Goalkicking winger Jonathan Pearson has been crowned Stanhope football’s senior best and fairest winner for 2023, edging out another of the “trendy’’ positional players in intercepting backman Adam Lovison.
Just like in the “big league’’ the pair play in two now celebrated positions, which they expertly filled for the Lions — despite the team falling in the opening week of the finals.
Pearson polled 52 votes to win by seven from Lovison.
He kicked 20 goals in his 16 games this season, backing up his 23 goal/16 game season from 2022 and making it 110 goals from 59 games since being promoted from Under-18 ranks in 2019.
He was the standout player for Stanhope in its dominant 2018 season when he kicked 112 goals in 17 games for the Lions — having crossed from Tongala when he also plied his trade as a goalkicker in under age Murray league ranks.
Lovison, another player with Tongala connections, joined the club as assistant coach this season and was outside of the Lions top six players on only three of 16 games.
The former Kyabram and Tongala star was the rock around which the Lions built their defence, but they will be aiming to strengthen the key positional components of their game for 2024.
• Jarrad Mason, who was last year’s league best and fairest winner, added another club title to his credit when he won the reserve grade award.
Mason played 15 games and kicked six goals, winning the award by one vote from Brad Canny, who was also called into senior ranks on six occasions this year.
• Brady Wileman spent time in all three grade with Stanhope this season and was rewarded with the best and fairest award for the Under 18 team.
He played seven senior games, four with the reserves and 13 at under age level. He won the award by two votes from Kayden Davis.
Coaches award was won by Michael Keegan, while Jack Neyland was most improved and James Mullens Best Team Player.
• A-grade netball best and fairest was Jemma Wright, polling 27 votes to win from Taylor Sutton (18).
Other awards: B-grade best and fairest Emily Uhe (23), runner-up Holly McPhee (22); C-grade best and fairest Hilary Grigg (25), runner-up Bianca Atley (21); Under-17s best and fairest Tia Harrison (24), runner-up Charlotte Grealy (17), coach’s award Dakota Powell; Under-15s best and fairest Ava Turner (27), runner-up Bella Davis (17), coach’s award Brooke O’Shanassy; Under-13s best and fairest Brooklyn Kirkpatrick (15), runner-up Abby Threfall (12), coach’s award Chloe Berner.