Brendon White from the Esperance Football Club won the Hepburn Medal last Saturday night presented by Peter Hepburn. White also won the Kym “Freddy” Curnow Footballer of the Year award as voted by Club presidents. Photos: Peter Luberda.
The Esperance District Football Association night of nights held at the Esperance Bay Turf Club last Saturday, the Hepburn Medal, saw Esperance’s Brendon White collect his third win in the event.
White joins Craig Noble (1956,58,60), Ryan Neill (2001,07,08) and Kaine Buckley (2021,23,24) as a three-time winner of the Hepburn Medal from the Bulldogs.
EDFA award winners. Photos: Peter Luberda.
White, who spent time in the Lower South West Football League playing for Bridgetown from 2021 to 2023, said he was pretty happy with the individual honours but was looking forward to tomorrows grand final.
“Still rather win the grand final on Saturday, it doesn’t really matter unless you win the last one.” he said.
A previous winner of the League’s fairest and best in 2018 and 2020, White said he benefited from his time with the Bridgetown Bulldogs.
“It’s a stronger comp. We versed them in country champs this year, and they beat us by about six goals.”
“The grounds are not as good; they get a lot more rainfall over there so every second game is in mud.
“It’s a different style of comp, in the first year over there I got runner-up for the Association fairest and best.
“That year I missed the grand final through injury; I did my ankle and had to watch the boys from the side lines in 2021.”
Returning back to Esperance, White was awarded the Bridge Family Medal in the 12 point win against Gibson in last season’s grand final.
“It’s a good club. It’s home, a great family club. Everyone is really tight.” he said.
“It’s good to be back playing at home where I played a lot of junior footy with the guys I play seniors with now.
“And a lot of juniors I used to coach, I am now playing senior footy with them. I really enjoy it.”
White received 42 votes from the umpires to be recognised as the unanimous winner from Gibson’s Patrick Quinlivan who was runner-up on 24 votes.
The Club presidents also agreed with the umpires as White won the Kym “Freddy” Curnow Footballer of the Year award with 37 votes from Quinlivan on 30.
Favourite Kyron McKenzie from the Esperance Football Club was the winner of the A-Reserves Frank Murray Medal with 36 votes from team mate Bailey Johnson on 32.
The Crawford Medal winner for the Women’s fairest and best player was Annie-May Jannings (34) from the Gibson Football Club ahead of last year’s winner and Jannings’ team mate Alysha Castelli (28).
Gibson’s Tom Tate and Keenan Rymer from the Blues could not be separated on 37 votes after the count of the McArthur Medal for the Colts fairest and best on Saturday evening, Jai Wood from the Esperance Football Club was a further five votes away in third place.
