SWFL: Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault star Ty Anderson romps to 2024 Hayward Medal win with 34 votes

Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault star Ty Anderson claimed his first Hayward Medal in dominant fashion on Friday night. Anderson, who was judged by the umpires as the best player afield in 10 of his 18 games, polled 34 votes to finish 11 clear of his nearest challenger — Busselton’s Mitch Tenardi, the other leading pre-count contender. Tenardi recorded 23 votes to finish second in the award for the second time. Augusta-Margaret River ball-winner Kel Evans (21 votes), South Bunbury star Richie Bourne (20) and Bunbury midfielder Harry Creasey (17) rounded out the top five. The award caps a brilliant first season back in the South West Football League on a full-time basis for the 24-year-old, who had spent most of 2022 and 2023 playing with Peel Thunder in the WAFL. It did not take long in the count at the Mantra Lighthouse Beach Resort for the winner to become apparent, with Anderson polling three votes in each of his first four games to storm to an early lead which would prove unassailable. Bourne appeared to be the only player capable of challenging the leader, receiving maximum votes in four of his first eight games, but Anderson continued to poll strongly through the middle stages of the count to make the result inevitable. On 28 votes after 14 rounds, Anderson appeared to have an outside chance of breaking the award’s record number of votes — set by Carey Park’s Harley Sparks with 42 in a 20-game season last year — but finished the season slowly by comparison to his blistering start, registering six votes across the final seven rounds of the season. Tenardi was sitting fifth after 12 rounds with 12 votes but attracted another 11 in the final two months of the year to finish strongly. Anderson was absent on the night and his award was accepted by HBL’s Brad Strano in his stead, who said the dynamic midfielder was a “shy” individual who set high standards for himself. “I actually had a chat to him about a week ago about his season and, in his words, it was quiet and he didn’t think he’d had that great of a season,” Strano said. “Our season went from being third-last on the ladder last season to third this year and I think most people would know Ando had a fair chunk to do with that. “Ando’s home is very much at HBL and he considers most of the people there as his family.” Undefeated minor premiers South Bunbury, who had 17 players poll at least two votes over the course of the season, easily finished with the most total votes of any club.