The good, the bad and the ugly: Hayward and Nola Marino medal counts throw up right results and some surprises

As the dust settles on the 2021 Hayward and Nola Marino Medal counts, some interesting storylines have emerged. One winner was a prized recruit, lured down south by a club on the verge of something special, while the other was a home-grown superstar — who won even more fans with a moving acceptance speech. But there were some big names that missed out, and how many goals does a forward have to kick to get a look in? Here are some of the talking points from the night, whether they be good, bad or even ugly. WATCH THE FULL REPLAY OF THE COUNT HERE THE GOOD We got the right result When the pre-count favourite takes the lead at about the halfway point, it can often take the thrill of the chase out of the night. But what it does mean is that by the end, we get the right outcome. He wouldn’t have been high in pre-season estimations, given how punctuated his 2020 season was, but Simon Moore just plays the game at a different pace. Like watching a motorcyclist weave through evening traffic on a freeway — everything seems to come to a stop around him as he goes to work cutting through congestion. When he disposes of it, something pretty special usually happens too. He has been a joy to watch and a thoroughly deserving winner. That winner’s speech Jess Verbrugge’s medal win was more of a surprise than her male counterpart’s, and her acceptance speech was a reflection of this. Its main appeal was its naive charm and the undertone of genuine shock. The Donnybrook speedster, who can change a passage of play with one burst of speed, said she was chuffed to even be mentioned in last week’s South Western Times. “Yesterday (Thursday) I was actually celebrating — because I saw my nomination (as a contender) in the paper and I took that as a win,” she said. “But then now, I’m up here with a medal around my neck, and it is really overwhelming and crazy.” THE BAD Tenardi’s Hayward hoodoo Few players in the competition command as much attention around a stoppage as Busselton’s Mitch Tenardi. He is in the top few contested ball winners in the competition, uses opportunities well, takes the game on and can contribute forward. Last year he polled just five votes as then-teammate Ethan Maguire collected 12 to finish second. Without Maguire this year he seemed to step up another level in the Magpies midfield and was a pre-count contender, but still finished outside the top 10. This time around he was the club’s leading vote-getter but in a season twice as long as the last, his haul of 11 saw him poll at the same rate as last year. Flying under the radar Only two players have finished in the top five of the Hayward Medal in the last two counts. One is last year’s winner Brendan Tingey and the other is the far less lauded Jordan Falco. The Boomers midfielder toiled away in a side that struggled this season and obviously caught the eyes of the umpires. He polled three votes in a five-goal loss in round one, a three-goal loss to Busselton in round five and a four-goal defeat to the Tigers in round eight. Are we just not talking about him enough? THE UGLY Remember me? There wasn’t a lot of love for the key forwards in either counts this season. Besides Bethany Bond, whose influence around the ground and sheer dominance simply cannot be overlooked. Patrick Farrant was the leading vote-getter among the keys in the men’s count, but does play high up the ground, is a highlight machine and can go on-ball. So what about Brad Holmes? The bustling Harvey forward was the leading goal-kicker, by the length of the straight, and kicked five or more goals on seven occasions. He polled in two games for a total of three votes. In round five he collected one vote after kicking five goals and wouldn’t see another vote until the final round, where he kicked nine goals in a thumping victory and polled but still missed out on maximum votes.