Albany star utility Bailey Taylor clinches the 2025 GSFL Kleemann Medal after final round of gripping count

Albany’s Bailey Taylor had a spring in his step as he turned up for training at Retravision Stadium the day after clinching the Great Southern Football League’s prestigious Kleemann Medal. Taylor, the Sharks’ key utility man, claimed three votes in the last round on Monday night to win the league’s individual honour, finishing one vote ahead of Mt Barker’s Daniel Patching and two in front of clubmate Isaac Baum and Railways’ Ryley Valli. A runner-up last year to runaway winner Valli, Taylor’s 19 votes secured the fairest and best prize to the acclaim of his teammates and supporters after a gripping count, accepting the medal from its donor Brad Kleemann. Patching proved the early favourite with nine votes from the first five rounds of voting, leading the charge ahead of Royals’ midfielder Declan McNamara and Albany young gun Jesse Owens while Taylor was not in the top eight. By round 10, Patching had kept hold of his lead, two votes ahead of Sharks co-captain Baum and four ahead of McNamara while Taylor had snuck onto the leaderboard with nine votes. However a dominant finish, polling 10 votes in the final five rounds of the season, including consecutive best-on-grounds in round 14 and 15 got Taylor across the line. His three-vote effort in a losing affair against Railways in the final round, helped leapfrog Patching who picked up three in the same round against North Albany. As well as being crowned king on the league’s night of nights, Taylor was also named the Albany Advertiser’s Footballer of the Year after enjoying a super season. The Sharks’ campaign still has up to two weeks to run with Taylor a vital cog in what has become a slick machine. A natural defender, Taylor has been moved into the ruck and into midfield, a challenge he has embraced, and which has clearly paid dividends in his second year at the club. “I was put into a new team and had to find the position in which I could be most useful, contribute the most and be effective,” he said. “I’m really enjoying it because it’s new and it’s a challenge.” A doctor on a GP rotation at Pioneer Health, the Harvey-born star came to Albany to work at the city’s heath campus as part of his medical training. He joined Sharks because he had heard good things and because he had previously played against Brett Peake, losing to him in a grand final when Peake and the Bunbury Bulldogs defeated Taylor’s Harvey Brunswick. Since then he has played in the Peel and Kalgoorlie competitions and represented the State country team three times – though not this year as WA celebrated reaching the top flight. “I suppose I had a bit of a mid-season slump, so I didn’t go to the carnival because I wanted a few weeks off,” he said. He is not sure if he will be a Shark next season as he wants to travel and surf, but he said he could be back for the second half of the campaign and would love to return to Albany. Before all that, there’s the small matter of a preliminary final on Saturday against Patching and Mt Barker, at the home of the Bulls. “It’s going to be feisty,” he said. “We have had some close hit-outs against them so it’s shaping up to be the big one.” 2025 Kleemann Medal leaderboard 19: Bailey Taylor (ALB) 18: Daniel Patching (MB) 17: Isaac Baum (ALB) Ryley Valli (RAIL) 13: Declan McNamara (ROY) 9: Beau Ewen (RAIL) Bodhi Stubber (RAIL) Tyler Stone (DW) 8: Jayden Scott (RAIL) 7: Darcy Wallinger (MB) Hayden Parker (RAIL) Jesse Owens (ALB) Robbie Lee (ALB) 6: Keane Griffiths (MB) Morgan Davies (ALB) Ryan Davies (RAIL)