Blaine Boekhorst claims 2022 Sandover MedalTuesday, September 27, 2022 - 11:13 PM - by Rachael Osborne

DESPITE a premature end to the season due to injury, East Fremantle midfielder Blaine Boekhorst has hung on in an exciting vote count to claim the 2022 Sandover Medal. 
 
Boekhorst finished the count with 25 votes, two votes ahead of East Perth’s Hamish Brayshaw, South Fremantle’s Haiden Schloithe and West Perth’s Luke Meadows, each totalling 23 votes to finish equal runner-up.
 
The midfielder averaged 28 possessions during the season, before a devastating season-ending ACL injury in Round 16.
 
The Port Hedland product kicked 19 goals for the season, averaging just over a goal a game.
 
Boekhorst started his playing career with Swan Districts before being selected as a first-round pick for Carlton in the 2014 AFL Draft.
 
The 28-year-old becomes East Fremantle Football Club’s 12th Sandover Medallist, following the likes of dual medallist Ray Sorrell, Brian Peake and most recently 2013 winner Rory O’Brien.
 
Furthering the celebrations of WA Football, both the Sandover Medal vote count and WA Football Hall of Fame inductions were held on the same evening.
 
Claremont and Richmond legend Michael Mitchell; former East Fremantle, Melbourne and Collingwood player and Brownlow Medallist, Shane Woewodin; South Fremantle, Melbourne and Fremantle star Jeffery Farmer; and East Perth and Port Adelaide star Stephen Curtis were all inducted into the Hall of Fame.
 
The WA Football Hall of Fame also elevated to Legend status, South Fremantle champion John Gerovich, an honour truly deserving.
 
Swan Districts midfielder Max Chipper claimed the Prendergast Medal for the WAFL Reserves Fairest and Best player, while West Perth’s skipper Kane Bevan was crowned Jack Clarke Medallist as the Colts Fairest and Best.
 
Ryan Lasscock was awarded the JJ Leonard Medal as Coach of the Year, after leading the West Perth Colts to their first Grand Final appearance in 20 years.
 
Cam Jones was named the Best WAFL Field Umpire in season 2022, winning the Montgomery Medal.
 
 
2022 SANDOVER MEDAL LEADERBOARD
 
25 – Blaine Boekhorst (East Fremantle)
23 – Hamish Brayshaw (East Perth)
23 – Luke Meadows (West Perth)
23 – Haiden Schloithe (South Fremantle)
18 – Mitchell Crowden (Peel Thunder)
17 – Kyle Baskerville (East Fremantle)
16 – Brendon Ah Chee (South Fremantle)
16 – Angus Schumacher (East Perth)
15 – Ben Edwards (Claremont)
15 – Bailey Rogers (Claremont)
 
 
 
2022 WA FOOTBALL AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE
 
Prendergast Medal - WAFL Reserves Fairest & Best
Max Chipper (Swan Districts)
 
Jack Clarke Medal – Colts Fairest & Best
Kane Bevan (West Perth)
 
Bernie Naylor Medal – WAFL Leading Goalkicker
Ben Sokol (Subiaco)
 
JJ Leonard Medal - Coach of the Year (selected from AFL/WAFL/WAFLW Clubs)
Ryan Lasscock (Colts Coach, West Perth)
 
Montgomery Medal – Best WAFL Field Umpire
Cam Jones
 
Rodriguez Shield – Champion Club (most H&A games won in all 3 grades – League, Reserves & Colts)
West Perth Football Club
 
Rio Tinto Volunteer of the Year - Janine Gaskell
 
WAFL Life Members
 
Darren Harris (West Perth)
Arthur Ransted (Perth)
 
WAFC Life Member
 
Neil Randall
 
 
WA Football Hall of Fame
 
Stephen Curtis
Jeff Farmer
Michael Mitchell
Shane Woewodin
 
WA Football Hall of Fame – Legend
 
John Gerovich