Sandover Medal: Fremantle Dockers captain Nat Fyfe and West Coast Eagles’ Nic Naitanui poll Sandover votes

Fremantle captain Nat Fyfe and West Coast ruck Nic Naitanui notched a rare statistic at Tuesday night’s Sandover Medal count.

The pair both polled one vote each — the first for Fyfe since a three-vote year in 2010 and Naitanui’s first since a collection of six in 2009.

Fyfe made his league debut for the Dockers’ affiliate Peel Thunder in Round 7 as he recovered from long-term shoulder and back problems during his injury-plagued season.

The dual-Brownlow medallist had 24 disposals and kicked 0.2, including an opportunity spurned to win the game for the Thunder.

It was enough for him to sneak in for one vote, with teammate and eventual match-winner Josh Treacy claiming maximum votes for his three-goal and 19-disposal game.

Fyfe was drafted at the end of 2009 by the Dockers and played 18 senior games for them, but also four for Claremont, where he kicked 13 goals. He was in the All-Australian squad by the end of next season and wouldn’t play WAFL for another 13 years.

Fyfe is 12th on the all-time Brownlow Medal charts, polling 187 votes in the AFL’s most prestigious medal, since he last had his name read out at the Sandover.

The towering Naitanui played 17 games for Swan Districts during his draft year and notched three votes, before polling six votes from as many games during his first year at the Eagles.

He has played just twice since the 2009 preliminary final, returning from another knee injury through the Eagles’ WAFL side in a rare win over South Fremantle.

Naitanui had 17 disposals, 26 hit-outs and kicked two goals — including the first of the game — in his return.

The Eagles ruck is expected to sign a new two-year deal at the club, after ending the season by missing the Round 23 trip to Geelong because he required more knee surgery.

It came as East Fremantle star Blaine Boekhorst hung on to win a thrilling Sandover Medal count, despite rupturing his ACL in Round 16.

The former Carlton player held off surges from ex-West Coast midfielder Hamish Brayshaw, retiring South Fremantle champion Haiden Schloithe and West Perth’s Luke Meadows to win the count.