Medal win earns Duryea a slice of history
Fraser Duryea (Northern Beaches). Photo: Green Shoots Marketing
THE win of Fraser Duryea in the 2021 Brian Saville Medal count has placed the Northern Beaches star in rare company.
Duryea has become only the second player in the 40 year history of the AFL North Coast to win the League’s senior Beast & Fairest award at two clubs.
The key forward who this season enjoyed more time in the midfield first won the medal in 2016 when he was playing with the Coffs Breakers.
Duryea joins Troy Mirkin with the distinguished piece of history.
Mirkin won his first award in 1989 when he was a teenager playing at Grafton. The second time he won was in 2001 when he was a key part of the North Coffs midfield.
But Friday night was definitely Duryea’s night.
The votes up until Round 10 had been revealed on the AFL North Coast’s social media platforms the previous night and Duryea had built up a six vote lead after a sensational first half of the season.
The star Blue was on 18 votes with Lismore Swans midfielder Tim Whalan in second position on the leaderboard with 12 votes. Coffs Breakers captain Liam Beacom was a vote further back while Port Macquarie’s Braden Saggers and Jake Hare from Nambucca Heads were tied for fourth on 10 votes.
It was a significant gap to catch. Saggers polled two votes in Rounds 11, 12 and 13 to open the possibility of a surprise victory but when Duryea was awarded three votes for his match against Casino in Round 13 he was assured of victory.
2021 BRIAN SAVILLE MEDAL
22 – Fraser Duryea (Northern Beaches)
16 – Braden Saggers (Port Macquarie)
12 – Tim Whalan (Lismore Swans)
11 – Angus Anderson (Sawtell/Toormina)
11 – Tom Dickson (Port Macquarie)
11 – Liam Beacom (Coffs Breakers)
11 – Jake Hare (Nambucca Valley)
Port Macquarie’s Braden Saggers finished runner-up in the 2021 Brian Saville Medal count. Photo: Green Shoots Marketing
MULTIPLE WINNERS
3 – Brian Rava (Sawtell/Toormina) 1991-92, 1998
3 – Mark Couzens (Sawtell/Toormina) 2007, 2009, 2014
3 – Jesse Schmidt (Port Macquarie) 2012-13, 2015.
2 – Jeff Reed (Coffs Swans) 1994-95
2 – Troy Mirkin (Grafton and North Coffs) 1989, 2001
2 – Brad Giri (North Coffs) 2002, 2007
2 – Luke Matthews (Sawtell/Toormina) 2010, 2017
2 – Fraser Duryea (Coffs Breakers and Northern Beaches) 2016, 2021
