GISBORNE'S Matt Fitzgerald, inducted in late 2010 into the Team Of The Decade, won his first of two Michelsen Medals in September, 2003.

The Bulldog on-baller polled 20 votes to finish five in front of Rick Andrews with a gap of six votes to third-placed Mark Oxley of Castlemaine.

Oxley led the count one-third of the way through -- after six rounds.

He'd polled nine votes to lead Eaglehawk's Shannon Milward and South's David McCormick on seven. Gisborne's Steven Reaper had six.

By the completion of the call of the cards in Round 10, McCormick had moved to 10 votes and then leapt to 13 at the end of Round 11.

Oxley had climbed to 11 votes after Round 11 with Fitzgerald the leader on 14.

One behind Fitzy came Square's Jarrod Quinn who had amassed 13 votes after 12 rounds.

With just two rounds to be called Fitzgerald led on 17 votes from Oxley on 14 and one back to McCormick and Quinn on 13 each
Andrews rocketed home with two threes in the final games to fall five votes short of Fitzy's tally.

Fitzgerald joined a very select group of elite BFL players when he took off his second Michelsen Medal four seasons later in 2007 with 25 votes.

Only Frank Fitzpatrick (Rochester: 1956-57), Derek Cowen (Castlemaine:1966-67), Golden Square's Tony Southcombe (1972, 1975), Greg Williams (Golden Square: 1982-83) and Sandhurst's Brendan Hartney (1987, 1989) have had more than one medal hung around their necks.

On medal night in 2003, BFNL legend Derrick Filo was presented with life membership of the league.
By the time of the presentation evening 10 years ago, Filo had played 335 games for Castlemaine, Kyneton, Kangaroo Flat and Eaglehawk.

Still to come for Filo, of course, were the 2007 and 2008 senior flags with the Two Blues. And his 400th game in Round 7, 2007.

A NUMBER of pre-count favourites polled poorly on the night a decade back.

Golden Square's Ben Doherty (until recently, a senior Age reporter based in New Delhi) garnered nine votes only.
Sandhurst's Wayne Mitrovic and Rodney Sharp of Gisborne ended with eight apiece, while Dragons' coach Ben Sexton polled just a single two-vote.

The Advertiser ran a special Who The Experts Tip column leading up to the count, including a framed market in an artistic bookmaker's board format.

The market read like this: 3-1 Ben Doherty (GS) and Michael O'Brien (Kyn). 11-2 Wayne Mitrovic (Sh). 7-1 Ben Sexton (Sh), 9-1 Troy Parker (Mrb). 11-1 Rod Sharp (Gis). 14-1 Steven Reaper (Gis). 20-1 Rick Andrews (Sh) and 25-1 Matt Fitzgerald (Gis) and Shannon Milward (Eh).

Yep, Fitzy was on the eighth line of favoritism.
Not a solitary tipster, your correspondent included, named Fitzy to take out the medal. Indeed, no one had him in their best three vote-winners.

However Fitzy was mentioned in the pre-count publicity at the tail-end of the preview article.

"Other players expected to poll well include Gisborne goalkicking machine Steven Reaper and his classy teammate Matt Fitzgerald, along with Hurst coach Ben Sexton, Maryborough's speedy wingman Troy Parker and Castlemaine ruckman Mark Oxley," it read.

But it didn't matter what media pundits thought. Fitzy triumphed by five, clear votes polling in nine of the Dogs' 16 games, including four best-on-grounds.

COMMENTING on his win Fitzgerald admitted to a few butterflies during the count.

"I was a little nervous there for a while, but I'm not going to get too carried away with it tonight," he said, straight after the famed medal had been hung around his neck.

"Saturday's our main goal and I'm just glad this is out of the way."

The Graveyard Dogs were scheduled to play Eaglehawk in the 2003 Big Dance.

Fitzgerald described the 2003 season as "probably not my best ever."

"I missed four games and I thought that might restrict me. But it (winning the medal) is just the opinion of other people," he said, modestly.

"I can't get too carried away with it. Having said that it's been a great night nonetheless,' opined the medallist.
Fitzgerald polled six votes in the opening four rounds, but not another one until Round 9. He'd been restricted by a back injury.

A hamstring injury then forced Fitzy out of Gisborne's late season clashes with South Bendigo and Maryborough.
He was in typical scintillating form mid-season 2003, polling a total of 11 votes between rounds nine and 14.
The 2003 Michelsen Medallist continued a family tradition as his Dad, John, won the 1980 Bowen Medal in the Riddell District Football League.

John Fitzgerald played a staggering 301 games for Gisborne, in a career broken briefly by a 47-game stint at Coburg. He played for 20 years: 1970-1990 and is a member of the Gisborne Football Club's Hall Of Fame.

Other 2003 final tallies:
Betty Thompson Medal (A grade netball): Kris Greene (Sandhurst) 20 votes; Alicia Carmody (Mrb) and Christie Lewis (KF) 13; Benita Swatton (KF) 10.

It was 34-year-old Kris' second, consecutive Betty Thompson Medal and she was gearing up for her tenth, successive netball grand final appearance for the Hurst. Fantastic stats.

Jenny Holborn Medal (B grade netball): Paige Rymer (Gisborne) 26; Shelley Davies (GS) and Leonie Arnel (GS) both 16; Melissa Cane (KF) 15.
Carol Sing Medal (19-and-under netball): Ashlee Jennings (Maryborough) 24; Gemma Clarkson (Mrb) 19; Katherine Anderson (Cm) 17.

David McCann Memorial Shield for champion club, presented by Mrs Elaine McCann: Gisborne.

George Symons Medal (under-18 football): Martin Bremner (Golden Square) 22 votes; Brendan Beele (Kyneton) 19; Jeremy Gaasck (Gis) 18.

Alan McDonald medal (BFNL reserves football): Guy Marshall (Castlemaine) 21 votes; Andrew Reid (Eh) 20; Glen Carrick (Gis) 15, John Hind (Mrb) 14.

Ron Best Medal (senior goal-kicking): Steven Reaper (Gisborne): 86 goals (he steered home his 100th goal for the season during the 2003 grand final).

Bendigo Advertiser—Strath Village Player of the Year: Michael O'Brien (Kyneton) 27. Then followed: Wayne Mitrovic (Sh) 25 and Ben Doherty (GS) 25, Rodney Sharp (Gis) 22, Ben Sexton (Sh) 21 and Rick Andrews (Sh) 21, Toby Cardew (Sh) 20.

89.5 Triple C FM—Captain Snooze Player of the Year: Wayne Mitrovic (Sandhurst) 31 votes. Then followed: Rod Sharp (Gis) 29, Ben Doherty (GS) 27, Steven Reaper (Gis) 25, Mark Oxley (Cm) 24 and Damien Lock (Eh) 22.

MICHELSEN Medal completed votes:
Matt Fitzgerald (Gisborne): 20
Rick Andrews (Sandhurst): 15
Mark Oxley (Castlemaine): 14
David McCormick (SB), Jarrod Quinn (GS): 13
Steven Reaper (Gis), Michael O'Brien (Kyn), Ty Elliott (Gis): 12.
Shannon Milward (Eh), Neville Clarke (SB): 11.

THE 2003 finals series had continued the trend of the past five by throwing up yet another club dismissed in straight sets.

A decade ago it was Maryborough –- beaten in the qualifying final and then dumped in the first semi.

The Magpies were the sixth, straight club to exit after two unsuccessful finals matches.

The other clubs to bow out in straight sets were: South Bendigo (1998), Kyneton (1999), Eaglehawk (2000), South Bendigo, again (2001) and Sandhurst (2002).

Gisborne was in the mid-stream of its early 2000s premiership run and had already reached the Big Dance, courtesy of a second semi-final victory over Eaglehawk.
Big Bundy Reaper slotted 10.3 in the second semi as the Graveyard Dogs took full control of the match after half-time. Reaper was on 96 goals for the year heading into the grannie.

The 2003 preliminary final saw the Two Blues triumph comfortably over Sandhurst 22.10 (142) to 11.13 (79) to earn a second crack at Gisborne.

Richard's 2013 Michelsen Medal tip: Square's Mark Lloyd from Mitchell Hough (Kangaroo Flat) and Storm's Vinnie Flood.

Roughie: Josh Gribben (Castlemaine)
Prelim. final tip, Saturday night: Strath Storm by 29 points over Eaglehawk.

BY Richard JOnes