Phelan wins second straight Outridge Medal with SubiacoSaturday, October 8, 2016 - 3:50 PM - by Chris Pike

CHRIS Phelan continued to build his reputation as an all-time great of the Subiaco Football Club adding a second fairest and best award to his collection by winning the Outridge Medal for 2016 on Friday night.

Phelan became the first man since Dwayne Lamb in 1984-5 to claim back-to-back Outridge Medal awards when he was named Subiaco's fairest and best winner for a 2016 that saw the Lions make another WAFL Grand Final.

Subiaco came into 2016 having won the last two WAFL premierships and the Lions were the standout team throughout the season again finishing as minor premiers.

Subiaco then qualified straight for the Grand Final with a second semi-final victory over South Fremantle before going down to Peel Thunder in the Grand Final, but it still would have to go down as a successful season for the Lions despite the high standards the club sets.

One thing remained constant for Subiaco was the reliability of Phelan in the midfield. On the back of winning his first Outridge Medal last year in a premiership season, he again averaged almost 25 possessions a game throughout 2016 with his consistency a great highlight.

That's why he again finished atop the fairest and best voting for Subiaco to now give him two Outridge Medals in a career that has included 141 WAFL games and seen him play in two premierships.

He has turned himself into one of the best and most consistent midfielders in the competition having started his career as a half-back trying to cement a regular a spot in a side that made four consecutive Grand Finals between 2005 and 09.

Phelan claimed the Outridge Medal ahead of defender Aaron Heal who took his game to another level in 2016 as one of the outstanding backmen in the WAFL.

That saw him also play for WA for the first time in the state game victory to the tune of 134 points over Tasmania at Steel Blue Oval.

Heal did some outstanding stopping jobs on some of the best forwards in the WAFL throughout 2016 including Bernie Naylor Medallist Ben Saunders from South Fremantle.

Heal was part of an outstanding defensive unit from Subiaco that included Declan Jackson, Jordan Lockyer, Greg Broughton, Chris Bryan, Joel Latham, Wayde Twomey and then late in the season Daniel Leishman.

Subiaco captain Kyal Horsley had another outstanding season to finish third in fairest and best voting while also being named Player of the Finals after a particularly outstanding Grand Final that saw him finish with 39 possessions and two goals.

Chris Bryan stepped up as part of the back-line and was rewarded with the Barron Rising Star Award while Clancy Wheeler was named the Best Clubman and both Braden Fimmano and Joel Latham received Newton Screaigh Memorial Awards.

Subiaco's reserves again made finals in 2016 losing to East Fremantle in the elimination final. Matthew Bogensperger was one of a host of players trying to break in for a league berth on a regular basis and he delivered a strong, consistent season to claim the Blakemore Medal as the fairest and best for 2016.

Max Walters was runner-up to the reserves fairest and best for a second straight season while Ryan Vermeersch and Jeremy Woodley weren’t far behind either.

OUTRIDGE MEDAL
Fairest and best winner: Chris Phelan
Runner-up: Aaron Heal
Outstanding Play Award: Kyal Horsley

LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS
Player of the Finals: Kyal Horsley
Leading Goalkicker: Hamish Shepheard (51 goals)
Barron Rising Star Award: Chris Bryan
Best Clubman: Clancy Wheeler
Newton Screaigh Memorial Awards: Braden Fimmano, Joel Latham

RESERVES AWARD WINNERS
Blakemore Medal (fairest and best winner): Matthew Bogensperger
Runner-up: Max Walters
Outstanding Play Award: Ryan Vermeersch
Outstanding Play Award: Jeremy Woodley