And its senior football best-and-fairest count had an extra twist in the tail.
Longwood captain Jye Formosa took out this season’s McNamara Medal with 19 votes, the Redlegs star’s exquisite season rewarded after featuring in his side’s best in 13 of the 16 games he played.
Since arriving at the club in 2023, Formosa has been one of the league’s most damaging midfielders in the competition, helping Longwood rise back up the ladder and again threaten for finals this year.
It’s not the first time Formosa has topped the vote count, but he was ruled ineligible to take out the 2023 award due to suspension.
This year, the opposite was true.
Nagambie’s Tom Barnes topped the vote count with 24 following a season where the Lakers spearhead booted 107 goals and ended with a premiership medal around his neck.
He too suffered the same fate as Formosa three years ago, ineligible to win due to suspension.
Murchison-Toolamba duo Aidan Lloyd and James Milne were joint runners-up with 16 votes apiece, while Hoppers’ sharpshooter James Lloyd and Lancaster’s Tom Davies rounded out a busy podium with 14.
It capped a busy night for local talent, with Nagambie’s Greta Small topping the Keith Whitford Medal as B Grade netball best and fairest, accumulating a stunning 30 votes, while fellow Laker Ella McLean took out the Leanne Good Medal as the under-13 league best and fairest with 32 votes.
Chantelle Stewart also polled superbly in the Kelli Halden Medal C Reserve best and fairest, notching 24 votes to finish second, just one behind eventual winner Jacinta West of Murchison-Toolamba.
The netball accolades continued to flow for Nagambie, with Holly Carmichael named the KDL Netball Rising Star after a brilliant year on court, while Katie Sullivan was named vice-captain of the 2026 Team of the Year, taking her spot at centre in a side which included fellow Lakers Sarah Sanderson at goalkeeper and Bree D’Andrea as a sub.
On the football side of things, Nagambie’s brilliant year across all grades was recognised with the Football Club Champion Award, notching 250 points to take out the prize, while both Barnes, who booted 107 goals in the senior competition, and Flynn Bush, who kicked 113 in the under-18s, were recognised as the leading goalkickers in their respective grades.
There were three Nagambie representatives in the Football Team of the Year, too, with Mark Nolan named in the back pocket alongside Barnes at full forward, while Anthony Haysom’s premiership-winning return to the club saw him named as coach.
After taking out the McNamara medal, it was no surprise that Formosa was also included in the Team of the Year at ruck rover, while Avenel’s Brayden Avola was the sole Swan in the side, taking his position on the wing.
Meanwhile, Merrigum maestro Breanna Baker took out the A-grade netball competition’s top honour.
The Bulldogs star took out the Rita Warren medal with 26 votes ahead of Tallygaroopna’s Bree Giles (23 votes) and Shepparton East’s Lauren James (20), capping off a strong season that helped Merrigum back to finals.
“It was a fantastic night where representatives from each of our member clubs came together to celebrate the league’s best-and-fairest as well as our various award winners,” KDL president Peter Cordy said.
“We were also pleased to announce our Team of the Year for both football and netball.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank league partners the GV Hotel for hosting us, all our club volunteers, club executives and committees, players, community members, our valued partners and AFL Goulburn Murray for their assistance in putting this evening together.”
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