Lockhart's Abe Wooden becomes first Demon to win Azzi medal in more than a decade

Wooden polled in nine of the last ten matches to finish with 28 votes and relegate pre-count favourite in Osborne's Connor Galvin to a podium finish for the third year in a row.

Galvin polled 24 votes and finished third last year and runner-up in 2021.

High-profile Howlong recruit Jarred Lane was third on 23.

Henty veteran Heath Ohlin (14) led the count at the half-way point with Wooden (12), Galvin (12) and Jarred Lane (11) also in strong contention.

Wooden stormed to the top of the leaderboard in round 12 with only two votes separating five players with three rounds remaining.

After round 15 the stage was set for a thrilling finale with Wooden (23), Galvin (22), Ohlin (21) Lane (20) equal with RWW-Giants co-coach Jack Duck (20).

But five votes in the final three rounds by Wooden was enough for him to take home the Hume league's highest individual honour.

In an ultra-consistent performance, Wooden polled in 14 out of 18 matches but only attracted maximum votes on four occasions.

Wooden joins former Lockhart coach Nathan McPherson (2009), Paul Scoullar (1999) and Shane Lennon (1998) as the most recent Demons to also have their names on the Azzi honour board.

A Demon junior, Wooden has spent the majority of his career at the club except for a two-year stint with Farrer league outfit Temora in 2017-18.

Galvin enjoyed another outstanding season for the Tigers but faded late in the count after only polling twice after round 13.

The star midfielder may have missed out on the Azzi but is a huge chance to win a third premiership medallion with Osborne already through to the grand final.

They will face the winner of Holbrook and RWW Giants who clash in the preliminary final on Saturday.

Lane lived up to the hype of being one of the biggest signings of the off-season and polled in 10-matches including maximum votes on five occasions.

Osborne's Matthew Tullberg was a comfortable winner of the Odewahn medal in the reserves with 24.

Holbrook's Hayden Smith and Howlong's Riley Stone tied for runner-up on 19.

Brock-Burrum teenager Dominic Korzeniowski claimed the Bill Thomas medal in the thirds on 32.

While CDHBU's Levi Phibbs notched 27 votes to win the Garry O'Connell medal in the fourths.

1 Abraham Wooden (Lock) 28

2 Connor Galvin (Osb) 24

3 Jarred Lane (How) 23

4 Jack Duck (Giants) 22

5 Heath Ohlin (Henty) 21

6 Edward O'Connell (Osb) 18

7 Rohan Heasley (CDHBU) 18

8 Ronald Boulton (Saints) 15

9 Clay Thomas (Giants) 14

10 Raven Jolliffe (Holb) 14

1 Matthew Tullberg (Osb) 24

2 Hayden Smith (Holb) 19

3 Riley Stone (How) 19

4 Thomas Findley (Jind) 16

5 Matthew Louwrier (Jind) 12

6 Stuart Hunter (Osb) 12

7 Thomas McGrath (Culc) 12

8 Dallas Lanfranco (Jind) 11

9 Oliver Whitley (Holb) 11

10 Alex Lavis (CDHBU) 10

1 Dominic Korzeniowski (Saints) 32

2 Lachlan Bowyer (Osb) 26

3 Alexander O'Connell (Osb) 18

4 Thomas McGrath (Culc) 18

5 Jordan Klemke (Henty) 16

6 Zac Klemke (Henty) 16

7 Baxter Hamilton (How) 15

8 Ned Gray (How) 15

9 Deagan Purcell (CDHBU) 14

10 Will Clohesy (Saints) 12

1 Levi Phibbs(CDHBU) 27

2 Chase French (How) 24

3 Noah Mair (Culc) 24

4 Zadkiel Cameron-Pani (Henty) 23

5 Jack Lee (Osb) 23

6 Hayden Donohue (Lock) 21

7 Tyler Lieschke (Giants) 21

8 Hudson Smith (Lock) 17

9 Jaxon Cooper (How) 16

10 Thomas O'Keeffe (Culc) 16

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