The GIANTS thrilling 2023 season will be celebrated in style on Thursday night at the Kevin Sheedy Medal held at the Ivy Ballroom in Sydney.
Before crowning the GIANTS’ club champion on Thursday night, the GIANTS Media team has taken a look at some of the contenders for this year’s Kevin Sheedy Medal following a host of strong performances.
How does the count work?
Under a new voting system this season, line coaches rated their respective players after each game from a pre-determined performance scale.
All line coaches then met to determine an overall rating for each player before submitting to head coach Adam Kingsley who allocated up to six (6) votes for each player.
The votes across the season, which combined both home and way and finals games, are then tallied up with the player with the most votes at the end of the GIANTS’ season being awarded the Kevin Sheedy Medal.
Previous Winners:
2022 – Sam Taylor
2021 – Josh Kelly
2020 – Nick Haynes and Lachie Whitfield
2019 – Tim Taranto
2018 – Lachie Whitfield
2017 – Josh Kelly
2016 – Toby Greene
2015 – Heath Shaw
2014 – Shane Mumford
2013 – Jeremy Cameron
2012 – Callan Ward
2023 Contenders:
Tom Green
It’s hard to believe he’s just 22 years old after asserting himself as one of the best players in the competition with a breakout 2023 season.
Green will enter Thursday night’s count as one of the red-hot favourites following a stellar campaign in which the bullocking midfielder led the entire competition in disposals, averaging 32.1 touches per game to go along with 6.1 clearances and 5.3 tackles.
The contested beast, who was recognised for his dominant season with a maiden selection in the All-Australian squad, tallied a career-high 16 votes in this year’s Brownlow Medal following several eye-catching performances.
Green will be looking to eclipse last year’s third place finish on Thursday night.
Stephen Coniglio
The GIANTS’ vice-captain is another sure to be near the top of the leader board late on Thursday night after arguably the best season of his 12-year career.
The inaugural GIANT, who was also recognised for his starring season with his first selection in the All-Australian squad, posted career-high averages in several key categories, including disposals (28.2), inside 50s (4.8), score involvements (7.4), and meters gained (432m).
The 29-year-old also finished first across the competition in total disposals and after only missing one match this season will be hoping to go one place better than last year’s runner-up finish to star defender Sam Taylor.
Toby Greene
After tallying his career-best vote count in this year’s Brownlow Medal, leading the GIANTS with 20 votes, there’s no doubting the inspirational skipper had a year to remember and certainly one worthy of adding another club champion trophy to his 2016 win.
After kicking more than 50 goals in a season for the first time in his decorated career, Greene finished the 2023 campaign with 66 majors to sit fourth amongst the competition and first amongst non-key forwards.
Greene’s outstanding season, in which he finished second in the AFL in score involvements and was ranked elite in both disposals (17.9 per game) and marks (4.5) per game for his position, saw the 30-year-old named an All-Australian for the third team as well as All-Australian captain for the first time in his glittering 12-year career.
Josh Kelly
The GIANTS’ Rolls Royce had another superb season to put himself firmly in contention for another Kevin Sheedy Medal following his 2017 and 2021 triumphs.
Kelly finished the season as one of the GIANTS’ most reliable players once again, posting averages of 26.9 disposals, 4.6 inside-50s, 4.4 tackles, and 4 clearances per game.
If the 28-year-old takes out the top honour on Thursday, he would become the first GIANT to win the Kevin Sheedy Medal three times.
Lachie Whitfield
Another two-time winner looking to create history with a trifecta of club champion awards on Thursday night, Whitfield was back to his sizzling best in season 2023 and a key piece of the Orange Tsunami’s surge into a preliminary final.
One of the competition’s most lethal attacking weapons, Whitfield starred off half back for the GIANTS this season to finish with averages of 27 disposals, 5.5 rebound-50s, 3 inside-50s, and 460 metres gained per game.
The 2018 All Australian became the first GIANT to be a two-time Kevin Sheedy Medal winner when he tied with Nick Haynes in the 2020 count.
Connor Idun
2023 saw Idun continue his rapid rise to assert himself as not only one of coach Adam Kingsley’s most reliable players but one of the AFL’s most dynamic defenders.
Joining the club’s leadership group for the first time in 2023, Idun was a brick wall in defence this season for the GIANTS with his ability to not only lock down a variety of opponents but also provide an attacking flair from the back half.
While not the household name of some of his more high-profile teammates, we expect the athletic 23-year-old to be high amongst the votes on Thursday following a stellar 2023 campaign.
Brent Daniels
After a long stint on the sidelines through persistent injuries, Daniels returned to the field with a bang in 2023 to cement himself as one of the competition’s most lively small forwards.
Regarded as one of the best pressure players in the AFL, the creative pocket rocket caused chaos inside 50 for opposition defenders to play a crucial role in coach Adam Kingsley’s high octane game plan.
Finishing the season with 26 goals from 20 outings, Daniels’ ability to star in his role is sure to have garnered the appreciation from his coaches on Thursday night.
Sam Taylor
While it’s going to be a tough mountain to climb in order to win the Kevin Sheedy Medal, having missed eight games through injury, Sam Taylor continued to stamp himself as one of the competition’s very best defenders with another remarkable season.
Often taking the opposition’s most damaging attacking threat, Taylor’s ability to quell his opponent but also turn defence into attack through his intercept marking was a major weapon for the GIANTS once again.
While his bad luck with injury is unlikely to see him achieve back-to-back Kevin Sheedy Medals following last year’s breakthrough win, Taylor’s stellar form when on the park is sure to see him poll extremely well on Thursday night.
Young Guns Tipped to Poll Well
Lachie Ash
Ash’s star continued to rise in season 2023 with the former number four pick quickly establishing himself not only as an integral piece of the GIANTS’ future but one of the competition’s rising stars.
The 22-year-old, a former Vic Country co-captain, blossomed under new coach Adam Kingsley in a more permanent role in defence this season to emerge as one of the AFL’s most lethal running defenders.
The move catapulted Ash into the conversation as one of the AFL’s most improved players, upping last year’s season average of 16.1 touches per game to 24 per game in 2023- ranking him elite among his position across the competition.
Ash finished first across the entire competition in total uncontested possessions, fourth in total rebound-50s, fifth in total bounces, seventh in total effective disposals, and tenth in total meters gained.
The dashing half-back flanker also ranked ‘’elite’ across the AFL in kicks (15.5 per game) and handballs (8.5 per game).
Kieren Briggs
Despite not playing his first game of the season until round 10 against St Kilda, Briggs’ emergence as one of the competition’s best young ruckmen is sure to see him poll well in the back half of the season on Thursday night.
After being given his opportunity against the Saints, Briggs played the remaining 17 games of the season where the 23-year-old played a crucial role in the GIANTS’ incredible late season run.
In a remarkable breakout year, Briggs finished the 2023 season leading all ruckmen across the competition for clearances per game while ranking third in tackles and sixth for possessions among his adversaries.
While he won’t poll a vote until at least round 10, expect the popular big man to come home with a wet sail following a brilliant second half of the season.
Finn Callaghan
After a foot injury limited his debut season to just five games, Callaghan showcased exactly why the GIANTS took him at pick three in the 2021 draft with a breakout 2023 season.
Combining time on the wing with a new role as an inside midfielder, the 20-year-old blossomed in his second season, averaging 20.8 disposals across 21 games to establish himself as one of the competition’s brightest young stars.
While he’s unlikely to take home the top honour on Thursday night, we expect the young star to poll well in just the second season of an extremely promising career.
Callaghan, along with teammate Ash, was recently recognised for his breakout season with a maiden selection in the 22Under22 squad.
To keep up to date with all the results from the 2023 Kevin Sheedy Medal on Thursday night, follow @GWSGIANTS on social media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
