2022 SANFL Now Player of the Year Award

By ZAC MILBANK

Norwood’s Nik Rokahr and North Adelaide’s Aaron Young have become the first players to tie for the SANFL Now Player of the Year Award.

Finishing their campaigns locked together on 21 votes, Rokahr and Young were joined by Eagles premiership midfielder Riley Knight (20 votes) in being the only players in contention heading into Round 19.

But all three players failed to poll a vote in the last home-and-away fixture, leaving Rokahr and Young to share the spoils.

Young was unable to attract any interest in the Roosters’ shock loss to Sturt at Wigan Oval while Rokahr was a late withdrawal from the Redlegs’ match against West due to an ankle concern.

And Knight was on track for an encouraging performance – 11 disposals in the first term – before injuring his hamstring against South Adelaide, which caused an early end to his last outing of the 2022 season.

Magarey Medallist Campbell Combe and Jack Oatey Medallist Matthew Snook finished in joint fourth position with 16 votes each while Sturt defender Casey Voss and Norwood ruck Harry Boyd were on the next rung with 14 votes apiece.

Young and Rokahr – who will receive $500 each courtesy of SANFL – join Snook (2021), Redleg Richard Douglas (2020) and Tiger Luke Partington (2019) as previous winners of the award, as judged by SANFL Now commentators under a 3-2-1 voting system.

21 – Aaron Young (North), Nik Rokahr (Norwood)
20 – Riley Knight (Eagles)
16 – Campbell Combe (North), Matthew Snook (Glenelg)
14 – Casey Voss (Sturt), Harry Boyd (Norwood)
12 – Matt Crouch (Adelaide), James Battersby (Sturt), Hamish Hartlett (West)
11 – Luke Partington (Glenelg), Keegan Brooksby (South), Mitch O’Neill (South)
10 – Patrick Wilson (Sturt), Harrison Wigg (North), Kyle Presbury (Central), Travis Schiller (Central), Guy Page (Sturt)