By Adrian Ceddia
FIRST-year recruit Steven Greene became the latest entry in the Williamstown history books when he took out the Gerry Callahan Medal on the weekend.
The hard-nosed Seagull midfielder won the award, given to the best and fairest in the seniors, by just five votes in a stirring count.
It was a quinella for the new faces at Williamstown, with former Carlton and Northern Bullants midfielder Brett Johnson finishing second on 90 votes. Collingwood-listed player Adam Iacobucci was third on 71 votes.
Greene played 42 Australian Football League games for Hawthorn, including three last season, before making the move to Burbank Oval as a Williamstown-listed player.
He played 20 matches for the Seagulls this year, and was among the best players in the preliminary final loss to Geelong.
Greene’s season was one of marvellous consistency – he polled in 18 of his matches and finished an admirable second in the Victorian Football League’s Liston Trophy.
Tom Langlands won the Ron James Memorial Trophy – the players’ player award – while Patrick Rose won the coach’s award.
Castello pride of the Tigers
LOCAL product Robert Castello upstaged a host of senior fancies to take out Werribee’s 2006 Bruce Montgomery Medal on Friday.
Castello, a 20-year-old from Keilor Park and the Calder Cannons, won his second best and fairest award at the Tigers following on from his reserves medal as an 18-year-old in 2004. He won this year’s senior medal on 123 votes, 19 clear of full-forward and 2005 best and fairest James Podsiadly and 26 from the retiring Travis Robertson, a three-time Montgomery winner.
Castello was part of the young brigade which helped Werribee to the finals in 2006, playing 19 games and saving some of his best form for the last few weeks. His story is one of persistence, starting with a 2005 season of dodging between the reserves and seniors and finishing in a remarkably consistent 2006, where he played every game in the seniors.
More members of the young Tigers featured in the presentations, including 19-year-old Sam Wormald, who was named best first-year player, and 21-year-old Jarrod Young winning most improved.
