Strijk and Nelson share West Perth's Breckler MedalFriday, October 4, 2013 - 11:22 PM - by Chris Pike

THE West Perth Football Club has honoured its premiership team of 2013 at the Breckler Medal count on Friday at Joondalup Resort with joint winners announced in a tight fairest and best count that saw precious little separate the top-four players.

Very few honours in football are valued more highly than winning the fairest and best award for your club in a premiership year, and now damaging half-back Andrew Strijk and prolific midfielder Shane Nelson have been honoured as joint Breckler Medallists for the West Perth Football Club in 2013.

It is the first time that both players have won a Breckler Medal and Strijk across half-back and Nelson through the middle were both pivotal in the Falcons finishing the home and away season in second spot, beating Claremont to make the grand final and then beating East Perth to claim the 2013 premiership.

Strijk and Nelson both finished on 125 votes just ahead of Matt Guadagnin (123), Aaron Black (117), Marc Crisp (114), Jordan Jones (111), Jay van Berlo (110), Steven Browne (105), Chris Keunen (103) and Dan Hunt (102).

Strijk has now played 133 games for West Perth and had perhaps the best season of his career in 2013 upon returning to the Falcons full-time after time with West Coast in the AFL.

He settled into a role across half-back again after the Eagles wanted him to play as a half-forward, and averaged 20.3 possessions a game including a high of 27 in Round 13.

The 26-year-old also played for WA in the state game win over Victoria and his consistency in providing run and drive out of defence, not to mention his outstanding kicking sees him as a deserved premiership Breckler Medal winner.

Nelson might have only played 15 league games coming into the 2013 season, but had shown terrific signs as an emerging midfielder last year and took that up another level further this season.

The 20-year-old played every game for West Perth in 2013 and was a key part of the midfield and a prolific ball winner averaging 26.9 possessions.

His consistency was remarkable with him never having a match of less than 17 possessions and only twice did he gather fewer than 20 disposals.

He started the season with back-to-back games of 30 possessions in Rounds 1 and 2 before going on to have six more games of over 30 disposals including 35 in Round 7, 32 in Round 12, 31 in Round 16 and then a team-high 42 in Round 24 against Swan Districts.

Then of course there was his 36 possessions and 13 clearances in the grand final win over East Perth before he now has a Breckler Medal around his neck after just 37 league matches.

It was that grand final effort that got Nelson the share of the Breckler Medal when he received 12 votes for that game. He went into the grand final five behind Strijk, and Strijk still received a strong seven for his efforts, but Nelson's brilliant grand final put him up even with his teammate.

Strijk and Nelson couldn’t be separated in the voting for the Breckler Medal in what is just the second time in history that the fairest and best award has been shared at West Perth.

Remarkably the only other time it has happened since a fairest and best award was first presented in 1923 was when Terence (Checker) O'Keefe and Jack Pola split the award in the premiership year of 1941.

The major reason why West Perth won the 2013 premiership was because of the evenness of the side across all 22 players that lined up any given week, and across the field and that was recognised in the Breckler Medal voting.

Not only were Strijk and Nelson joint winners, but 162-game veteran midfielder Matt Guadagnin was just behind to be runner-up and again the 29-year-old came so close once again to a Breckler Medal.

However, his consistent finishes high-up in the count over the past decade shows just how valuable a member of the Falcons he has been and why he is such a deserved premiership player now.

Twenty-year-old wingman Aaron Black finished third as he was recognised for his outstanding season that including him being West Perth's highest vote winner in the Sandover Medal, representing Western Australia in the win over Victoria and of course then becoming a premiership player.

Fourth was Marc Crisp and his is a terrific story in its own right.

The 26-year-old had managed only 31 league games for West Perth since making his debut in 2008 prior to the start of this year, but cemented himself as a key member of the forward-line both in terms of kicking goals and putting on strong defensive pressure.

He then kicked four goals in the second semi-final win over Claremont and two in the grand final to cap off a terrific season. Crisp also received the Coach's Award from Bill Monaghan.

Young key position player Nick Rodda was also acknowledged for his season that ended in the premiership receiving the Santana Electrical Rising Star Award.

Jordan Jones made no secret that he came to West Perth to be part of team success ahead of the 2012 season once his time in the AFL with the West Coast Eagles ended, and he got the premiership in 2013 and was presented with the Carbone/De Vita Award.

Premiership defenders Luke Tedesco and Steven Browne were also presented with the City of Joondalup Best Clubman and Wayne Dayman Courage Awards respectively while the Joondalup Resort Sacrificial Act Award went to Kody Manning.

The West Perth reserves team put in a terrific showing to make the grand final in 2013 and Swan Districts recruit James Embley won the Roy Ennis Medal as the fairest and best winner ahead of Jack Thrum and Frank Stockley.

LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS
Breckler Medal (Fairest and Best): Andrew Strijk, Shane Nelson

Runner-up Fairest and Best: Matt Guadagnin

Ken Ashdown Memorial Award (Third Fairest and Best): Aaron Black

Past Players Award (Fourth Fairest and Best): Marc Crisp

Santana Electrical Rising Star Award: Nick Rodda

Carbone/De Vita Award: Jordan Jones

League Coach's Award: Marc Crisp

City of Joondalup Best Clubman Award: Luke Tedesco

Wayne Dayman Courage Award: Steven Browne

Ray Scott Memorial Award (Leading Goalkicker): Marc Crisp, Josh Mellington

Joondalup Resort Sacrificial Act Award: Kody Manning

RESERVES AWARD WINNERS
Roy Ennis Medal (Fairest and Best): James Embley

Runner-up Fairest and Best: Jack Thrum

Past Players Award (Third Fairest and Best): Frank Stockley

Reserves Coach's Award: Luke Meadows