THE handover from cricket to footy is complete, with the season about to start for the Northern Football Netball League this weekend.
Before that, however, the Diamond Valley Cricket Association had awards for the 2025-26 season, with the best of the best celebrated at the league’s awards night recently.
In the Money Shield team of the year, Mernda’s excellent finals campaign after earning promotion from Mash Shield was rewarded with two selections in the best team of the year.
Gareth Sharp was named in the team as an opener alongside Eltham’s Andrew Lamont, with the Demon opener impressing after making the move from Broadford over the winter.
Across 19 innings, Sharp scored 535 runs at an average of 29.72, while also striking at 86.29. Sharp’s highest score was 84, while he also scored two 50s for the season, taking 14 catches, enacting two runouts and also claiming a stumping as well.
Impressive youngster Michael Edwards also earned a spot in the team of the year thanks to a brilliant campaign with both bat and ball, generating plenty of opportunities for the Demons in a tireless season.
It was with the ball where Edwards did his best work, taking 33 wickets from 183 overs at a strike rate of 15.18, a smooth economy of 2.74 and a strike rate of 33.3. His best figures were 4/2.
Edwards showed he was one of the premier all-rounders in the competition with the bat as well, scoring 220 runs from 15 innings at an average of 20, with a strike rate of 120.88 showing he was prepared to swing the willow. Edwards’ best score was 45.
Edwards also took five catches and two runouts for the season.
The full team of the year for the Money Shield was: Lamont (Eltham), Sharp (Mernda), Gordon Zull (Plenty), Jordan Steele (Lalor Stars), Bill Jenkin (Lower Plenty, captain), Bronson Hill (Bundoora Park), Matthew Chrimes (Eltham), Edwards (Mernda), Nicholas Caracella (Lower Plenty), Angus Frewin-Macfarlane (Research Eltham Collegians) and Jamie Scott (Lalor Stars).
The team of the year for Barclay Shield and Mash Shield was also named.
The Barclay Shield team of the year was: Lucas Camuncoli (North Eltham Wanderers), Nathan Chrimes (Riverside), Tim Wise (Macleod), Robert Phelan (Diamond Creek), Rubal Singh Dhillon (Bundoora), Shupinder Taggar (Bundoora), Tom Emmins (Epping, captain), Nick Carlton (Rosanna), Scott Barnett (Bundoora United), Nick Austin (Riverside) and Lee Solar (Bundoora United).
In the Mash Shield, the team of the year was: Michael White (Keon Park), Max McLean (Old Ivanhoe Grammarians), Shoaib Khan (Thomastown), Jacob Carruthers (Hurstbridge), Ruwinda Manimelwadu (Mill Park), Jake McSwain (Keon Park), Matthew Perri (Rivergum, captain), Thissa Bandara (Hurstbridge), James Sparrow (Dennis), Riley Patterson (Thomastown United) and Leigh McCann (Keon Park).
Geordi Summers continued a good night for the Demons, claiming the E grade bowling award with 18 wickets at 11 for the season.
The Duckworth-Turner Medal was won by Rivergum’s Perri, while Lamont claimed Money Shield’s John Gleen Medal. The Barclay Shield Ray Christensen Medal was won by Camuncoli.