Bolton claims second Sandover Medal in three yearsMonday, September 17, 2018 - 9:28 PM - by Chris Pike

THE WAFL has a dual Sandover Medal winner for the first time in 14 years with gun Claremont midfielder Jye Bolton winning for a second time in three years during a glittering Monday evening at Optus Stadium.

Bolton finished the 2018 Sandover Medal vote count on 52 votes to win ahead of Subiaco captain Kyal Horsley with the two gun on-ballers going neck and neck most of the night.

Bolton started on fire polling in each of Claremont's opening nine matches, including best on ground showings in Rounds 5 and 10. That saw him rack up 32 votes by Round 10 but Horsley was keeping pace.

The Lions captain and triple premiership star received top votes in Rounds 2, 6, 7, 8 and 10 to have 29 votes after 10 rounds.

By the end of Round 15, Horsley had taken a narrow 37-vote to 36 lead over Bolton before the Tigers star regained the lead with four-vote efforts in Rounds 16 and 17 to have 44 to Horsley's 42 with two rounds remaining.

Bolton secured the 2018 Sandover Medal with four votes against Peel Thunder in Round 20 with Horsley not polling for Subiaco against East Fremantle. Horsley did get five votes in the last round and Bolton four, but it was the night for the Claremont champion ending up five votes ahead.

It is hard to imagine a player having a better first three years crossing to join a WAFL club than what Bolton has now produced culminating in the 2018 Sandover Medal triumph.

Bolton arrived from VFL club Werribee to join Claremont in 2016 and after a near perfect first season at the Tigers where he won both the Simpson Medal and Sandover Medal on top of his club's fairest and best award, he has likely played even better in 2018.

That's not to say he didn’t play well in 2017 as well because he was again a strong performer for the Tigers, but the 26-year-old took it to another level in 2018 and as a result has become a dual Sandover Medallist.

He won another Simpson Medal for his performance in the WAFL State Team's win over South Australia in Adelaide while going on to average 30.9 disposals a game for Claremont. He never had a game with less than 20 possessions and had 30 or more 12 times.

Bolton is the first person to win a second Sandover Medal since Allistair Pickett did so in 2004 on his way to a premiership with Subiaco having also won previously while at Peel Thunder in 2002.

While Pickett won his at different clubs, Bolton becomes the first player to win a Sandover Medal with the same club since Ian Dargie did so at Subiaco in 1991 and 1994.

Bolton also becomes just the second Claremont player to ever win two Sandover Medals after Sammy Clarke went back to back in 1933 and 1934.

Bolton's win continues Claremont's good run of late at the Sandover Medal with Jaxon Crabb winning in 2005, Anthony Jones 2007, Luke Blackwell 2011, Kane Mitchell 2012 and then Bolton in 2016 and now 2018.

Bolton and Horsley were the standout players in the eyes of the umpires for 2018 with Horsley's Subiaco teammate Lachlan Delahunty finishing third on 38 votes.

West Perth pair Aaron Black and Shane Nelson were both next on 36 votes while Bolton's Claremont teammate, and 2012 winner, Kane Mitchell racked up 32 votes.

Another Subiaco midfielder, Josh Deluca, was next with 31 votes ahead of South Fremantle's Shane Hockey on 28, West Perth's Luke Meadows 27, South Fremantle's Haiden Schloithe 27, East Perth's Luke Partington 24, Perth's Cody Leggett 23, Zac Clarke 23, Peel Thunder's Danyle Pearce 22 and Subiaco's Leigh Kitchin 22.

Ultimately the reasons why Subiaco and West Perth are in Sunday's Grand Final at Optus Stadium and perhaps why they didn’t have a Sandover Medallist was clear through their depth and number of players who had standout seasons.

As well as Horsley at Subiaco, Delahunty, Deluca, Clarke, Kitchin, Hayden Kennedy (21), Chris Phelan (17) and Ben Sokol (16) all polled in double-figures.

And at West Perth, Black, Nelson and Meadows all had at least 27 each with Andrew Strijk also polling 21.

Other awards presented on the night included West Perth's Tyler Keitel and Andrew Strijk receiving their Bernie Naylor Medals as the league's leading goalkickers with 43 majors apiece.

Subiaco's Daniel Leach was awarded the Prendergast Medal as the best player in the reserves for 2018 while Subiaco's Liam Hickmott claimed the Jack Clarke Medal for the colts best player.

Subiaco coach Jarrad Schofield claimed the JJ Leonard Medal and Subiaco won the Rodriguez Shield as the best performing club in 2018.

Matt Adams won the Montgomery Medal as best umpire for 2018 with Mark Brookes from the South Fremantle Football District named the Sunday Times Volunteer of the Year.

TOP 10 SANDOVER MEDAL VOTE WINNERS
Jye Bolton (Claremont) – 52 votes
Kyal Horsley (Subiaco) – 47
Lachlan Delahunty (Subiaco) – 38
Aaron Black (West Perth) – 36
Shane Nelson (West Perth) – 36
Kane Mitchell (Claremont) – 32
Josh Deluca (Subiaco)* – 31
Shane Hockey (South Fremantle) – 28
Luke Meadows (West Perth) – 27
Haiden Schloithe (South Fremantle) – 27

CLUB BY CLUB
CLAREMONT
Jye Bolton – 52
Kane Mitchell – 32
Jared Hardisty – 19
Tom Curren – 9 
Alex Manuel – 7

EAST FREMANTLE
George Hampson – 20
Cameron Eardley – 11
Nick Kommer – 10
Cameron Loersch – 4

EAST PERTH
Luke Partington – 24
Patrick McGinnity – 21
Brayden Ainsworth – 15
Fraser McInnes – 14
Dom Sheed – 11

PEEL THUNDER
Danyle Pearce – 22
Ben Howlett – 19
Darcy Tucker – 8
Luke Strnadica – 8

PERTH
Cody Leggett – 23
Corey Yeo – 20
Clint Jones – 13
Brant Colledge – 12
Michael Sinclair – 12

SOUTH FREMANTLE
Shane Hockey – 28
Haiden Schloithe – 27
Marlion Pickett – 20
Jacob Dragovich – 18
Nick Suban – 14

SUBIACO
Kyal Horsley – 47
Lachlan Delahunty – 38
Josh Deluca – 31
Zac Clarke – 23
Leigh Kitchin – 22
Hayden Kennedy – 21

SWAN DISTRICTS
Rhys Palmer – 19
Matt Riggio – 11
Corey Gault – 10
Jesse Turner – 8 
Brayden Noble – 8 

WEST PERTH
Aaron Black – 36
Shane Nelson – 36
Luke Meadows – 27
Andrew Strijk – 21
Tyler Keitel – 10