Diesels fullback Daniel Foley has missed out on the Weissel Medal after Gundagai’s Brett Eccleston topped the count.
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Foley was three votes behind Eccleston when polling was last revealed with five rounds remaining, and the gap only widened on medal night.
Both players were expecting a photo finish at the count but Foley finished in third place as Eccleston raced ahead to win in a stunning landslide.
It definitely adds some motivation to come back better next year, because this is something I want to win.
- Diesels fullback Daniel Foley
Eccleston polled 12 votes in the last six rounds to defeat Southcity’s Kyle McCarthy by seven votes, with Foley a further vote behind.
But a crestfallen Foley remained humble in defeat.
“He definitely deserved it, he was a great player all year and he was always going to trough to be beat,” Foley said.
“I took it in my stride but I was certainly disappointed, I thought it was going to be a lot closer that it was.”
Foley said the defeat has only spurred him on to attack next season with added aggression.
“It definitely adds some motivation to come back better next year, because this is something I want to win,” he said.
“It’ll just be a case of coming back next year doing everything I did this season.”
Foley has plenty of time to continue his rapid rise, according to Diesels captain-coach Matt Hands
“It was disappointing for Daniel, but he’s only a youngster really and his best years are ahead of him.
“He has a great chance of winning the medal one day.”
Hands added that Foley’s value extends well beyond anything a medal count can measure.
“He’s the sort of bloke who puts bums on seats,” Hands said.
“Not just locals but he also attracts people who might not usually be into rugby league.
“He’s great for the club and we love having him around.”
The fullback did not finish the season empty handed, taking out his second consecutive club best and fairest award at the Diesel’s presentation night in early September.
He capped of the club’s highest individual honour by being named in the Group Nine team of the year.
Foley was the primary driving force powering the Diesels all season, continuing to make a name for himself by winning games off his own bat.
The fullback was the most consistent cog within the Diesels well-oiled machine, during what was an injury riddled season for Junee.