The best of the best in the Group 20 first grade competition were inseparable after 18 rounds, with the Ray Thorpe Medal shared for 2022.
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In the first proper Group 20 awards night on Friday night, it was a close count and heading into the final round, West Wyalong's Braiden Jones was just ahead of Leeton's Hayden Philp, but with Philp polling, in the final round and no votes for Jones, the pair were locked at 20 votes all.
![West Wyalong's Braiden Jones and Leeton's Hayden Philp were awarded with the Ray Thorpe Medal on Friday night. It is the second year in a row that the medal has been shared. Picture by Liam Warren West Wyalong's Braiden Jones and Leeton's Hayden Philp were awarded with the Ray Thorpe Medal on Friday night. It is the second year in a row that the medal has been shared. Picture by Liam Warren](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/PXdz7cxaE9wLT2SFtRYFbh/5182c458-9dbe-430e-abb1-0f7c5513523d.JPG/r0_307_6000_4000_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
For Jones, the award came as a massive shock.
"I wasn't coming here and expecting to get this, it's a pretty big achievement," Jones said.
"I have come from playing halfback all the way through my juniors, and this was my first year at lock, and I really enjoyed my footy this year."
Jones was one of the senior figures in a young Mallee Men outfit, and after a top-five finish, the lock feels his side has good times ahead.
"We have got a really good young team, and we weren't expecting to get to the level we did this year," Jones said.
"All the young boys put in the effort, and we will be looking to come back bigger and better next year."
For Philp, it is the third time in a row that he has claimed the honour, having shared it with Andrew Lavaka last season and winning it outright in 2019.
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It's an impressive strike rate for the Leeton coach, who has only been in the Group 20 competition for three seasons.
Philp was modest and felt injuries played a role in him taking out the award.
"It's a huge honour to receive that award and especially three times," Philp said.
"I probably got a bit lucky that Will (Barnes) got a bit injured for three or four rounds, and to have Kirtis there, it shows the strong year that we have to have three in and around the top five."
The medal came as a surprise to the Leeton lock feeling his season wasn't quite to the standard that he would have liked.
"I have been carrying an injury all year, and I probably didn't feel fit enough," Philp said.
"It's just a mental thing, and you are just playing for your teammates, and if the refs think you are good enough to win the award, you must be playing ok. I have always been pretty hard on myself."
The future also looks bright for the Greens, with Matthew Chant picking up the best and fairest in the under 16s while Tyler O'Connell took home the under 18s honour.
After an outstanding season in the League Tag competition, Black and Whites' Lily-Belle Misiloi came home with a nine-vote lead over Hay's Luci Lugsdin.
Yenda's strong year in the reserve grade competition showed as Trey Woodland came home one vote ahead of teammate Todd Granger.
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