Thompson wins first Blight Medal
Crows midfielder Scott Thompson is the runaway winner of Adelaide’s 2011 Club Champion award, the Malcolm Blight Medal.
Thompson, 28, polled 83 votes to finish well ahead of runner-up, captain Nathan van Berlo, and claim his first Gold Jacket in Friday night’s count at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
Defenders Ben Rutten and Graham Johncock tied for third place on 38. Patrick Dangerfield was next on 35, followed by Rory Sloane (34), Bernie Vince (33) and ruckman Sam Jacobs (31).
The top ten was completed by Brent Reilly (28) and Kurt Tippett (25).
Thompson took the lead after Adelaide’s second game (in round three) and by the halfway mark of counting (after round 12) he had raced to 42 votes to be clear of Rutten (28) and Johncock (24).
Adelaide’s voting season changed this season, with the match committee awarding a score between 0-8 for every player in each round.
Thompson, who was runner-up to Richard Douglas in 2010 and was then voted into the Club’s leadership group for the first time late last year, received votes in 19 of the 22 games. He was also the only Crow to poll maximum votes (eight) - for his 51-possession game against Gold Coast Suns in round 22.
Leaderboard: Scott Thompson - 83, van Berlo - 50, Johncock - 38, Rutten - 38, Dangerfield - 35, Sloane - 34, Vince - 33, Jacobs - 31,Reilly - 28, Tippett - 25, Doughty - 23, Petrenko - 23, Otten - 21, Wright - 19, Jaensch - 18, Walker - 18, Douglas - 16, Gunston - 14, Knights - 14, Henderson - 10, Smith - 10, Mackay - 8, McKernan - 8, Luke Thompson - 8, Tambling - 7, Stevens - 6, Maric - 5, Symes - 5, Talia - 5, Armstrong - 4, Callinan - 4, Davis - 2, Martin - 1, Sellar - 1.
2011 CLUB CHAMPION AWARD WINNERS
2011 Club Champion
Scott Thompson
Runner-up
Nathan van Berlo
Best Team Man
Michael Doughty
Chairman’s Circle Emerging Talent
Matthew Jaensch
Chelsea Phillis Vice Presidents Club Coach’s Award
Scott Thompson
Mark Bickley Award
Daniel Talia
19th Man Award
Scott Thompson
Premiership Club Leading Goalkicker
Taylor Walker