Paul Shelton has won the Zane Taylor Medal as Queensland’s best player in last Saturday’s monster win over Tasmania.
Thursday, 17 June, 2010
Midfielder Paul Shelton (pictured) has added another line to a sparking football CV by winning the Zane Taylor Medal as Queensland’s best player in last Saturday’s record-breaking 79-point win over Tasmania.
The Morningside centreman took the prestigious honour from NT Thunder tackling machine Cameron Ilett on the 5-4-3-2-1 votes of Queensland coach Jason Cotter, assistant-coaches Murray Davis, Darren Carlson and Craig Crowley, plus Chairman of Selectors Marty King.
Aaron Shattock, the other member of the coaching staff, could not be contacted at the time of the vote but the winner was declared when it became evident that Shattock’s votes were not going to change the outcome.
The vote was taken after the brainstrust elected not to award the coveted Taylor Medal immediately after the match, believing that such was the quality and depth of the Maroons performance that it was preferable to first review the game thoroughly.
Incredibly, no less than nine different players figured in the voting in, with Shelton (25) and Ilett (14) topping the list from captain Danny Wise 912), former Taylor Medallist Matt Payne (12), Cleve Hughes (7), Cameron Maclaren (2), James Charlesworth (1), Claye Beams (1) and Kenrick Tyrrell (1).
Wise, a customary midfielder used in a team-specific role at half back, was the only defender to receive a vote despite Aaron Rogers, Austin Lucy, Damien Bonney and Kurt Niklaus all doing fine jobs for the victorious team.
Shelton, who had a game-high 30 possessions to go with a staggering 15 inside 50 entries, was independently judged best afield by all five voting judges.
Ilett (2), Payne, Wise and Hughes split the four-vote ratings, with Shelton and Payne the only players to appear on the voting cards of all five judges.
Ilett had 23 possessions and 12 crunching tackles, Payne 28 possessions and three goals, Wise 25 possessions and Hughes 13 possessions and eight marks for his 7-4.
The vote came after Shelton, Wise, Rogers, midfielder Darren Pfeiffer, Hughes and Ilett were originally named in the official six-man best player list shortly after the game, further confirming the magnificent team effort of the Queenslanders.
Shelton, a one-time Brisbane Lions and Hawthorn AFL rookie, ex-captain and B&F winner with VFL club Coburg and joint 2009 winner of the QAFL’s Syd Guildford Trophy, is the 13th winner of the Zane Taylor Medal.
The Zane Taylor Medal, named after the former State team stalwart and Geelong AFL star, is awarded after every senior interstate match for the best player in the Queensland side.
Shelton joins inaugural winner Steve Hall (1995),Paul Sherwood (1998), Dean Edwards (1999), Clint Watts (2002), Josh Drummond (2003), Jeremy Stiller (2004), Justin Wilson (2005), David Lillico (2005), Payne (2006), Kent Abey (2007), Wade Dickson (2008) and Nathan Gilliland (2009).
The 26-year-old will have to learn of his medal win via unusual circumstances – he flew off to Europe on Sunday before votes were cast for a long-planned one month holiday.
