Sport

Masters all class

By Yarrawonga Chronicle

Sep 28, 2022

Leigh Masters has become the Yarrawonga Football Netball Club’s 10th individual winner of the Ovens and Murray League’s Morris Medal.

Pigeons’ defender Leigh Masters last Wednesday became the Yarrawonga Football Netball Club’s 10th individual winner of the 2022 Ovens and Murray League’s Morris Medal with 19 votes.

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Masters, who was recruited by the Pigeons from VFL side Williamstown, finished two votes clear of last year’s winner, Wangaratta’s Callum Moore.

Masters has dominated in defence for the Pigeons this season and topped the league in both disposals (527 season total) and marks (203 in total of which 54 were contested).

Pigeons captain Leigh Masters has dominated in defence for the Pigeons this season. Photo by Les_Garbutt

Masters joins an elite Pigeon coup who have won the Morris Medal. Harry ‘Jock’ Ball was the club’s first winner in 1934 followed by George Hayes 1937, Alex White 1948, Les ‘Salty’ Parish 1986, triple medallist John Brunner 1988,1989 and 2000, Tim Hargreaves 2002, Craig Ednie 2006, Mick Stevens 2009, Xavier Leslie 2013 and Tyler Bonat in 2016.

Club record game holder and senior triple senior premiership player Xavier Leslie added to his medal collection on Wednesday night winning the O&M reserves Leo Burke Medal and was important again in the reserves grand final win on Sunday.

Pigeons C-Grade player Amy Barnes also capped off a great season taking home the Sullivan’s Hair & Beauty award for C Grade.

The Pigeons senior coach Mark Whiley won the 2022 O&M Football Coach of the year. While A-Grade premiership pair Bridget Cassar and Laura Irvnie won the O&M Netball Coaches of the year award.

Young ruck talent Kyal Tyson was the O&M Rising Star Award for August and Leigh Williams was the 2022 O&M Doug Strang Medallist with 74 goals.