Roos standout Matt Hall's Tamworth success story

Five years after linking with the Tamworth Kangaroos, and three years after relocating to Tamworth, the 24-year-old midfielder has won his debut Tony Gillies Medal.

Hall polled 22 votes from the umpires, to become the seventh Roo to be named AFL North West's best and fairest senior men's player. He finished six votes ahead of the Nomads' Noah Connick.

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Hall said he told a number of people that 2023 was the best he had played.

"Just goes back to the start of the year: it was the best preparation I've done for a year," he said, adding that the Roos had a "great" season despite a one-point elimination final loss to the Swans, who play the Saints in the grand final at Wolseley Oval on Saturday, August 26.

Hall, who hails from Jilliby, moved to the North West upon securing a job on a Murrurundi cattle farm in 2018. With the region ravaged by drought, the agricultural college graduate moved to Tamworth in 2020.

"Once I moved here, I've never had a reason to leave," Hall said. "And I just keep getting more and more reasons to stay. So, I love it."

Now a third-year apprentice fitter and turner, the Roos' best and fairest player in 2020 and 2021 also debuted as the side's assistant coach this year.

Hall's partner, Melanie Young, debuted as skipper of the Roos women in 2023. She finished fourth in the best and fairest vote for the women's competition. The Swans' Sophie Ranken won the award.

"It was pretty exciting to see Mel finish fourth in her count," Hall said. "That was really rewarding, too, with both of us being captain this year."

The couple are building a cottage on the Young family's 1600-hectare sheep, cattle and goat farm at Limbri. They had hoped to finish its construction this winter, but Hall said footy got in the way of that happening.

"But, hopefully, this off-season we'll smash it out," he said of completing the build.

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