‘n Print Rising Star award were
Lachlan Evans (Gisborne), Jack McMahon (Golden Square), Aaron Nevins (Kangaroo Flat), Zach Bird (Kangaroo Flat), Ollie Morris (Sandhurst), Jed Daniels (Strathfieldsaye).
On the goalkicking front, a tally of 48 goals by South Bendigo’s Brock Harvey clinched the Ron Best Medal as leading goalkicker in senior footy.
Golden Square’s Tanner Rayner and South Bendigo’s Will Purcell were joint winners of the Drummond Golf Reserves award on 28 goals.
The David McCann Champion Club award in which clubs earn a point for each win was again taken out by Sandhurst FNC on 98 points.
Sandhurst co-coach and gun on-baller Lachlan Tardrew was voted by coaches as the Bendigo FNL’s best in the senior inter-league clash with the Victorian Amatuers.
Tardrew racked up 46 disposals, 12 clearances and scored 173 ranking points.
The award for best in the under-19s inter-league match went to Gisborne rover James Gray who starred with 29 disposals, nine clearances, and 145 ranking points.
The award presentations will be made this Sunday night at the Michelsen Medal, senior football, and Betty Thompson, A-grade netball vote counts at Bendigo Club in Strathdale.
