By Adrian Ceddia
IT won’t go down as North Sunshine’s greatest year on the field in the Western Region Football League (WRFL), but the club turned out to a brilliant season personally for one of its most consistent performers.
Robert Telfer picked up the Alan Smith Medal for the best and fairest player in Division Two at the league’s presentation night on Saturday.
While Glenorden and Deer Park demanded most of the headlines this year, Telford worked tirelessly to ensure the Roadrunners’ first season back in the second division was a success. He polled 19 votes in the count, winning by two votes from Deer Park first-year player Ryan Blyth and Wyndham Vale’s Brett Cook, who were tied on 17 votes.
Telfer enjoyed an outstanding season, playing 16 matches and being named among North Sunshine’s best players on 13 occasions. Blyth played 19 games for the Lions and was one of the best players in his team’s grand final side.
He and team-mate Chris Robertson were among the top six vote getters in the Smith Medal count, while Wyndham Vale and Glenorden had two representatives each in the top 12. Century goalkicker Steven Lane capped off his final season in the WRFL by finishing in a tie for eighth.
In other awards won on the night, Reece Miles picked up the Division One rookie of the year award for his outstanding season for Hoppers Crossing.
Miles started the season in the Warriors’ reserves side but played the rest of the season in the seniors, improving as the year progressed before being named one of the best players in the losing grand final side.
In the under 18s, Ryan Noye took out the A Grade best and fairest for his season with Spotswood, while Werribee Junior Andrew Maki and Western Magpie Drew Mitchell were joint winners of the B Grade medal.
