CAN Trevor Rigney, pictured left, defy the odds and become the first player in the River Murray Football League’s history to kick a 100 goals in a season and win the Mail Medal?
Or will he become like the rest of the hundred goal-kickers and fail to catch the umpire’s eye?
Two of the great goal-kickers in recent years, Robert Cichowski and Brad Shiell, barely registered a vote, and they have kicked a lot more goals than Rigney.
The one thing different about the Jervois star is that he has a freakish leap, he works his way to the front of packs from sometimes three or four deep and when he hits the turf he is in full flight.
He can shift to the midfield or he can run on the ball, and importantly, he doesn’t argue with the umpires.
The RMFL Player of the Year Liam O’Neil has a big chance.
He has enjoyed his best season ever and recent winners of this award have either won the medal or figured prominently in the finish.
His main obstacle will be his Rambler team-mates.
Ramblers have won 14 out of 16 games and you would expect them to poll 14 first preference votes.
If that happens you can expect his team-mates to rob him of some votes.
Other players in the Rambler team who will poll well should be Tyson Mathews and Luke Button.
Ryan Viney, Mark Marchetti and Patrick O’Neil will expect to pick up votes during the season as well.
Imperials’ best performers look to be Daniel Girdham and Ryan Eyre.
Girdham hit a purple patch of form for about four weeks in a row, where he was the best performed Imperial player by a street.
Sometimes umpires become dazzled with a player who has a reputation.
Joe Pedler came into the competition with 150 SANFL games under his belt and a premiership medallion with Woodville West Torrens.
He has had a pretty solid year and it will depend on how the umpires view his performance, as he has rarely been beaten.
Joel Eckermann and James Pedler have been consistent but won’t pick up enough votes to win.
Mannum’s Ben Quinn is their engine room.
He is a finisher, he is a previous medallist - back in 2002, and he is a better player now.
I expect him to poll well and figure in the placings, but he will not get enough first preferences to get the chocolates this year.
Tailem Bend’s best poller will be the young man in a hurry, Dylan Hogarth.
He is tough at the football, he has that yard of pace that sets him apart, he has the lemon rinse, but he wants to be the umpire’s coach as well.
He loves a chat, but he can play and I reckon he could be the surprise of all the younger players coming through.
I like Rigney, he is a star.
He is a special player who epitomises what the Mail Medal is about.
I think he can do the impossible and I base that on the fact that six times he has booted seven goals or more, twice he has jagged 13 and 14 goals, and if in those eight games he can pick up 16 votes it might just be enough.
Liam O’Neil has had a wonderful year and must go very close and I’m tipping Ben Quinn and Dylan Hogarth to fill the placings.
*****
The Lokan Medal is about the good old players who go back and give something to their club.
In 2008 the stand out in reserve grade football has been Damien Garrett from Imperials.
In the twilight of his career he has done a fantastic job of going back and helping out his younger, inexperienced team-mates.
He might be a tad larger around the waist, and he might have lost a yard, but he has still got the football smarts.
I’m tipping the “Dog Man” to coast home with daylight second.
Don’t be surprised if the experienced Mannum pair Dwayne Krollig, and the man the umpires love “Chuck” Berry, chase him home.
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