A STAR trio remains tied for the Rookie Me Central Medal lead with only one Coates Talent League round left to play. Oakleigh Chargers captain Jagga Smith joined Cooper Hynes (Dandenong) and Josh Smillie (Eastern) atop the tree on 16 votes after a best afield performance over the weekend.

>> SCROLL for the Round 18 votes & leaderboard

Neither Hynes or Smillie turned out in Round 18 and were thus unable to add to their tallies. Only Smith, who gathered 42 disposals in a dominant display against Greater Western Victoria (GWV), and Bendigo’s James Barrat yielded votes among the top 10, along with new entrant Lachie Jaques.

The results mean eight players are still mathematically in the running to take out this year’s award. Only one vote adrift from the top trio are Calder’s Damon Hollow and Dandenong’s Harvey Langford, while slim hopes remain for Barrat, Zak Johnson, and Xavier Lindsay on 13 votes apiece.

Hynes and Langford will meet Lindsay’s Gippsland Power in the final home-and-away round, while Smillie and Johnson also lock horns. Meanwhile, Smith will have to fight for votes against a stacked Sandringham Dragons midfield consisting of prolific pair Levi Ashcroft and Murphy Reid.

>> 2024 CTL Round 18: Snapshot | POTW | TOTW | Scouting Notes

ROUND 18 VOTES

Bendigo Pioneers 2.10 (22) def. by Tasmania Devils 14.9 (93)
By: Michael Alvaro

3 – Connor Ling (Tasmania Devils)
2 – James Barrat (Bendigo Pioneers)
1 – Lucas Wootton (Tasmania Devils)

Dandenong Stingrays 13.9 (87) def. Calder Cannons 9.12 (66)
By: Adrian Dixon

3 – Cooper Duff-Tytler (Calder Cannons)
2 – Henry Hayes (Dandenong Stingrays)
1 – Jordan Doherty (Dandenong Stingrays)

Sandringham Dragons 11.16 (82) def. Geelong Falcons 5.9 (39)
By: Declan Reeve

3 – Lachie Jaques (Geelong Falcons)
2 – Harrison Oliver (Sandringham Dragons)
1 – Murphy Reid (Sandringham Dragons)

Gippsland Power 14.11 (95) def. Northern Knights 12.14 (86)
By: Michael Alvaro

3 – Asher Eastham (Gippsland Power)
2 – Max Stobie (Gippsland Power)
1 – Jesse Dattoli (Northern Knights)

Murray Bushrangers 23.13 (151) def. Western Jets 9.3 (57)
By: Michael Alvaro

3 – Joshua Murphy (Murray Bushrangers)
2 – Jack Whitlock (Murray Bushrangers)
1 – Oliver Warburton (Murray Bushrangers)

Oakleigh Chargers 10.12 (72) def. by GWV Rebels 12.13 (85)
By: Michael Alvaro

3 – Jagga Smith (Oakleigh Chargers)
2 – Oliver Hannaford (GWV Rebels)
1 – Louis Emmett (Oakleigh Chargers)

TOP 10 LEADERBOARD

Eq. 1st. Cooper Hynes (Dandenong Stingrays) – 16 [1, 3, 3, 2, 2, 3, 2]
Eq. 1st. Josh Smillie (Eastern Ranges) – 16 [3, 1, 3, 3, 3, 3]
Eq. 1st. Jagga Smith (Oakleigh Chargers) – 16 [2, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3]
Eq. 4th. Damon Hollow (Calder Cannons) – 15 [2, 3, 3, 2, 1, 2, 2]
Eq. 4th. Harvey Langford (Dandenong Stingrays) – 15 [3, 1, 3, 2, 3, 3]
Eq. 6th. Zak Johnson (Northern Knights) – 13 [3, 2, 3, 1, 1, 1, 2]
Eq. 6th. Xavier Lindsay (Gippsland Power) – 13 [2, 3, 3, 3, 2]
Eq. 6th. James Barrat (Bendigo Pioneers) – 13 [2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2]
Eq. 9th. Lachie Jaques (Geelong Falcons) – 12 [2, 3, 2, 2, 3]*
Eq. 9th. Tobie Travaglia (Bendigo Pioneers) – 12 [3, 1, 2, 2, 3, 1]*

* – denotes mathematically unable to win

LEADERS BY CLUB

Bendigo Pioneers – James Barrat (13)
Calder Cannons – Damon Hollow (15)
Dandenong Stingrays – Cooper Hynes (16)
Eastern Ranges – Josh Smillie (16)
Geelong Falcons – Lachie Jaques (12)
Giants Academy – Logan Smith (4)
Gippsland Power – Xavier Lindsay (13)
GWV Rebels – Oliver Hannaford (9)
Lions Academy – Daniel Annable (6)
Murray Bushrangers – Joe Berry (11)
Northern Knights – Zak Johnson (13)
Northern Territory – Taj Murray (1)
Oakleigh Chargers – Jagga Smith (16)
Sandringham Dragons – Levi Ashcroft/Josh Dolan (5)
Suns Academy – Zeke Uwland (5)
Swans Academy – Ned Hawkins (6)
Tasmania Devils – Lenny Douglas/Geordie Payne (7)
Western Jets – Thomas McGuane (9)

CLUB LEADERBOARD

Dandenong Stingrays – 54
Geelong Falcons – 52
Gippsland Power – 51
Calder Cannons – 50
Murray Bushrangers – 48
Tasmania Devils – 47
Bendigo Pioneers – 40
Sandringham Dragons – 38
Eastern Ranges – 36
Western Jets – 33
Northern Knights – 33
GWV Rebels – 30
Oakleigh Chargers – 28
Swans Academy – 13
Lions Academy – 11
Suns Academy – 11
Giants Academy – 7
Northern Territory – 1