TALENTED Northern Jets midfielder Mitch Haddrill claimed his first Gerald Clear Medal on Wednesday night.
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Haddrill topped a star-studded leaderboard to claim a surprise victory at the Farrer League presentation night at The Rules Club.
Haddrill, who is on holidays, was not in attendance at the awards ceremony.
The 23-year-old overcame a slow start to the season due to injury to win the Clear Medal by three votes from The Rock-Yerong Creek ruckman Lachie Hunter.
Haddrill polled two votes in the Jets’ final round loss to East Wagga-Kooringal to seal the win. He finished with 19 votes, ahead of Hunter on 16.
Hunter was level with Haddrilll with three rounds to go but injured his knee in the Magpies win over Charles Sturt University and never played again.
Haddrill, who missed three games with a grade two medial ligament tear, did not poll a vote until round seven.
He then went on a roll, polling in nine of the Jets’ last 11 games to score a well-deserved win.
Haddrill went into last year’s count as favourite after winning the 2016 Farrer League Player of the Year award, but finished fourth.
He snuck under the radar this year, partially due to his early injury setback and the Jets’ slide down the ladder.
Last year’s winner Nick Hull finished third on 14 votes. Jets pair Alex Rogers (14) and Sam Fisher (12) rounded out the top five.
Pre-count favourite, North Wagga’s Lachie Highfield, polled 10 votes.
Meantime, Marrar’s Jack Reynolds got some good news after breaking his collarbone in last Saturday’s loss to Temora. He was named Farrer League’s rising star.
