CASTERTON-SANDFORD’S senior best and fairest vote counts at the weekend celebrated both experience and new blood, with a first-year player and 300-gamer taking out the club’s top accolades.

In his first full senior year with Casterton-Sandford, Diarmid Cleary is the Cats’ senior football best and fairest for 2021, by a massive 29 votes.

The 25-year-old polled in every match of the season, picking up 59 out of a possible 126 votes, including best-ons from all three selectors against North Gambier in round one.

Cats coach, Kane Forbes said Cleary’s win was no surprise to him, with the classy all-rounder putting in a solid year, both on ground and off, for the Cats.

“Those that had seen any games would have had to have thought that he was going to take out the best and fairest – and convincingly,” Forbes said.

“He played a handful of games with us a couple of years ago when (Hamish Jarrad) was coaching and he was one player that really impressed me … I was going to try and recruit him for this year, regardless of what it took.

“And he performed, 100 per cent, from day one … hasn’t put a foot wrong.

“He’s a quality person, trains at the highest standards and leads by example, for the club.

“Anything you ask of him he’ll try and do, on and off the ground and he’s one of the first in the playing group to put his hand up if you need something.

“On the ground, there’s no halves with him, or ‘maybes’; his work ethic and fitness are of the highest standards … he’s able to get to a lot of contests and his defensive efforts are outstanding.

“One of the games, where we took stats, he laid about 14 tackles … he’s fantastic when he’s got the ball in hand and works just as hard when we haven’t got it.”

Forbes was also pleased to see his right-hand-man in 2021, assistant coach Justin Carlin, awarded the runner-up trophy in the senior best and fairest count.

“I think he was a little bit shocked with the result … if you speak to him, you’ll know that he was disappointed in his own year, but only because he puts really high standards on himself, he’s a bit harsh on himself,” Forbes said.

“But his ability to read the play, influence contests and commitment to the game are as good as I’ve seen.

“I’ve loved having him on board as a coach, seen him grow a lot in that role and excited to have him on board again this year.

“He’s still very young himself … if history tells any tales, he won four club reserve best and fairests in a row, so who knows.”

A month into pre-season training, Forbes said the Cats were excited to have re-signed around 95 per cent of their senior playing squad from this year – including Cleary and Carlin – and with three local recruits, were looking at a solid 2022.

Former Penola Eagle, Josh Currie, former Cat, Matt Kurzman, and former Casterton local, Cody Ireland, now living in Mount Gambier, will all join the Cats next season.

“Although we didn’t win a game this year, our current playing group can see the path we’re on, the journey we’re taking as a group and they want to be part of that, which is really exciting to see … we’re excited to have that group back on board for next year,” Forbes said.

“We’ve also been very specific in our recruiting this year … not going around trying to sign up every Tom, Dick and Harry.

“We could have easily signed up 10 travellers from Melbourne or Ballarat, but we’ve tried that in the past and it hasn’t worked.

“We’ve signed up players … and there’s still a couple in the pipeline that we hope to announce in coming weeks … that live in and around the area, that will bring something to the group.

“We’ll train together, work on our flaws together, as well as our strengths.”

Icing on the cake

CELEBRATED by the Cats in June this year when she played her 300th club game, Scarlett Jarrad is A grade’s best and fairest for 2021 – her second senior accolade in three years.

Unable to attend the vote count and presentations due to family commitments, Jarrad said she was “shocked” when she learned of the award and was full of praise for her coach and teammates for their progress in what had been a tough year.

“It’s nice to get this when we’ve had a hard season … one game we lost by 80-something, but Tori did such a fantastic job, working with a group of really good kids who played two games every week, through to Claire, then Paige and myself,” she said.

“Even though we weren’t very successful on the scoreboard, it was a really rewarding year to work with them, especially those kids.

“The skill in them, to think what they’re going to be like in 10 years’ time … they’re all going to be amazing; they’re 20 times better now than I ever was as a junior and I look forward to seeing what they can do.”

The third generation of Sullivans at the Cattery, following in the footsteps of her grandfather, past president and player, the late Mick Sullivan, former player and coach, father Dale and netballer, mum Sue, Jarrad made her senior debut with the A grade Cats in 2005, aged just 17.

In 2013, she played in the B grade premiership side, taking out the team’s best and fairest title and runner-up accolades in the Western Border Netball Association’s best and fairest medal count,

After coaching the club’s inaugural 11-and-Under team, Jarrad took on both the 15-and-Under A and B teams in 2015, taking the B side to a grand final and premiership and on the same day, played in the club’s B grade premiership team.

In 2019, she was voted best and fairest in the Cats’ A grade side for the first time.

The Cats also celebrated award winners across all netball and football grades on Sunday.

Results from the 2021 vote counts:

Netball

13-and-Under A: Best and fairest - Brydie Carlin; runner-up – Amy Crauford; Coaches Award – Olivia Nolte.

13-and-Under B: Best and fairest – Brydie Carlin; runner-up – Makayla Rees; Coaches Award – Amelia Bailey.

15-and-Under A: Best and fairest – Phoebe Carlin; runner-up – Chelsea Hulm; Coaches Award – Madeline Patton.

15-and-Under B: Best and fairest – Indi Longhurst; runner-up – Phoebe Carlin; Coaches Award – Ivy Lane.

17-and-Under: Best and fairest – Caeleigh Humphries; runner-up – Charlotte Rice; Coaches Award – Sophie Hart.

C grade: Best and fairest – Janine Parsons; runner-up – Kim Hutchins; Coaches Award – Molly Dennis.

B grade: Best and fairest – Annalee McKinnon; runner-up – Elidih Murray; Coaches Award – Tammy Knight.

A Reserve: Best and fairest – Natalie Rhook; runner-up – Sharna Fidler; Coaches Award – Mikayla Rice.

A grade: Best and fairest – Scarlett Jarrad; runner-up – Caeleigh Humphries; Coaches Award – Paige Murrell.

Lyn Coxon Memorial Award – Renae Newell

Football

Under-14: Best and fairest – Jedd Rhook; runner-up – Dylan Munro, Josh Jones; 3D – Dedication, Determination and Discipline – Ollie Foster; Most Improved – Taupiri Crawford; Best Utility – Sam Patton; Best Defender – Reagan Parsons; Coaches Award – Jack Wombwell.

Under-16: Best and fairest – Cory Wombwell; runner-up – Sully Gibbs; Most Consistent – Sam Craig; Best Team Man – Josh McPeake; Best Utility – Mitchell Bright; Best Defender – Sid Herbert; Most Improved – Adam Kaliebe.

Reserves: Best and fairest – Casey Jones; runner-up – James Killey; Best Defender – Casey Jones; Leading Goal Kicker – Pete Hutchins; Most Improved – Nathan Faroe; Most Consistent – Jackson Fitzgerald; Best Team Man ‘The Honey Badger’ – Sam Diegmann.

Seniors: Best and fairest – Diarmid Cleary; runner-up – Justin Carlin; Best Defender – Damian Wombwell; Most Consistent – Adrian Jarrad; Leading Goal Kicker – Rick Killey; Most Improved – Hamish McCrae; Best Team Man ‘The Honey Badger’ – Dillan Carlin; Best Under-21 Player ‘Fleagle’ McDonald Award – Adam McKinnon.