CALLUM CARSELDINE GROGAN MEDALLIST
Andrew Thomson
Western Magpies' Co-Captain Callum Carseldine claimed the 2015 Grogan Medal, the QAFL’s highest individual footballing honour on Sunday night.
Carseldine, who missed all but 30 minutes the entire 2014 season following a torn ACL in the first match of the season and then had a knee reconstruction, finished the year on 24 votes, three ahead of Wilston Grange’s Steven Brittain on 21.
Morningside’s Lachlan Russ finished third with 18 votes ahead of UQ coach Darren Pfeiffer who polled 15.
Carseldine hasn’t missed a beat in 2015. His inside grunt work has been a major factor in the Magpies’ success this year.
The Co-Captain has been able to play both inside and outside in the Magpies’ midfield this year.
He polled nine votes in the first five rounds to be joint leader with Russ, who then lead at the round 10 mark by one vote over Carseldine.
Carseldine polled nine votes across the next five rounds, to be six votes out in front, and in a difficult position to catch in the last three rounds. With one round to count, Carseldine led his only challenger Steven Brittain by 2 votes but with Brittain not playing in the final round, Carseldine could not be headed andthe Western magpies table started early celebrations for the club's second Grogan Medal.
The club's previous winner in Bill Peirce was in attendance to witness the historic moment.
Carseldine’s qualities were not missed by the coaches either, nominated for the Syd Guildford award, which was taken out by Wilston Grange’s Steven Brittain.
With four players in the Queensland Team of the Year and Peter McClennan being awarded the QAFL Administrator of the Year, the Western Magpies have now joined the big boys of QAFL football and with the continued growth of AFL in the western corridor of Brisbane will be a powerhouse for years to come.