Scone Brumby Doug McKillop named 2019 Central North Rugby Union best and fairest

The number eight proved his worth with a late season surge seeing him finish on 14 points, one point ahead of Walcha backrower Sione Kamoto.

Having returned from a one-year stint in the Newcastle competition, McKillop made a huge impact for Scone this season and was consistently among their best on the field.

To make the feat even more impressive, McKillop topped the points despite the Brumbies finishing sixth on the ladder, even topping the points in games where the Brumbies were well-beaten as was the case against Pirates in round five.

McKillop played his first game for the Brumbies in 2009, then donned the Scone blue from 2011 to 2016.

"I went down to the Wanderers in 2017 and had a year off from rugby last year," he said.

While admitting to enjoying the quality of rugby in Newcastle, the Scone local said his love for the country prompted his move back.

He said despite the Brumbies finishing the year out of contention for semi-finals, there are many positives they can draw from the season.

"I think we really proved ourselves with our win against Moree. We proved that if we pull it together and have a good game we should be in the top four," he said.

"Next year if we work with the players that we've got and their strengths we should be able to go really well and get into the semi-finals."

McKillop admitted he wasn't expecting to top the points and said he's the only Scone Brumbies player to do so.

"It was a definite surprise," he said.

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"I was aiming for the Brumbies' best and fairest, to be honest I didn't even think I was in contention to be the zone best and fairest, so it was a bit of a shock."

"Playing for the Wanderers definitely furthered my rugby and pushed me forward," said McKillop, who works at Brooks Brothers Scone.

"I learnt a few things that I brought back this year and I tried to be one of the leaders for the other older boys on the team.

"We've got a few boys there that have played in Sydney and they also brought a few things to the team."

Scone's Josh Pickering was also among the top ten in the Central North Best and Fairest honours, finishing on 10 points .

"He was unreal at just leading," McKillop said of his teammate.

"He played his position really well and was always there to back you up if you needed to offload.

"He did his job really well and it just showed on the field to be honest."

McKillop admitted we will most likely see him back in the Scone blue next season.

"The coaches have been on to me already to get me back for another season so I'd say they'll probably push me into it," he said.

To have a player named zone best and fairest is a huge achievement for the club and certainly sets the standard high for next year.