For a second straight year a Marble Range player has claimed the Port Lincoln Football League’s top individual prize with midfielder Jordan Clements winning the 2021 Mail Medal on Wednesday night.

After last year’s count was livestreamed due to COVID-19 concerns, the award ceremony returned with a special guest, Norwood legend and two-time Magarey Medallist Garry McIntosh.

Lincoln South’s Levi McDonald led the count early with nine votes in the first five rounds with a number of players, including Clements, being four votes behind.

The next five rounds saw Clements take the lead after polling 10 votes, including three best on ground performances, with McDonald in second with 11 and behind them with nine votes were Lincoln South’s Ben Shillabeer, Mallee Park’s David Murray, Marble Range’s Tynan Keeley and Wayback’s Xavier Watson.

Clements would poll five more votes in the last five rounds to seal the medal with 21 votes, while Murray had a solid finish to the year with six more votes to finish runner up on 15 and Tasman’s Jacob Collins also finished strongly in third with 14.

This was the second straight year a Marble Range player has won the medal, following Kory Beard’s triumph in 2020.

Clements said while he thought he had a “reasonable year”, he felt there were many players in the Marble Range team that could have taken it out too.

“Marble Range has so many good players…everyone has had a great year,” he said.

“This was my first year and they’ve made me feel welcome, I feel at home and it’s a good club.”

While this was Clements’ first Mail Medal in Port Lincoln, he had won medals in 2017 and 2018 in Adelaide Plains Football League with another black and white team, Mallala.

Clements’ coach Boyd West said players like Clements and Beard have shown the playing group what could be achieved through leadership and commitment on and off the field.

“It’s a real positive for the club and a big tick to what we’re doing as an organisation to attract these guys and continue to reap rewards,” he said.

The only thing that could top this achievement is a premiership and Marble Range will look for their first since 2007 when they play in the grand final on September 18 against the winner of Saturday’s preliminary final.

Marble Range also celebrated Tynan Keeley being awarded for Leading Goalkicker with his tally of 66 for the year. Tasman’s J. Collins took home the Best Under 21 honours while also being named joint winner of Best Team Man alongside teammate Jace Rodda and Lincoln South’s Aiden Baker.

In reserves Wayback playing coach Joshua McKenzie won the Earl Family Trophy 18 votes, finishing six clear of joint runners up, Jacob Harvey and Nick Wright of Lincoln South.

McKenzie was also named Best Team Man in reserves while Souths saw Filippo Fiore once again named Leading Goalkicker for his 47 goals.

The night also saw Paul Kidney named this year’s Best Field Umpire and Wayback’s Murray Kelsh received his Mental Health Breakthrough Round Award.

Finally, the league welcomed its newest Life Member with Luke Schrapel receiving the honour in recognition for his work in the promotion and development of junior football in Port Lincoln and on Eyre Peninsula.

AWARDS

A GRADE

Mail Medal: Jordan Clements (Marble Range) – 21 votes

Runner up: David Murray (Mallee Park) – 15 votes

Best Under 21: Jacob Collins (Tasman) – 29 votes

Best Team Man: Jace Rodda (Tasman), Aiden Baker (Lincoln South), Jacob Collins (Tasman) – 11 votes

Leading Goalkicker: Tynan Keeley (Marble Range) – 66 goals

Best Field Umpire: Paul Kidney

RESERVES

Earl Family Trophy: Joshua McKenzie (Wayback) – 18 votes

Runner up: Nick Wright (Lincoln South), Jacob Harvey (Lincoln South) – 12 votes

Best Team Man: Josh McKenzie (Wayback) – 14 votes

Leading Goalkicker: Filippo Fiore (Lincoln South) – 47 goals