Cam Pedersen, right, was rewarded for a great VFL season by winning the Bruce Montgomery Trophy as the best and fairest player for the Werribee Tigers in 2012. 87958_02 Picture: CONTRIBUTED
By LIAM TWOMEY
CAM Pedersen capped off an outstanding year in the Victorian Football League by winning Werribee’s best and fairest award last week.
The North Melbourne listed player showed why he has a number of high profile clubs chasing him in the AFL’s trade week, beating Liston Trophy winner Ben Ross and fellow big man Ben McKinley to claim the award.
Pedersen played in 16 matches for the Tigers throughout the 2012 season and filled a number of roles for coach Scott West in both key positions and ruck. He was also named in the club’s best players on 11 occasions.
West praised the hard work of Pedersen throughout the season.
“Like all the Kangaroos’ players, Cam came down and gave us 100 per cent on and off the field,” West said.
“His ability to fill a number of roles on the ground makes him a very important player and he thoroughly deserves this award.”
Pedersen also played in two matches for North Melbourne during the year in rounds six and eight against West Coast and Port Adelaide respectively.
However, the 193cm utility wasn’t the only winner on the night with a number of the Tigers’ players and staff rewarded for their hard work throughout the season.
Former Western Jets TAC Cup player Lachlan Fairley was named Werribee’s Best First Year Player in his first season out of junior football.
Fairley spent the majority of the season playing in the AFL Development League where he notched up 16 games and seven best on ground performances.
His consistent efforts throughout the year also saw the rising star named in the seniors for three matches, where he was able to hold his own despite the jump in standard.
The Development League best and fairest was won by Ben Moloney, who just got over the line from Jye Bolton and Jack Purton–Smith in third.
Other winners on the night included Nathan Laracy who took out the Most Committed Player award, Shaun White was named Most Improved, Scott Sherlock received the Coaches Award and 54 goals were enough to see Ben Warren secure the Seniors’ Leading Goal Kicker prize.
The best and fairest presentation brings to a close the 2012 season for Werribee which was able to reach the VFL preliminary final, before being beaten by eventual premier Geelong by just five points.
