In his first year for the club, White polled 14 votes through the 15 rounds to take the medal ahead of Rovers Michael Dombrovski and Tigers Jarrod Harrison.

“I was actually born here back in 1983, but being from Melbourne, I never thought I’d actually come back to Mount Isa,” White said.

“Once I made the call to come here for work, never in my wildest dreams did I even consider myself a chance for this award.”

The 30-year-old’s father was actually a Rovers coach when the family lived in Mount Isa during the 1980s.

“The old man actually coached the Rovers when we lived here, so it hurt him when I signed up with the Buffaloes,” he said.

Dombrovski led the count after nine rounds with 12 points, but didn’t poll a vote in the final rounds, while favourite Jamison Billy (Young Guns) didn’t poll as high as expected.

After claiming the leading goal-kicking award for the season earlier in the night, Jamison went for an astonishing $720 in the Cargill Medal calcutta.

White’s medal win makes it two in as many years’ for the Buffaloes as James Page broke the club’s 17-year drought last year when he topped the votes.