By LIAM TWOMEY
WILLIAMSTOWN captain Ben Jolley was rewarded for yet another outstanding year in the VFL, after being named in the competition’s Team of the Year. He was selected on the half back line along with Port Melbourne’s Sam Pleming and Sam Iles from the Box Hill Hawks.
Jolley played in 14 home-and-away matches for the Seagulls and was named in the club’s best players on seven occasions.
As well as kicking six goals, he was also named Williamstown’s outright best player against Coburg in round two, Box Hill in round 12 and Collingwood in round 16.
The announcement was made at last week’s J.J. Liston Trophy.
Jolley’s teammate Willie Wheeler was the highest placed Seagull in the medal count, which is given to the competition’s best player.
Wheeler polled 11 votes to finish in the top 10.
The result is a major tick for the Williamstown recruiting department, which signed Wheeler for the 2013 season.
He had previously played for the Coburg Tigers.
From his 17 matches in the home-and-away season, Wheeler kicked 10 goals and was among the club’s best players nine times.
The J.J. Liston Trophy ended in a three-way tie between Steve Clifton (North Ballarat), Mitch Hallahan (Box Hill Hawks) and Jordan Schroder (Geelong).
With only four players in contention going into the final round, Schroder leapt from fourth to a three-way tie when he polled the maximum votes in Geelong’s 201-point win against Bendigo Gold, joining Clifton and Hallahan for the win.
The trio was locked on 17 votes.
It was the eighth time in the history of the Liston that there has been more than one winner.
Northern Blues player Kane Lambert finished in fourth spot.
