AN injury-interrupted season didn’t count against Diggers Rest’s Cameron Woods as the onballer won the Bowen Medal last week.
Woods, 23, reached 20 votes in round 14 and held on to win by one vote from Sunbury Kangaroos’ Tierone Cuffe.
Woods is the first Burras player to win the medal since Stephen Ruane in 2006, and his win ensured Diggers Rest either won or shared the league medal in every football grade.
The Craigieburn Eagles-raised junior made an immediate impact in his first RDFL season and first season away from the club of his home suburb.
Romsey’s ineligible on-baller Mitch Farmer led the count after 12 rounds, but Woods jumped to the lead, 20 votes to 18, with the three he polled against Riddell in round 14.
Cuffe polled two votes against Lancefield in round 15 and was best afield against Romsey in round 16 but didn’t poll in the final two rounds of the season.
Diggers Rest played Sunbury Kangaroos in the final round of the season, but neither player featured in the votes.
Woods was among his club’s best in nine out of 15 games, kicking eight goals for the season.
“Once I got to 20 votes I thought I might have been a chance,” Woods said, “but I missed four games after that.
“I got a bump and it injured my sternum and collarbone and I missed the games. It was tense in the final round . . . I thought it might have been Cuffe, but neither of us got a vote.”
Woods said previous injury concerns, such as shin splints, were gone this season. Round two was the best game he played during the year.
“Against Riddell, my fitness was at its peak. I played probably the best game I’d played in a long time.
“Depending on who we’re up against, [coach Jamie Elliott] tells me to go out there and do what I do.”
Melton Centrals’ Jonathon O’Brien finished third with 18 votes, tied with the ineligible Farmer on the same tally.
Reigning medallist Shannon Green (Romsey) polled 15 votes.
The Scarborough Medal for reserves went to Diggers Rest’s Rhys Hannon on 25 votes from teammate Chris Payne (18).
The Charles Watson Medal for under-18.5s went to Kilmore’s Michael Marrett and Diggers Rest’s Dylan Brosnan in a tie on 17 votes.
The Steve Turner Medal for rising gun went to Sunbury Kangaroos’ Kayne Murphy.
Club of the year was Woodend Hesket with Macedon second and Diggers Rest third.
Melton Central and Rockbank were both represented in the RDFL team of the year.
Jake Armistead was named in the back pocket as the Rams’ only representative while Jonathon O’Brien was the Blues’ only member in the squad as an interchange player.
