Thomastown’s Matthew Cupo has capped off a brilliant season in the Northern Football League’s division 3, sharing the division’s best and fairest award.
Cupo, adjudged best on ground in the Bears’ 79-point premiership win over Reservoir, finished on 17 votes to tie with Reservoir’s Danny O’Sullivan on Wednesday night.
O’Sullivan led by three votes going into the final round but failed to poll a vote to win the award outright, while three votes to Cupo drew him level.
Bears teammate Jacob Osei-Duro finished equal fourth, on 12 votes.
Both Cupo and Osei-Duro were also named in the division 3 team of the year, as were Bears teammates Tristian Harrower and David Folino.
Bears coach Dean Sinclair was named coach of the year.
South Morang’s Jake Potter, Brent Howlett, Mitchell Buckley and Ashley Hobbs also made ‘team of the year’.
In division 1, former Frank Rosbrook trophy winner, Bundoora’s Matthew Dennis finished in third place – seven votes behind joint winners Bronik Davies and Matthew Vasilevski.
Davies, who shared the award with Dennis in 2012, and Vasilevski finished on 23 votes, with Dennis on 16.
Dennis, with Bulls teammates Brent Marshall and Gary Moorcroft, was also named in the team of the year.
Whittlesea’s Lucas Hobbs made division 1’s nominal ‘best team’.
In division 2, Panton Hill’s Tyler Scarce was the runaway winner in the best and fairest award, finishing eight clear of North Heidelberg duo Les Adams and Shane Harvey.
Players in division 2’s team of the year include Mernda’s Matthew Duggan and Les Adams; Lalor’s Jarrod King, Scott Dowell and Todd Hughes; and Epping’s Aaron Willits, Daniel Moore and Josh Stavely.
Mernda’s Matthew Rees took out the division 2 best and fairest award, with teammate Shaun Silman finishing third.
South Morang’s Ben Bodycoat and Thomastown’s Paul Meade tied with
Watsonia’s Simon Joules in the division 3 best and fairest.
In netball, Whittlesea’s Natasha Skehan and Bundoora Comets’ Jacinta Tonkin tied on 26 votes in section 1 to share the best and fairest award.
In section 5, Mernda’s Dakota Craven won on 22 votes from Epping’s Stephanie Oakford and Bundoora Comets’ Maria Klaromenos.
Tara Murray
