- The 'spray' that launched Langdon's year
- Perspective comes with Life Membership for Fyfe
- Watch: Fyfe presents 2018 Players' Award
Fremantle midfielder Lachie Neale has won his second Doig Medal, awarded before more than 900 people on Saturday night in a black tie function at the BelleVue Ballroom at Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Neale’s win goes alongside his 2016 victory after finishing runner-up in 2017 to midfielder Bradley Hill.
In the other awards presented on the night, Ed Langdon won the Players’ Award, Brennan Cox won the Beacon Award and Aaron Sandilands was named Best Clubman.
Senior coach Ross Lyon and four other members of the Fremantle coaching staff were involved in the Doig Medal voting process, with each coach allocating up to five votes per player per round.
Neale polled 186 votes from his 22 games, ahead of David Mundy, who secured his third runner-up finish with 164 votes.
It is the 12th time in Mundy’s 14 seasons that he has polled in the top 10 of the award he also won in 2010. It is also the eighth time Mundy has finished in the top five.
Two-time Doig Medal winner Nat Fyfe finished third on 150 votes from 15 games.
Fyfe held a commanding 21-vote lead after round seven and a 20-vote lead after round 16, but fell back to third after playing in only two of the final eight games of the season.
Langdon finished an impressive fourth with 145 votes in his first top-10 finish.
The 22-year-old enjoyed a breakout year in his fourth AFL season, collecting 25 disposals or more on 12 occasions as a running midfielder.
As the winner of the Players’ Award, Langdon was also acknowledged as the player who best displayed the values set by the group at the start of the season, as voted by the playing group.
Second-year player Luke Ryan rounded out the top five with 130 votes after an excellent season at half-back.
Nathan Wilson, Joel Hamling, Michael Walters, Stephen Hill and Alex Pearce rounded out the top 10.
Cox won the Beacon Award as Fremantle’s most promising young player, polling the most Doig Medal votes from eligible players.
The Beacon Award uses the same eligibility process as the NAB AFL Rising Star, an award that Cox was nominated for following his four-goal performance against Adelaide in round 12.
As Best Clubman in 2018, Aaron Sandilands was recognised as the player who consistently put the needs of the club first.
Sandilands is the second player in club history to win the award twice after also being acknowledged in 2016.
The Best Clubman is voted on by various departments within the club, including football, events, community and media to acknowledge players that go above and beyond across all areas.
After reaching the 150-game milestone in 2018, Fyfe was inducted as a life member.
The Fremantle captain is the 26th person and 20th player to be inducted as a life member.
Larry Dwyer became the sixth recipient of the Con Regan Medal, acknowledged for his service as a member of the Fremantle Derby Club since its inception in 1998, acting as a committee member or president for 18 of those 21 seasons.
Recipients of the Con Regan Medal are considered outstanding individuals whose contributions to the club demonstrate leadership and vision widely acknowledged in the greater football community.
Dwyer joins Brian O'Donnell, Peter Phillips, Tony Buhagiar, Chris Connolly and Beryl Regan as recipients of the Con Regan Medal.
Doig Medal top 10
Lachie Neale – 186
David Mundy – 164
Nat Fyfe – 150
Ed Langdon – 145
Luke Ryan – 130
Nathan Wilson – 124
Joel Hamling – 123
Michael Walters – 119
Stephen Hill – 100
Alex Pearce - 86