Phyland said he was shocked and humbled to win the Dellar Medal – the first time in a long and decorated career he had claimed a league’s top honour.
The versatile midfielder played most of his career with Bacchus Marsh in the Ballarat Football Netball League, playing in the club’s only premiership in 2016 and being named in the league team of the year.
After finally departing Bacchus Marsh he spent single seasons at Torquay, Macedon and Maiden Gully YCW before joining Noradjuha-Quantong in 2025.
Phyland said he had found a new home and rediscovered his passion for football at the Bombers.
“I’ve played a lot of footy over the years, and through my late 20s I still loved my footy but I was sort of wondering which way to go with it, whether to maybe get into surfing or something a bit more cruisy,” he said.
“Like a lot of people, my life changed around 2020 with the COVID pandemic. I just started to see different things that I could get into, and I thought maybe I’d just commit a bit more time to that.
“And then this opportunity came up to have a run up here, and it just felt right. You know when it feels right in your gut.”
Phyland said Bomber Brock Orval was instrumental in recruiting him to the club, but that the wider Noradjuha-Quantong community had made him feel instantly welcome.
“It’s really nice to get out here. Your Geelong areas and places like that are I guess called country footy, but this is proper country footy,” he said.
“It ticks a lot of boxes for me and where I’m at at this stage in my life and what I want to get out of football.”
Having discovered a renewed passion for football, Phyland said he was unsure of how much longer he would play.
“I’m turning 33 now. I think you just kind of know when it’s time to stop, and it’s hard to tell when that’s going to be,” he said.
“Probably the short answer is I’m just really excited for this weekend.”
With Noradjuha-Quantong preparing for a grand final on Saturday – and a chance to finally break through for the club’s first-ever senior premiership since forming in 1997 – Phyland said he and the team were focused on one goal.
“It feels a little bit different to last year in the sense that last year we played some of our best footy in patches during the year, whereas it feels like we’ve sort of built into the final series this year,” he said.
“It’s been a bit more of a mature outlook.”
Other winners
While Laharum’s Fenner finished joint runner-up in the Dellar Medal count, he took home a trophy as the league’s leading goal-kicker for 2026 with a tally of 96 during the home-and-away season.
Natimuk United’s Oscar Miller won recognition as the best under-21 player, while Kaniva-Leeor United swingman Blake Dodson and Harrow-Balmoral’s Burbury were co-winners of the best opposition player award.
In the reserves, Natimuk United coach Jono Lovel polled 27 votes to win the Richie Dunlop Medal, five votes ahead of runner-up Dylan Arnott of Pimpinio. Arnott’s team-mate Dylan Baker was the top goal kicker with 70 for the season.
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