One-eyed Tom Demeio rises to the top of Group Nine

The Young playmaker was surprised to take out the Weissel Medal on Wednesday night in his first season at the club.

However after a horror run with injury, including a workplace accident that changed his life, Demeio has enjoyed the change of scenery with the Cherrypickers.

It has shown in his football too.

"It feels cool to be among the names that have won it but I'm just so shocked as I really didn't expect it," Demeio said.

"It's been a while since I've loved my footy and played back-to-back-to-back games, but I'm finally enjoying my footy again, which is the main thing."

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Demeio played for NSW under 16s alongside the likes of the likes of Bradman Best, Jake Schuster and Ben Trbojevic before his NRL dream was derailed when a nail was shot through his eye.

Six surgeries later Demeio still can't open his eyelid.

However he hasn't let it stop him from playing.

"I missed almost two years of footy, the vision still hasn't come back but I'm just living life with one eye now and moving on it," Demeio said.

"I just deal with it.

"I just have to be a lot more aware and turn my head a lot more, but I've tried to adapt to it."

But it's not just his vision that has hampered the 22-year-old's game before making the move to Young.

Demeio suffered a host of injuries while playing with Cronulla in the SG Ball.

"I've played 10 games in the last four years," he said.

"I've done my eye, shoulder, ankle and back.

"This is the first time I've played more than five games in a row for five years."

However he didn't miss a game for the Cherrypickers this season with his 12 votes just enough to edge past teammate Josh Ayers, last year's winner Lachlan Bristow and his Tumut teammate Jordan Anderson.

However none of them were selected in the Group Nine Team of the Year.

Young were bundled out of the finals race by Kangaroos on Sunday.

Demeio was part of a large travelling contingent at the Cherrypickers this season and while he's yet to settle on his plans for 2024 he is keen to return for a second season.

"I think we've got some unfinished business at the Cherrypickers," he said.

"I want to come back and go better.

"That's the plan so we'll see what happens."

Demeio is based in Sydney however he's enjoyed the country change.

Especially with Tom Giles sharing the travelling load.

"I really don't mind it," Demeio said.

"Me and our front rower Tom Giles live close together, we played our juniors together and just chat along the whole way.

"It's only three and half to four hours so it's not too bad and I'm sure I can put up with it for another year."

The Cherrypickers are expecting some turnover from their side but hope Demeio and Giles, who signed on midway through the season, will be back again in 2024.

1 Hamish Starr (Temora), 2 Jack Lyons (Gundagai), 3 Brayden Draber (Tumut), 4 James Stewart (Temora), 5 Keanau Wighton (Albury), 6 Nathan Rose (Kangaroos), 7 Josh McCrone (Temora), 8 Michael Fenn (Tumut), 9 Bowie Foster (Kangaroos), 10 Jake Walker (Young), 11 Billy Reardon (Temora), 12 Ryan Cronin (Kangaroos), 13 Royce Tout (Gundagai)

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