GSFL 2025: Perfect 10 coaches votes for Michael McGlade in Royals narrow win, Darcy Wallinger leads overall

Royals midfielder Michael McGlade picked up a perfect 10 in his first polling of the season in the Great Southern Football League coaches votes on Saturday.

McGlade was a unanimous choice as best-on-ground by the two coaches, in the Lions tense four-point win over Denmark-Walpole at McLean Park.

The Lions, who have won two games in a row, picked up most of the votes from the game with Declan McNamara and Seb Stanton also polling well.

It was the first votes for McGlade in the 2025 GSFL Coaches Player of the Year Award.

McNamara continued his strong season with seven votes and Stanton received four while Nelson Tulip and Ryan Hick from the Magpies got three each.

Mt Barker gun Darcy Wallinger remains in the outright leader of the award, having picked up more votes in round five of the season.

Wallinger (26 votes) holds a three-vote advantage over his teammate Daniel Patching, while Railways’ Ryley Valli and Bulls’ Darcy Clarke are just one vote further back.

Patching and Clarke were highly influential in the Bulls’ 38-point win over North Albany at Collingwood Park.

The pair picked up nine votes each while Kangas midfielder Matt Orzel added five votes to his tally.

Wallinger and Bulls forward Brandon Ugle collected three votes.

Opinions were split in the top-of-the-table clash as the Tigers won by 60 points over Albany at Retravision Stadium.

Eight players received votes from the coaches with only Lachie Cale and Logan Stubber featuring for both coaches.

Young Tiger Cale picked up seven votes while Sharks’ Bailey Taylor, Stubber and Tigers ruck Shane Braimbridge all got five.

Just six votes separate the top six players on the leaderboard with McNamara (21) and Sharks’ Bryce Blaszkow (20) well within striking distance.

Cale joins teammate Jayden Scott on 19 and closely followed by Isaac Baum (18) and Orzel (17).

Each league coach votes 5-4-3-2-1 for players on both sides at the end of every game.

2025 Coaches’ Player of the Year Award

Voting Round 5

Albany v Railways

7 Lachie Cale (RAIL)

5 Bailey Taylor (ALB)

5 Logan Stubber (RAIL)

5 Shane Braimbridge (RAIL)

3 Declan Willey (RAIL)

2 Bryce Blaszkow (ALB)

2 Ryley Valli (RAIL)

1 Bodhi Stubber (RAIL)

Denmark-Walpole v Royals

10 Michael McGlade (ROY)

7 Declan McNamara (ROY)

4 Seb Stanton (ROY)

3 Nelson Tulip (DW)

3 Ryan Hick (DW)

2 Joel Flick (ROY)

1 James Charlesworth (DW)

North Albany v Mt Barker

9 Daniel Patching (MB)

9 Darcy Clarke (MB)

5 Matt Orzel (NA)

3 Brandon Ugle (MB)

3 Darcy Wallinger (MB)

1 Regan Christensen (NA)

Leaderboard

26: Darcy Wallinger (MB)

23: Daniel Patching (MB)

22: Ryley Valli (RAIL)

Darcy Clarke (MB)

21: Declan McNamara (ROY)

20: Bryce Blaszkow (ALB)

19: Jayden Scott (RAIL)

Lachie Cale (RAIL)

18: Isaac Baum (ALB)

17: Matt Orzel (NA)

15: Taj Williams (ALB)

13: Seb Ballard (MB)

Hayden Parker (RAIL)

12: Tyler Stone (DW)

Kobi Keen (NA)

11: Kane Pinney (ALB)

10: Sam Holmes (ALB)

Michael McGlade (ROY)