The best and fairest player in the Farrer League will be crowed at The Rules Club on Wednesday night when the Gerald Clear and Marilyn Brooks Medal presentation evening.

Molkentin is considered one of the leading contenders for the Gerald Clear Medal after arguably his finest season at the Bombers.

The 27-year-old has been named in Marrar's best players in 12 of their 16 home and away games and has played a big part in the Bombers' charge to be one win off another grand final.

Molkentin however played down his chances and believes it will go to one of the competition's elite midfielders instead.

"Nah I don't think so. There's some good midfielders getting around that I think are more of a chance than what I am," Molkentin said.

"Jim Carroll's had a really good year. Jacko Moye's had a really good year. I rate Curtis Steele as well, I reckon he's a good chance as well. He's done the bulk of the work for Coleambally all year so he'll be hard to beat.

"I'd say it will be one of those three probably."

Molkentin believes Moye is Marrar's best hope of winning the award.

"He's had a great year. Just the captaincy, he's thrived in it," he said.

"I wasn't too sure how he'd go as a captain but he's been brilliant. He's lifted another level after losing some good midfielders from last year and he's stood up and led well."

Molkentin is gearing up for another big showdown with North Wagga in Saturday's preliminary final at Robertson Oval.

Marrar finished last season with three consecutive wins over North Wagga to claim back-to-back premierships.

Now it is the Saints who stand in the way of a third straight grand final appearance.

The two teams have one win each from their previous encounters this season. North Wagga won by 24 points at Nixon Park in round one, before the Bombers enjoyed a 34-point win at McPherson Oval in round 11.

Molkentin is looking forward to another tough battle against the Saints.

"That will be a huge one. I think we both match up pretty evenly," he said.

"We've both got pretty similar size, pretty quick, running, similar sides so it should be a good game. They don't have any huge bodies, really, but neither do we.

"I think we've got to be better than them, on the inside. They've got some good midfielders on the outside as well but if we can get our hands on the footy first and dish it out to our outside runners then that will be the key.

"I think it will be won in the midfield."

Molkentin has not been surprised by the Bombers' 2020 season, after losing eight players from last year's premiership team.

"I honestly thought we'd be right up there again this year," he said.

"Just looking at the depth we had last year, we've lost a few older players but the likes of Toby Lawler, Rhys Mooney and Drew Beaven, those boys that didn't play in the senior grand final last year, I knew they would step up and fill the void of those older players that retired or moved on.

"I definitely expected at the start of the year to still be top three and pushing for top spot. I probably thought we'd be a little bit more inconsistent, with younger players you get a little bit of inconsistency but I couldn't be happier with the year, really."

Peter Doherty

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