North Adelaide's Aaron Young has won the 2022 Magarey Medal, polling 23 votes in a tight count to emerge as the SANFL's best and fairest.
The 29-year-old has enjoyed an excellent year in the Roosters' midfield, averaging 27.6 disposals and booting 23 goals in a table-topping season for the club.
Young finished just one point above Norwood's Nik Rokahr, who impressed season-long with his ball use and physicality.
West Torrens' Riley Knight and Sturt's Casey Voss were close behind with 21 votes each.
In an exciting finish, neither Young, Knight, nor Rokahr were able to win any votes in the last two rounds.
Young has played two seasons at North Adelaide since returning from his 100-game AFL career for Port Adelaide and Gold Coast.
When the Victorian junior was drafted by Port in 2010, he was assigned to play for North Adelaide the following year. Port Adelaide Power and Adelaide did not have an official SANFL team at the time.
Young's loyalty to North Adelaide has been rewarded with a place in the SANFL Grand Final against the winner of Adelaide and Norwood.
The pride of wearing the Magarey Medal has, too, helped Young appreciate his great season.
"It's an incredible feeling," Young told the SANFL.
"It's a great honour to be standing here and doing all this sort of stuff with the greats that have done it before me.
"It was a great night, a great count, because no one really knew who was going to win and it came down to the last game."
Now the 18th Rooster to win the Magarey Medal, Young joins teammate Campbell Coombe and club champions such as Barrie Robran, Andrew Jarman, and James Allan in receiving the honour.
2022 Magarey Medal standings
23 votes - Aaron Young (North Adelaide)
22 - Nik Rokahr (Norwood)
21 - Riley Knight (Woodville-West Torrens)
21 - Casey Voss (Sturt)
18 - Matthew Snook (Glenelg)
17 - Harry Boyd (Norwood)
16 - James Battersby (Sturt)
16 - Harrison Wigg (North Adelaide)
15 - Campbell Combe (North Adelaide)
