Shane Hockey wins WJ Hughes Medal in first Bulldogs seasonSaturday, October 8, 2016 - 1:25 PM - by Chris Pike

SOUTH Fremantle recruit Shane Hockey capped a stunning first WAFL season with the Bulldogs by claiming the WJ Hughes Medal on Friday night just ahead of Marlion Pickett and Steve Verrier.

South Fremantle's league, reserves and colts teams all played in the WAFL finals in 2016 leading the Bulldogs to claiming the Rodriguez Shield as the strongest performing club in the competition.

That outstanding all-round season was celebrated on Friday night at Fremantle Community Bank Oval in the Griff John Function Centre with the presentation of the fairest and best awards for all three grades.

The night concluded with 2016 recruit Shane Hockey capping his stunning first season in the WAFL by claiming the WJ Hughes Medal as the fairest and best player in the league side.

That was after earlier Jake Florenca took out the Roy McGuinness Medal as the reserves fairest and best, and Daniel Burke claimed both the Dave Ingraham Memorial Medal and the City of Fremantle Mayoral Trophy as the fairest and best winner in the colts.

Hockey won the Hughes Medal with 149 votes ahead of Marlion Pickett (141), Steve Verrier (128), Tim Kelly (125), Ashton Hams (118), Mason Shaw (103), Blayne Wilson (103), Ryan Cook (96), Haiden Schloithe (95), Ben Saunders (94), Jacob Dragovich (87), Josh Pullman (81) and Blaine Johnson (76).

Hockey takes out the Hughes Medal after his first season with South Fremantle after more than 100 games in the VFL with Frankston.

He had an outstanding and consistent season as a hard at it midfielder and a prolific ball winner and that was reflected in the fairest and best voting.

Pickett finished second in the Hughes Medal voting after coming in third last year behind winner Ashton Hams and runner-up Ryan Cook.

It was another scintillating season out of defence by Pickett with his ability to run and carry the football a highlight, but just as much was his defensive ability to halve or win contests from any position.

Steve Verrier was rewarded with a third-place finish for a tremendously versatile and consistent season.

The former Richmond draftee showed that he could be an effective attacking midfielder in his own right but also did some tremendous run-with roles and spent time at half-back during the season.

His ability to shut down players, win the ball in close and in space, use the ball well with his skills and to play so many roles made him one of South Fremantle's most important players in 2016.

Another player to go to another level in 2016 was Kelly who finished fourth in the medal count to cap a season that saw the midfielder also represent Western Australia for the first time in the state match victory over Tasmania.

Last year's winner Hams finished fifth having missed a host of games through the middle of the season with a calf injury.

Other league award winners included Josh Pullman claiming the Player of the Finals award after his outstanding performances against West Perth's Michael Lourey, Subiaco's Hamish Shepheard and Peel Thunder's Michael Apeness to cap his first season as a defender.

Ben Saunders was again the leading goalkicker with 59 goals to claim the John Gerovich Trophy having also won the Bernie Naylor Medal as the WAFL's top goal scorer for 2016.

Ruckman Brock Higgins took home the Culver Family Award for courage and perseverance while the Best Clubman award went to Jarrod Parry after his season was ended before it began due to a knee reconstruction.

Marlion's younger brother Tyson Pickett was also named Best First Year Player.

Florenca won the McGuinness Medal as the reserves fairest and best with 106 votes ahead of Matthew Ah Siu (85), James Laurino (84), Tim Stewart (78), Brandon Donaldson (73), Noah Strom (67), Bailey Matera (66), Dylan Main (66), Shaun Bewick (60), Billy Collier (58), Josh Collard (56) and Jesse Mirco (52).

After coming runner-up to Brandon Donaldson for the colts fairest and best last year, Florenca made a successful transition to senior football. He did play two league matches but he excelled in the reserves as a prolific ball winning midfielder.

Ah Siu also consolidated himself as a senior footballer to be runner-up while Laurino finished third for the second straight season. Adam Guglielmana brought his 125 games of league experience to the reserves finals and was named Player of the Finals.

Meanwhile, Burke was the colts fairest and best winner for 2016 finishing with 105 votes to win.

He won ahead of Dylan Brown (93), Shai Bolton (90), Bruno Faulkner (88), Kyle Russell (62), Jimmy Miller (62), Brodee Knight (47), Caleb Datson (43), Chad Pearson (41), Jacob Warne (39), Tim English (36), Seaton Thompson (33), Antionne Forrest Yarran (32) and Zane Sumich (31).

As the fairest and best winner, Burke claimed both the Dave Ingraham Memorial Medal and the City of Fremantle Mayoral Trophy. Brown claimed the L&F Mihaljevich Award as runner-up.

It was a good night for Bolton with the likely draftee not only finishing third in fairest and best voting but being named Player of the Finals, Most Consistent Player and the leading goalkicker.

Antionne Forrest-Yarran was presented with the Collard Family Encouragement Award with Riley Burke receiving the Past Player & Officials Encouragement Award.

Seaton Thompson was named Best Team Man and Bruno Faulkner the Best First Year Player.

LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS
WJ Hughes Medal (Fairest and Best): Shane Hockey

N MacDonald Memorial Trophy (Runner-up): Marlion Pickett

Past Player & Officials Trophy (Third place): Steve Verrier

Player of the Finals: Josh Pullman

John Gerovich Trophy (Leading Goalkicker): Ben Saunders (59 goals)

Shearer Family Award (Best First Year Player): Tyson Pickett

Culver Family Award (Courage & Perseverance): Brock Higgins

Warren Medal (Best Clubman): Jarrod Parry

S & D Jewellery Award (Outstanding Performance): Marlion Pickett

RESERVES AWARD WINNERS
Roy McGuinness Medal (Fairest and Best): Jake Florenca

Centurion Club Award (Runner-up Fairest and Best): Matthew Ah Siu

Harold Harper Award (Third Fairest and Best): James Laurino

Player of the Finals: Adam Guglielmana

Leading Goalkicker: Jesse Mirco (40 goals)

COLTS AWARD WINNERS
Dave Ingraham Memorial Medal (Fairest and Best): Daniel Burke

City of Fremantle Mayoral Trophy (Fairest and Best): Daniel Burke

L & F Mihaljevich Award (Runner-up Fairest and Best): Dylan Brown

Terry Dean Award (Most Consistent Player): Shai Bolton

Player of the Finals: Shai Bolton

Collard Family Encouragement Award: Antionne Forrest-Yarran

Past Players & Officials Encouragement Award: Riley Burke

Len Gilchrist Award (Leading Goalkicker): Shai Bolton (37 goals)

Bob and Sabrina Maumill Award (Best Team Man): Seaton Thompson

FLN Group Award (Best First Year Player): Bruno Faulkner