OFA 2025: Boxwood Hill captain Hayden Richter claims first Les Ganzer Medal after outstanding 2025 season

After years of coming close to the honour, Boxwood Hill’s Hayden Richter has finally broken through to claim his first Les Ganzer Medal as the Ongerup Football Association’s best and fairest player. The Bomber’s skipper won the Ganzer Medal on August 17 with 34 votes, five ahead of Timm House, who led Gnowangerup to a flag victory and 14 in front of Lake Grace-Pingrup star Justin Joyce. The 25-year-old has come within touching distance of the medal before, placing second in the count in both 2022 and 2024, and came sixth in 2023. Richter said he was thrilled to finally lock down the prestigious award. “I think it was probably the last four or five games of the season that I polled really well, because we’d just come back from country week and playing against other really good players sort of makes you go up a standard,” he said. “At the time, I was very happy and a bit surprised. “I feel very honoured to get the award and got a heap of messages, even from people at other clubs which is so nice.” Originally from Hyden, the farmhand moved with his family to Boxwood Hill in 2014, and played his first game for the club in 2018. He has since been a reliable fixture in the Bombers’ midfield, assisting in their 2018 and 2019 premiership wins. Richter hopes to add a third flag to his belt in 2026 as he returns for his eighth year. “I don’t think I’ll be retiring just yet,” he said. The midfielder was also awarded runner-up best and fairest for his performance at the country championships in Perth, with the top honour going Joyce. The Kevin O’Neill reserves trophy was handed to Gnowangerup’s Mikael Phillips, with teammate Bayley Drew winning runner-up and Connor Smallwood named top goal kicker for his 29-major haul. In the juniors Lake Grace-Pingrup’s Darcey Pelham won the fairest and best award with 27 votes, one ahead of runner-up Zander Jackson from Gnowangerup. Jerramungup’s Dylan Williams was named the OFA’s rookie of the year while youngsters Flynn Spark and Riley Holden were awarded best and fairest and runner-up respectively for their efforts at the Great Southern Colts Carnival in Kulin. Dave Shelton and John Miell were lauded for their work as goal and field umpires, and Rebekah Dunkeld from Newdegate was named volunteer of the year. Les Ganzer Medal 2025 34: Hayden Richter (BH) 29: Timm House (GNOW) 20: Justin Joyce (LGP) 17: Luke Bairstow (LGP) Dean Rintoul (NEW) 16: Riley Holden (JERR) 15: Ben Hislop (JERR) 14: Tate Barrett (JERR) James Dewar (GNOW) 13: Mat Campbell (BH)