Who's contending for the Neil Bencraft Trophy?

11/09/2019

With our Neil Bencraft Best & Fairest vote count just around the corner, it’s time to look back on the season and analyse who's a chance to take home the trophy on Friday night!

Brede Seccull was our winner last year, and by a big margin, but with Zebras debutant Sam Fox, always courageous Kade Answerth, and two extremely talented Sainters in White and Marsh, we're looking at a vote count in 2019 that could go right down to the wire.

We reflect on each of their individual seasons and let you be the judge.

Sam Fox

Games: 18
Goals: 19 (leading goal kicker)
Kicks: 9.3
Handballs: 7.2
Disposals: 16.5
Tackles: 3.9
Marks: 3.6

He may be a fan favourite, but will the voters feel the same way? There is plenty of reason to say yes, with his wily exploits and nous around goal quickly elevating him to cult hero status. Our leading goal kicker has been a great addition to our team this year, doing his best work up forward and in the latter half of the season, up on the wing.

Some notable performances from Fox's season include our Round 8 win against the Blues, where he turned the game in our favour, slotting three second-half goals and collecting 19 disposals. Fox had another game-winning display in Round 6 against the Pies, when he took a flying mark on our forward 50, to score and take the lead from a set shot with seconds to spare. Another strong game for Fox was against Richmond in Round 13,  where he collected 20 disposals and kicked three goals.

Brandon White

Games: 14
Kicks: 16.1
Handballs: 4.2
Disposals: 20.3
Tackles: 2.5
Marks: 5.3

It has been an outstanding season for White, who regularly showcased his intercepting ability and clean hands off the backline. He also collected plenty of possessions, averaging 20.3 for the season. His booming left foot wowed coaches and fans, but will he be able to accumulate enough votes in just his 14 games for the Zebras this year?

Some highlight games for the season include our first win in Round 3 against Williamstown, where Brandon collected 27 disposals – the third most in the game - and seven marks. He also saw plenty of the ball in our Round 16 clash with the Dogs, collecting 31 disposals and grabbing 10 marks.

Brede Seccull

Games: 18
Kicks: 12.2
Handballs: 10.6
Disposals: 22.8
Tackles: 6.4
Marks: 3.4

Our skipper led the way most weeks, tackling hard and finding the ball regularly. His consistency is what we loved about his year and to do that in his first year as our sole captain has been exceptional.

Some notable performances from the season include our Round 8 win against the Blues at Marvel Stadium, with Brede collecting 30 disposals, 6 tackles and a goal. Seccull also showcased his tenacity in our Round 9 win against Coburg, notching up 12 tackles and 24 disposals.

Kade Answerth

Games: 16
Kicks: 9.7
Handballs: 5.8
Disposals: 15.5
Tackles: 3.6
Marks: 4.1

A crucial cog in a midfield group, Kade has previously polled well in B&F nights and this year should be no exception. Kade’s ability to find space through his hard running and footy smarts created a vital connection between the midfield and the forward line.

A couple of notable performances from the season include our Round 2 loss to Box Hill, where he collected a season high 27 disposals, took 8 marks and slotted a goal. Kade also showcased his best in Round 9 against Coburg, where he gathered 22 disposals to go with nine tackles.

Jonathan Marsh

Games: 12
Kicks: 12.6
Handballs: 4.3
Disposals: 16.9
Tackles: 2.7
Marks: 5.6

Although he didn’t play as many games as some of the aforementioned players, Marsh always had an impact on the game, locking down key forwards and generating great run out of the backline. Rarely beaten one-on-one, Marsh was extremely reliable for the Sandringham coaches, which should see some votes swing his way.

A couple of highlight performances include our Round 6 win against Collingwood, where Marsh amassed 26 disposals and grabbed 13 marks. He also put in a solid shift against Geelong in Round 15, where he collected 19 disposals, grabbed seven marks and kicked that memorable running goal.