Morrish Medal for teenager in first year of TAC Cup footy
HE STANDS at just 172cm tall and floats in at 72kg, but Benalla product Farran Priest has certainly made an impact in his first year of TAC Cup under 18s football.
Having just turned 17 at the end of July, Preist etched himself into the record books this past season when he tied for the competition's top individual award, the 2008 Morrish medal.
In a tense and exciting finish to the count, Priest was two points behind the leaders with the last round of votes to be counted. He collected a maximum three votes in the final round 19 match with fellow winner Jarryd Blair secured one vote, to create history and have the first tie for the top award in the TAC Cups’ 17 seasons.
"I was definitely shocked," Priest, who still has a season of under 18s football left next year, said.
"We had so many good players I didn't see myself in the mix."
And it was a double celebration in the Priest household this year, with Farran's older brother, Rowan, 22, winning the Goulburn Valley Football League best and fairest award, the Morrison Medal.
This was Farran's first year of TAC cup football where he played 19 games. He was a member of the Murray Bushrangers premiership-winning team which defeated Dandenong Stingrays.
Coming in off a wing, Priest had 14 possessions and layed four tackles in the emphatic 81-point season-deciding victory.
The teenager's coach, Phil Bunn, said Priest had worked hard to force his way into the Bushrangers side this year and is noted for his blistering speed and exceptional ball-handling ability.
"Farran attacks the ball with great gusto and is a player who can have an impact on games," Bunn said.
The Murray Bushrangers were the dominant team in the TAC under 18s competition winning the minor premiership by a significant four-game margin and collecting a second TAC cup crown this year, following the club's inaugural win back in 1998.
Priest, who surprisingly didn't make the TAC Cup's Team of the Year despite his victory in the Morrish medal, will be eligible for the 2009 AFL draft because of his age.
PETER ARGENT
PLA.Wordsmith@bigpond.com
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Last Modified on 30/10/2008 03:54