2020 Taylor Medal Preview

Tomorrow night Subiaco will celebrate the season of its Colts with the annual Taylor Medal Presentation Dinner.

Less than a week after claiming the fourth premiership in Subiaco club history, the players of that premiership team, along with their extended teammates, family and friends will be at the Leederville Sports Bar & Functions Centre to recognise a successful season.

After claiming the Jack Clarke Medal as the competition’s best this year, Lachlan Vanirsen will goes into the Taylor Medal count as favourite to win.

However, Vanirsen will have tough competition in what is set to be an exciting count with a number of players having big seasons and important contributions in a premiership year for the Subiaco Colts.

These are among the favourites on Taylor Medal night;

Lachlan Henderson
10 games in 2020.
127 disposals. 76 kicks, 51 handballs, averaging 12.7 disposals. 
41 marks, 20 tackles, 14 hit-outs.

The centre-half back has enjoyed a strong season which has seen him hold down a key-position post in a Premiership winning team. Every week he lines up on one of the opposition’s most impactful forwards and week-in, week-out does his role. Henderson at times has also provided a valuable rebounding option when required as Subiaco look to sling-shot out of defence. While playing well all-season, his most dominant display came in a losing cause against West Perth in Round 9 where he amassed 18 disposals and reeled in six marks in a performance that saw him recognised as one of the best of the ground.

Jaxon McGowan
11 matches in 2020.
174 disposals. 113 kicks, 61 handballs, averaging 15.8 disposals.
44 marks, 24 tackles, 3 goals.

The reliable mid-sized defender has played a key-role in a stingy Lions defence that conceded the third least points against this season. McGowan consistently found the ball in every match this season, with his precise footwork out of the defensive 50 being a feature of his game. In the Round 7 win over Perth, McGowan was everywhere, recording 18 disposals and taking five marks in a sparkling performance that saw him named as one of the best players on the ground. 

Lachlan McKay
8 matches in 2020.
101 disposals. 51 kicks, 50 handballs, averaging 12.6 disposals.
29 marks, 18 tackles, 9 goals.

The big-bodied forward played a valuable role in attack, providing a key target for the Lions ball-users and always competing strongly in the air. McKay regularly worked his way up the ground to gather plenty of the ball between the arcs, highlighted by a string of three games between Rounds 4-6 where he averaged just under 17 possessions. His standout performance of the season came in the Round 5 demolition of Peel Thunder. McKay was unstoppable that afternoon, finding the ball 17 times, clunking six marks and booting six straight goals to help set up a 91-point victory for his side.

Sandon Page
10 matches in 2020.
131 disposals. 108 kicks, 23 handballs, averaging 13.1 disposals.
30 marks, 16 tackles, 24 goals.

Page kicked the equal-most goals in the 2020 Colts competition with 24 majors from his 10 games. Page provided a constant threat in the Lions forward line with his aerial prowess and ability to find the ball, but it was his consistency that proved his major weapon. Page registered at least two goals in every match he played in the Home-and-Away season, including two bags on five and two of three respectively. One of Page’s best games of the season came in the Round 3 drubbing of Swan Districts where the athletic forward booted five straight goals for the afternoon to help set up a commanding 65-point victory at Steel Blue Oval.    

Lachlan Vanirsen
11 matches in 2020.
260 disposals. 190 kicks, 60 handballs, averaging 23.6 disposals.
69 marks, 51 tackles, 8 goals.

Vanirsen enters the medal count as the obvious favourite after a simply outstanding season. The star onballer has already claimed the Jack Clarke medal after being adjudged the Best and Fairest player across the entire Colts competition and has since added a Premiership medallion and the Mel Whinnen medal for his best-on-ground performance in the final. Vanirsen will poll strongly in many games as his consistent ability to find the ball will not go unnoticed by those handing out the votes, but perhaps his most dominant display of the Home-and-Away season came against East Fremantle in Round 8. In a seven-goal win, Vanirsen recorded 27 disposals, took six marks and laid four tackles to round out one of his many complete performances for the season.