Numbers add up for Jock

By Brad Kingsbury
POPULAR opinion suggests that whoever beats Pakenham coach Michael Holland will win this year’s MPNFL Casey Cardinia league best and fairest award.
Holland has had a consistently brilliant season and is consistently under the umpires’ notice as a prolific ballwinning midfielder.
Players from the top five sides look set to dominate this year’s count to be held next Monday night at Mornington racecourse, with one or two roughies given a show from clubs outside the finalists.
While Holland will likely lose votes to team mates Lincoln Withers and Jared Goldsack, Doveton’s David George, Narre Warren’s Ricky Clark, Hampton Park’s Linden Fredericks and Keysborough’s Michael Davis have also had outstanding years.
Despite their sides’ upanddown seasons, umpires could not have missed the skills of players such as Beaconsfield’s Robbie Taylor, Michael Barker from ROC, Berwick ballcarrier Andrew Tuck and Tooradin pair Tom Hallinan and Dan O’Loughlin, a perennial votecatcher.
It is never any use trying to secondguess umpires who often see the game differently to many followers, but for the record, the tips for the 2006 award are:
1. Michael Holland (Pakenham).
2. David George (Doveton).
3. Lincoln Withers (Pakenham).
Roughie: Dan O’Loughlin (Tooradin).