Drouin’s Ben Proctor won the WGLFL reserves best-and-fairest medal last week.By Ken Moore
SALE coach and tough midfielder Adrian Cox, along with speedy Traralgon half-forward Michael Geary, tied with 14 votes each in the Trood Award and Rodda Medal for the best player in the West Gippsland Latrobe Football League.
Both players were presented with the award at the league medal night held on Monday at the Warragul Harness Club.
Cox, a former Gippsland Power under-18 player, who was drafted by AFL club Hawthorn in 1999, returned to the district last season and took the Magpies to the 2008 premiership.
Geary, an elusive midfield-forward was also a former Gippsland Power under-18 player and returned to Traralgon this season after missing nearly two with injury.
It was the equal lowest Trood Award and Rodda Medal winning total since the inception of the award in 1954.
There was a hard luck story, though, in vastly improved Moe ruckman Chris Hancock, who polled the most votes, 15, but was ineligible due to a one-week suspension, incurred in the Lions’ round-10 clash with Garfield.
Tallish Maffra utility Daniel Stubbe, who led at the end of the penultimate round, and Warragul centreman Ryan Davey, both with 13 votes, tied for third, while on 12 votes sat Leongatha midfielder Tom Dowd and Moe coach Troy Makepeace.
The evenness of the count was indicative of the closeness of the season.
Earlier in the night Geary was presented with the League Champion Award in which he also polled 14 votes to win from Leongatha forward Dwayne Holt, who came in second with 11 votes.
The Rex Hartley medal for the reserves best and fairest was won in convincing fashion by former Drouin senior coach Ben Proctor, who polled 27 votes to gap Moe’s John James, with 16 votes and Maffra ruckman Andrew Dunsmuir who polled 15 votes.
The WGLFL 2009 team of the year was announced and featured four players from Traralgon, led by half-backs Jamie Aitken and Leigh Cummins, Michael Geary and ruckman Rohan Hore, the latter selected on the interchange bench.
Maroon mentor Steve Hazelman was chosen as the coach of the year.
The spine of the team was occupied by Moe’s Ashley Payne at full-back, Drouin’s Damien Carmody at centre half-back, former AFL Roo and Moe’s Troy Makepeace filled the pivot, Moe star Matt Forys occupied centre half-forward and at full-forward was star Leongatha recruit Dwayne Holt.
The departing Garfield was represented by its never-say-die captain-coach Brent Eastwell, who was selected on the pine.
At the end of the night, league president Brian McKenzie thanked Garfield that has applied to join the Ellinbank and District Football League in 2010 for its participation in the WGLFL and for its ability to punch above its weight division.
He wished the Stars all the best in their future pursuits.
McKenzie also said he hoped to welcome back Wonthaggi into the league in upcoming years.
The WGLNA shared centre stage and the highlight of the night for the girls was the A-grade vote count that was won by Drouin’s Ebony Mumford, who crossed to the Hawks from Bunyip over summer.
She polled 27 votes to pip Leongatha’s Kate Govers by five votes with Drouin’s Christie Proctor coming in third with 21 votes.
