Werribee Districts’ co-captain Matthew Dean claimed the Western Region Football League’s highest individual honour last night, taking home the coveted 2014 Barry Priest Medal.
Playing all 21 games this season, the hard working rover joins a long list of exceptional players, becoming the 90th person to receive the award in the league’s 83 year history.
“It’s a real shock to be honest…I was not expecting this at all,” Dean said when accepting his award.
The Priest Medal caps off a stellar season for the 25-year-old, who earned a Team of the Year selection, was a WRFL Senior Interleague representative and was named in the best players on 15 occasions, five of which were best on ground performances.
With the Tigers returning to the WRFL after 17 seasons in the Victorian Amateurs Football Association, Dean becomes the first Werribee Districts player to take home the league’s top individual honour.
“As a club we have had a fantastic season back in the WRFL at both senior and junior levels so to be awarded with the Barry Priest Medal is a huge honour,” he said.
Sitting behind St.Albans’ Joel West and Hoppers Crossing’s Wayde Skipper after Round 15, Dean managed to poll in all three remaining rounds, two of which he was deemed best on ground to take home his first Priest Medal.
Moving from the Bendigo Football League to join the Saints in 2012, West’s second-place finish (19 votes) was a sensational effort after missing two matches during the home and away season, while the transition from VFL level to local football was a seamless one for Hoppers Crossing star recruit Wayde Skipper who finished close behind in third place (18 votes).
Despite being ineligible for the top prize, 2014 Herb Pascarl Medalist and Deer Park dual premiership player Kwame McHarg finished close behind in fourth place with 16 votes.
“I had a pretty good season I guess but I always think that individual accolades aren’t really individual because you have 21 other blokes out there working with you towards the same goal each week, so I would really like to share and thank this with my teammates,” Dean said.
“There is such a high caliber of players in the league, with a lot of standout players across all clubs, so it was always going to be a close count, but I never thought that it would be me who would accept the award that’s for sure.”
It was a tight race in the Division Two best and fairest count, with premiership captain Chris Muratore named this year’s Alan Smith Medalist.
The 2014 Division Two/Three Team of the Year Captain polled 25 votes in his club’s dominant season, ahead of West Footscray ruckman Michael Kennedy (21 votes), Manor Lakes’ Nathan Montague (18 votes) and Caroline Springs spearhead Shaun Buttigieg-Clarke (16 votes).
Having not had a Division Three Best and Fairest medal since 1998, Braybrook ball magnet Levi Wallace became the fourteenth person to take home top honours, winning the league’s inaugural Ron and Thelma Angwin Medal on 16 votes.
And it seemed as though three wasn’t a crowd for the 2014 premiers, with fellow Braybrook teammates Mathew Charenko (11 votes) and Lee Braun (10 votes) polling well to round out the top three.
In the reserves competition, it was a case of déjà vu for Altona’s Brett Miller who won his third consecutive Division One Best and Fairest on 20 votes, Parkside’s Ben Ashman was awarded top prize for the Division Two count, while Sanctuary Lakes star Grant Jones was deemed the fairest and best player of the Division Three competition on 17 votes.
Despite missing out on a grand final appearance, Deer Park Under 18s captain Sohrab Ismail capped off his terrific season with the Division One Under 18 Best and Fairest award on 17 votes, while Wyndhamvale’s Liam Scarborough’s debut year as an under 18s player was highlighted with the Division Two Best and Fairest medallion, adding to his Under 16 best and fairest award last year.
In other awards, Deer Park’s James Wong kicked his way to the top of the goal kicking table taking home the 2014 Andrew Gibson Medal (81 goals) while Werribee District young gun Tyler Crennan stood out from his peers to secure the Rookie of the Year Award.
While the night recognises the outstanding achievements on the field, it also acknowledges the hard work seen on the sidelines, with Wyndham Suns club administrator Val Lear awarded the Lindsay Patching Memorial Club Official of the Year Award, while West Footscray’s David Watson took home the Melbourne Injury Lawyers Unsung Hero Award.
The league’s top umpires were also acknowledged for their work during the season, with Greg Denison (Field) and Paul Battaglia (Goal) winning their second consecutive Umpire of the Year award, while Lewis Spiker chalked up his first Umpire of the Year award for his work along the boundary.
CLICK HERE to see the Top 3 Best and Fairest vote getters or CLICK HERE to see a breakdown of this year’s votes.
Last Modified on 04/10/2014 09:27