Young guns tie in George Symons Medal race

IT WAS a dead-heat in the race for the George Symons Medal as fairest and best in this season’s Bendigo Bank Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL under-18s footy competition.

Eaglehawk’s Cahal Blandthorn and Sandhurst’s Oscar Cail were locked on 21 votes after the final card was called in Monday night’s vote count on Radio Fresh fm 101.5.

A great run by Blandthorn in the Hawks’ midfield included earning the maximum three votes from the umpires in four matches.

A vote haul across nine of 16 matches included two votes in four matches, and one in another.

Blandthorn and his Hawks’ team-mates finished the season on four wins and seventh placing.

A key target in Sandhurst’s attack, Cail kicked 44 goals to be the competition’s leading goalkicker.

Now a Symons medallist, Cail will also be striving to add a premiership medal to this season’s haul.

Judged best-on-ground in four matches, Cail earnt two votes in four matches, and one in another.

In a remarkable run to the home-and-away series, Cail polled three votes in rounds 13, 14 and 16.

He also played four matches for Sandhurst’s reserves, two games for the Bendigo Pioneers in Coates Talent League, and represented Bendigo in the under-19 match with the Victorian Amateurs.

It’s back-to-back Symons Medal wins for Sandhurst after Jack English earnt the honour last season.

The George Symons Medal honours a key off-field player at Golden Square across many seasons and was first presented in 1969.

It’s the fifth tie in Symons Medal history.

The first in 1987 involved South Bendigo’s Damien Moore and Golden Square’s Darren Moorhead.

In ’94, Golden Square team-mates Nathan Brown and Sam Jacobs could not be separated.

An historic three-way tie in 1996 involved Eaglehawk’s Jason Abbott and Brett Manderson, and Kangaroo Flat’s Scott Jackman.

In 2002, Castlemaine’s David  Taylor and Gisborne’s Marcus Powell were joint winners.

The call in 2015 ended in a draw between Strathfieldsaye’s Tai Sardone and Sandhurst’s Xavier Walsh.

Some of the league’s biggest names have been Symons medal winners.

Those on the honour board include Eaglehawk’s Rod Ashman, and Sandhurst rover Peter Tyack who later dominated for South Bendigo.

Other recipients of the league award include Kennington’s Quentin Blackmore, Castlemaine’s Shawn Filo, and Neil Torpey from South Bendigo.

The under-18s fairest and best was first presented in 1955.

League legends Neville Strauch from Golden Square, and South Bendigo’s Colin Tully were among the early recipients of what was the Dick Beattie award.