Waratah star Timothy Mosquito has taken out the 2016/17 Nichols Medal for the best and fairest in the TIO NTFL Men’s Premier League, finishing two votes clear of joint runners-up Troy Coates and Phillip Wills, in an exciting vote count at SKYCITY’s Beachside Pavilion on Sunday 12 March.
In the TIO NTFL Women’s Premier League division, it was a thrilling two-vote win for PINT captain Samantha Barnett who is the inaugural recipient of the Gwynne Medal, named in honour of the decorated player and coach, Colleen Gwynne.
Going into Round 15 of the Nichols Medal count, Mosquito had already amassed his winning 15 votes and sat three clear of Buffaloes captain, Phillip Wills.
It was a nervous wait for the footballer from The Kimberley, but by the first game of the last round there was no chance of his chasers catching him.
The Nichols Medal win caps off a stellar year for Mosquito who was also named the Waratah best and fairest, in his first season back for the Club in three years.
The 25-year-old, who flew from Warmun, Western Australia most weekends, to bolster the Tah’s across the halfback-flank, played 13 games this season, polling in six of them.
For winning the 2016/17 Nichols Medal, Mosquito receives two return airfares from Darwin to Melbourne thanks to Virgin Australia. He will also receive two tickets to the 2017 Toyota AFL Grand Final.
In the TIO NTFL Women’s Premier League, PINT captain Samantha Barnett has won her first league best and fairest.
Going into Round 13, Barnett sat in third place on the leaderboard, behind first-time footballer Jasmyn Hewett of St Mary’s and the Buffettes’ stalwart, Kylie Duggan.
By the completion of Round 15 she had fallen to fourth and had 12 votes to her name before going on to poll five votes in the final three rounds, to finish two votes clear of the dynamic Buffettes duo of Duggan and Michaelia Roberts.
Only Hewett could’ve elevated herself to a joint victory in the last game to be called for Round 18 when Barnett polled one vote in the PINT v St Mary’s clash. The three votes did go St Mary’s way but on this occasion to budding young gun Danielle Ponter, leaving Barnett as the sole winner.
The 29-year-old midfielder is well recognised for her clean hands and speed, and earlier in the season she was a real contender for a spot on the inaugural Adelaide Football Club women’s team.
For winning the Gwynne Medal Barnett will receive $500.
A full list of awards and winners is as follows:
Nichols Medallist
Timothy Mosquito – Waratah
Gwynne Medallist
Samantha Barnett – PINT
Division 1 Mitch Lee Medallist
Josh Westerberg – Waratah
Division 2 Lancaster Medallist
Jaise Coleman – Nightcliff
Under 18 Abala Medallist
Jess Buderick – Big River Hawks & Caleb Walker – Nightcliff
Under 18 Girls Medallist
Mattea Breed – Darwin Buffaloes
Under 16 Hickman Medallist (Div 1)
Raymond Prowse – Southern Districts
Under 16 Leverence Medallist (Div 2)
Jamie Osmond – Nightcliff
Under 15 Youth Girls - Sharyn Smith Medallist
Molly Althouse – Darwin Buffaloes
Under 14 Gundersen – Gundersen Medallist (Div 1)
Antonio James – Darwin Buffaloes
Under 14 Lew Fatt – Lew Fatt Medallist (Div 2)
Luke Donohue – Nightcliff
Kennards Volunteer of the Year Medallist
Cindy Lee McDonald – Tiwi Bombers
ABC Player of the Year
Matthew Campbell – Darwin Buffaloes
ABC Umpire of the Year
Jamieson Galbraith
NT News & Darwin Business Machines Player of the Year
Nathaniel Paredes - St Mary’s
NT News Rising Star
Nick Yarran – St Mary’s
Women’s Rising Star
Jasmyn Hewett – St Mary’s
Women’s MVP
Katie Streader – PINT
Men’s MVP
Nathaniel Paredes – St Mary’s
Dennis Dunn Leading Goalkicker
William Farrer – Southern Districts (61 Goals)
Women’s Leading Goalkicker
Amy Lorenzo – Waratah (43 goals)
