Darke does it again – Lui From The Radio

Lui Zacher
August 18, 2022 / 8:50 pm

JAMES Darke has further etched his name into Bellarine football folklore after becoming just the second four-time winner of the Les Ash Medal.

The Torquay midfielder joined Modewarre great Josh Finch as the only men to achieve the feat, adding to his previous success in 2014, 2016 and 2021.

Darke finished six votes clear of Barwon Heads recruit Sammy Baker and Geelong Amateur co-coach Sam Darley, who was ineligible after serving a two-week suspension in the first half of the season.

Pre-count favourite, Drysdale midfielder Ben Fennell polled 20 votes to finish fourth.

After finishing third in 2021, Warriors captain Jeremy Ollis posted another top-five finish, polling 17 votes to finish equal fifth with Angelsea co-coach Jordan Keras.

When counting went live after Round 9, Darke led on 17 votes, three clear of Fennell, with Keras next best on 12 and Darley and Baker on 11.

Fennell climbed within one vote of the Tiger after a best-on-ground performance in Round 11 – a round in which Darke didn’t play.

However, he responded with three votes in Round 12 to skip four votes clear on 21.

Darke didn’t poll between rounds 13-16, with Fennell receiving three votes in Round 16 to move to 20 votes.

Baker then grabbed a share of the lead when umpires judged him best-on-ground in the Round 17 win over Ocean Grove.

However, less than 30 seconds later, Baker was again three votes in arrears when Darke was given the nod as best-on-ground as the Tigers battled past Geelong Amateur.

Darke made a certainty of his fourth medal when he produced another three-vote effort in the final-round hiding of Portarlington.

Earlier in the night, Team of the Year ruck Kye Annand became the second Ocean Grove young gun to claim Rookie of the Year honours.

CLUB BY CLUB VOTING

ANGLESEA

17 – Jordan Keras
15 – Ryan Williams
5 – Ash Caldwell
3 – Daniel Midolo
1 – Dylan Pettingill
1 – Ethan Floyd
1 – James Moverley
1 – Kobe Iversen-Smith

BARWON HEADS

21 – Sammy Baker
8 – Nathan Brown
7 – Matthew Dyer
7 – Oli Wiltshire
5 – Charlie Hurst
5 – Jayden McLauchlan
5 – Ryan Harvey
4 – Ned Aulsebrook
4 – Noah McGregor Dawson
3 – Brad Harvey
3 – Charlie Walter
2 – Darby Graham
2 – Dylan Holland
2 – Joe Pike
1 – Kyle Polley
1 – Logan Mitchell
1 – Mitch Herbison

DRYSDALE

20 – Ben Fennell
15 – Tom Ruggles
12 – James Breust
12 – Mat Hebbard
7 – Billy Beardsell
7 – Mitch McGuire
3 – Ben Ryan
3 – Ben Henderson
3 – Mitch Scott
2 – Bailey Sykes
2 – Mitch McGuire
1 – Mitch Clark
1 – Nick Egan

GEELONG AMATEUR

21 – Sam Darley
6 – Lachie Devine
5 – Daniel Lovick
4 – Tommy Stephen
3 – Harry Kershaw
3 – Kristian Bucovaz
3 – Spiro Alesios
2 – Max Hungerford
1 – Cam Lewis
1 – David McNeel
1 – Guy Hardiman
1 – Jack Scarlett

MODEWARRE

17 – Jeremy Ollis
11 – Josh Finch
8 – Tom Hornsey
6 – Zack May
4 – Brendan Wemyss
3 – Connor Joseph
3 – Doug Beames
3 – Matty McKim
2 – Aaron Black
2 – Cal Farrell
2 – Matt Kasparian
2 – Ollie Butler

NEWCOMB

10 – Brenton Rees
8 – Jack Duke
5 – Andrew Steele
3 – Jye Walker
3 – Mason Andrew
3 – Matt Walson
2 – Corey Ogle
2 – Ryan Jackman
1 – Jayden Scott
1 – Will Farrow

OCEAN GROVE

8 – James Paterson
6 – Fletcher Keck
6 – Kye Annand
4 – Ed Dayman
3 – Jayden McHenry
3 – Mitch Taylor
2 – Jake Wilkie
2- Nathan Down
1 – Josh Horton

PORTARLINGTON

2 – Steve Walton
1 – Lachie Hart
1 – Max Ruiter
1 – Tyler Cummins

QUEENSCLIFF

10 – Lachie Kidd
5 – Caleb Whitley
5 – Sol Bowtell
4 – Jake Hedley
3 – Brod Dawson
3 – Daniel Gibbs
3 – Dylan Whitley
3 – Jayden Durran
2 – Che Durran
2 – Jordy McIvor-Clark
2 – Riley Martin
1 – Zac Henderson

TORQUAY

27 – James Darke
12 – Paul McMahon
10 – Ben Raidme
9 – Billy Henderson
8 – Dom Gleeson
7 – Mackenzie Burns
6 – Weylin Doyle
3 – Sheldon Ham
2 – Cal Currie
2 – Chase Loftus
2 – Clay Page
2 – Tom Yensch
1 – Max Hurley
1 – Sam Caruso

Image: Coach Dom Gleeson congratulates Torquay’s James Darke after winning his fourth Les Ash Medal. (Sports Media Image/Marcel Berens)