Gisborne’s Riley Vernon says hard work and a lot of fun is the key to his Gisborne and District Cricket Association Sullivan Medal win.
Vernon won the competition’s highest honour on Wednesday night, finishing seven votes clear of Woodend’s Marcus Stewart and Sunbury United’s Fabian Fernando.
The medal win comes after the Dragons claimed back-to-back McIntyre Cup premierships on Sunday.
Vernon said there had been plenty of celebrations in between winning the premiership and the competition best and fairest night.
“I drove last [Wednesday] night after a big couple of days,” he said. “I bought a few of the guys and they got a few beers.
“It is incredible. I was saying to the boys that Jarryd [Vernon] won it a couple of years ago, it’s pretty cool to be up there with some incredible players.
“It’s an honour to win the medal.
Vernon said he thought he would be in with a shot this season of claiming the Sullivan Medal for the first time.
Last season he finished second to Ben Way, having scored more than 1000 runs. He backed it up this season with more than 900 runs and won the competition’s batting award.
“I was quietly confident,” he said. “I was not sure with Marcus having a good year and Fernando also having a good year.
“Jarryd got injured and it helped me. He takes votes off me and I take votes off him, he still had a nice year and finished fourth despite missing three games.”
Vernon joked that he thanked his brother for missing those few games to help him get the medal.
The medal win is the icing on the cake after winning back-to-back premierships.
“The environment we have created at Gisborne is like a premier cricket environment,” Vernon said.
“We play like best mates and have fun. Cricket is so much better when you play in a good group.
“Hopefully we can win a few more premierships together,”
For Vernon it’s been a big couple of years on the pitch that has seen him take his game to the next level.
He trained in India at an IPL game for 10 days before heading to the United Kingdom to play country cricket last year.
Vernon was in India again recently in the lead up to the GDCA finals.
He heads to the United Kingdom this week to play more cricket, with his cousin and Gisborne opener Spencer Jones also going with him,
“We are playing at the same club and living together,” Vernon said. “We are best mates and I can’t wait to see where he can take his game.
“Me and Spencer arrive an hour before training and stall back late still hitting balls.”
In other awards, Warren Else won the McIntyre Cup bowling award.
Gisborne captain Brianna Woodburn won the women’s best and fairest award, finishing ahead of Wallan’s Megan Farrell.
