Benson beats odds to claim second Mathieson Medal

DESPITE suffering a broken jaw at the beginning of Round 11 and not returning until Round 18, St Mary’s midfielder Harry Benson now has a second Mathieson Medal around his neck.

Benson needed just 11 games in the Geelong Football League (GFL) seniors to accumulate 25 votes, averaging more than two votes per game to edge out Leopold’s Marcus Thompson and Nicholas Dixon of North Shore by two votes.

In an element of controversy, Benson was defeated in the vote count by Colac star Darcy Lang (26), but due to a one-week suspension for striking back in Round 6 against St Albans, Lang was deemed ineligible to accept the medal.

Benson polled in all eight opening games of the season accumulating 22 votes by Round 9, six of which were best-on-grounds.

The Saints midfielder failed to poll in Rounds 9 and 10, before a head clash with Newtown & Chilwell skipper Matt McMahon sidelined Benson until St Mary’s Round 18 clash against Grovedale.

Unsurprisingly, Benson would rack up one final best-on-ground against Joeys in the delayed Round 16 fixture to take his vote count to 25, leapfrogging both Leopold favourite Thompson (23) and North Shore’s Dixon (23) in the process.

Geelong West’s Baxter Mensch tallied 21 votes to finish fifth.

The top-10 vote-getters in the Geelong Football League:

1 Darcy Lang (Colac) – 26 votes (ineligible)
2 Harry Benson (St Mary’s) – 25 votes
3 Marcus Thompson (Leopold) – 23 votes
4 Nicholas Dixon (North Shore) – 23 votes
5 Baxter Mensch (Geelong West) – 21 votes
6 Lachlan Patten (Bell Park) – 19 votes
7 Jack Blood (St Mary’s) – 15 votes
8 Matthew McMahon (Newtown & Chilwell) – 15 votes (ineligible)
9 Tylar Watts (Geelong West) – 15 votes
10 Brody Mahoney (Colac), Jai Thomson (Leopold) and James Gow (St Joseph’s) – 14 votes

Geelong Football League Team of the Year led by St Mary’s co-coaches Travis Robertson and Glenn Keast:

• Backs: Jack Driver (South Barwon), Jack Leonard (North Shore) and Andrew Higgins (South Barwon)
• Half Backs: Jarryn McCormack (Colac), Braden Hocking (Newtown & Chilwell) and Jesse Travaglini (St Mary’s)
• Followers:  Ruck Luke Davis (South Barwon), Ruck Rover Jonathan Simpkin (Colac) and Rover Harry Benson (St Mary’s)
• Wing: Nick Dixon (North Shore), Centre:  Marcus Thomson (c) (Leopold) and Wing: Darcy Lang (Colac)
• Half Forwards: Patrick Dowling (St Mary’s), Jackson Bright (Bell Park) and Mitch Chafer (Grovedale)
• Forwards: Adam Garner (Colac), Mitchell Day (Lara) and Mitchell Patten (Colac)
• Interchange: Baxter Mensch (Geelong West), Hayden Elliot (St Albans), James Gow (St Joseph’s), Lachlan Patten (Bell Park) and Luke Maddock (Newtown & Chilwell).