FERTILE GROUND TO SHINE
Mark Duffield
They can grow a footballer or two in Shepparton.
The past 24 hours have offered proof positive of at least two. While Norwood ruckman Harry Boyd was closing in on a share of a Magarey Medal as the best player in the SANFL - he ended up in a tie with Will Snelling, fellow Shepparton product Nik Rokahr was doing the same in Perth - at the Sandover medal.
Rokahr, recruited to Swan Districts swans this year from Norwood, ended up sharing the medal with Clarmeont’s Callan England on 19 votes.
Boyd and Rokahr are the Nullarbor Plain apart now but they were schoolmates and teammates back in Shepparton and teammates and housemates in Adelaide.
It was a Sandover Medal count that had its share of twists, turns and drama there were plenty of storylines.
The 25 year-old England was picked by West Coast in the 2018 rookie draft, quickly spat out by the system and has re-emerged now as an elite midfielder in the WAFL, alongside fellow Sandover Medal winners Jye Bolton and Bailey Rogers. His is a story of resilience and rebuilt self belief.
England needed a best on ground in Claremont’s last game to get level with Rokahr and 28 disposals and a goal against Subiaco was enough to get it for him.
For Rokahr, persistence is the key word.
The 29 year-old was cut from his TAC Cup squad at the Murray Bushrangers. After significant country football success he was encouraged to take a swing at Geelong’s VFL team but after that didn’t quite go as well as he would have liked, shifted to Norwood where his football and a love for the Aussie Rules state leagues just took off. He became a premiership midfielder and was runner up in two Magarey Medals before the switch to Swans.
Mark Duffield
They can grow a footballer or two in Shepparton.
The past 24 hours have offered proof positive of at least two. While Norwood ruckman Harry Boyd was closing in on a share of a Magarey Medal as the best player in the SANFL - he ended up in a tie with Will Snelling, fellow Shepparton product Nik Rokahr was doing the same in Perth - at the Sandover medal.
Rokahr, recruited to Swan Districts swans this year from Norwood, ended up sharing the medal with Clarmeont’s Callan England on 19 votes.
Boyd and Rokahr are the Nullarbor Plain apart now but they were schoolmates and teammates back in Shepparton and teammates and housemates in Adelaide.
It was a Sandover Medal count that had its share of twists, turns and drama there were plenty of storylines.
The 25 year-old England was picked by West Coast in the 2018 rookie draft, quickly spat out by the system and has re-emerged now as an elite midfielder in the WAFL, alongside fellow Sandover Medal winners Jye Bolton and Bailey Rogers. His is a story of resilience and rebuilt self belief.
England needed a best on ground in Claremont’s last game to get level with Rokahr and 28 disposals and a goal against Subiaco was enough to get it for him.
For Rokahr, persistence is the key word.
The 29 year-old was cut from his TAC Cup squad at the Murray Bushrangers. After significant country football success he was encouraged to take a swing at Geelong’s VFL team but after that didn’t quite go as well as he would have liked, shifted to Norwood where his football and a love for the Aussie Rules state leagues just took off. He became a premiership midfielder and was runner up in two Magarey Medals before the switch to Swans.
