By Kirstie Fitzgerald
While the dust settles on the junior competition for another year, the success and achievements of our future stars in the Western Region Football League were on show in the annual Junior Presentation Night held last night.
Over 450 people gathered at the Wyndham Cultural Centre to celebrate season 2014 with the top five players from each competition as well as premiership captains and coaches honoured for their exceptional performances this year.
Among the attendees where a number of special guests, including Western Bulldogs stars Dale Morris and Tory Dickson, Minister For Sports & Recreation The Honorable Damian Drum and 7News sports reporter Sean Sowerby.
Kicking off proceedings was the under 11 competition, where three premiership players stood out from the rest, with Point Cook’s Joshua Kuppen (Under 11C), Flemington Juniors’ Marcus Jackman (Under 11B) and Point Cook’s Massimo D’Ambrosio (Under 11A) crowned the competition’s best players in their divisions.
Having taken home the silverware a fortnight ago, D’Ambrossio’s career is reaching new heights quickly, capitalising on his best and fairest form from season 2013 to win the same award back to back.
In the under 12 competition, the race for the top prize was a close one with Hoppers Crossing’s Kane Hynes taking home the under 12A award on 15 votes, ahead of Yarraville Seddon’s Samuel Metcalfe who polled 14 votes.
While the Warriors were defeated in the junior finals series, there are promising signs for the future with Hynes winning back to back best and fairest awards, this time in a higher division.
“I won the best and fairest award in the under 11B team last year when we won the premiership, but this year I didn’t expect to win it being that it was my first season in the under 12A grade,” he said.
Rounding out the best under 12 players were Newport Power’s Bader Ismail (Under 12B) and Deer Park premiership player Jericho Dadis (Under 12C) who both had stellar seasons for their respective clubs.
Having been crowned the best and fairest winner in the under 12C competition for North Footscray in 2012, it seems Karan Bharathi has fitted into his new club Altona Juniors seamlessly, taking home the Under 13A best and fairest award with 28 votes.
Bharathi had a dominant season kicking a personal best of 15 goals this year, taking his career tally to 23.
If captaining the St.Albans Football Club’s under 13B team to a grand final earlier this year was a surprise for Dylan Ciappara, there was no hiding his delight when announced the competition’s best player.
“I was completely shocked…there were a lot of great players this year and to take it home was a real honour,” he said.
In the under 14A division, it seemed like déjà vu for young Werribee Districts star Connor Thar, who added yet another best and fairest medallion to his trophy cabinet, building on from his win from 2013 in the under 13B competition.
Captaining the Tigers to a nine point win over St Bernard’s in the Grand Final less than three weeks ago, it seems the sky’s the limit for Thar, who also took home his second Interleague Best and Fairest award in the process.
In a similar fashion to the way the grand finals played out, it was another tight finish in the Under 14B and 14C competitions, with St. Albans’ Buku Khamis and Deer Park’s Mutaz El Nour taking home best and fairest honours.
Wrapping up the junior competition was the under 16 divisions which set the benchmark for the rest of the junior players coming through the ranks.
Yarraville Seddon’s Benjamin Wagland took home the coveted 16A prize after a solid year which saw him part of the premiership team who defeated Hoppers Crossing in a close encounter by 10 points.
Wagland had a great overall season for the Eagles which was highlighted in the WRFL junior interleague carnival, named in the top six best players in this year’s under 16 squad.
While the grand final result didn't go the way Deer Park’s Mark Galea would have liked in the Under 16B competition, his efforts and determination didn’t go unrewarded, winning the competition’s top individual prize.
Galea’s golden boot proved too good for many of his opponents throughout the season, kicking a career high 53 goals this year.
Also licking the wounds of a grand final defeat was Albanvale’s Sam Bonnici who took home the best and fairest medal in the under 16C division.
Named in the Cobra’s best players an incredible 11 times this year, Bonnici clinched the win over Glen Orden’s Soni Rainbow (22 votes) and last year’s Under 14B winner Joshua Mould (19votes) from Wyndhamvale.
In the second year of the combined EDFL/WRFL Youth Girls competition, Wyndhamvale’s Brooke Eley was judged the best female talent in the WRFL for 2014.
A leader both on and off the field, Eley’s year was one to remember, managing to beat last year’s winner Brittany Bonnici (St.Albans) and Deer Park’s Ebony Stevens who drew in second place on 11 votes.
While all premiership captains and coaches were presented with the Grand Final trophies for their team’s achievements, eight other individuals were recognised for their efforts in the WRFL Interleague competition earlier this year.
Although both the Spotswood and Manor Lakes Football Clubs missed out on finals action, Ethan Bentley (Under 13) and Adam Wharemate-Waiti (Under 12) had something to smile about after being awarded best interleague players from their respective grades.
Joining them in the other divisions were Werribee District duo Connor That (Under 14 Division One) and Jacob Spinks (Under 15 Division Two) as well as Williamstown Juniors’ Will Smyth (Under 14 Division Two), Hoppers Crossing’s Dylan Kizan (Under 15 Division One), Flemington Juniors’ Lucas Czajko (Under 16) and St.Albans star Madeline Lister (Youth Girls).
Stay tuned on our WRFL webiste in the coming days for a behind the scenes look at this year’s Junior Presentation Night, when the WRFL Junior Footy Show catch up with some of our best junior players.
Last Modified on 28/08/2014 16:29