Aaron Black adds Breckler Medal to Sandover MedalSaturday, October 10, 2015 - 4:00 PM - by Chris Pike

AARON Black's remarkable young WAFL career has gathered another significant landmark with the 22-year-old midfielder winning the Breckler Medal for the first time as West Perth's fairest and best for the 2015 season.

Black received the Breckler Medal as the fairest and best winner on Friday night at Joondalup's HBF Arena as the West Perth Football Club celebrated a tremendous 2015 season that saw the Falcons' league side make the grand final, and the reserves and colts both making the finals.

The evening was capped off with Black being presented the Breckler Medal with him now having played 109 matches for West Perth since making his debut in 2010.

Along the way, he has represented Western Australia in 2013 and 2015, played in West Perth's premiership victory of 2013 and grand final team of 2015 while also winning the Falcons' first Sandover Medal in 21 years when he claimed WA football's most prestigious individual award last year.

Black has finished third in both the last two seasons in fairest and best voting, and despite winning the Sandover Medal in 2014, he likely had the best season of his career in 2015.

He brought up his 100-game milestone along the way and the 22-year-old split his time between his usual role of playing on the wing and on the ball as a midfielder.

He ended up averaging 27.8 disposals a game including a high of 41 in the qualifying final win over Peel Thunder, and nine games of 30 or more touches while also kicking a career-high 18 goals in 24 matches.

Black took out the Breckler Medal for 2015 winning ahead of co-captain Jay van Berlo who was runner-up. Van Berlo was named fairest and best at West Perth in 2008, and now the premiership player and co-captain has been runner-up the last two years in voting.

Steven Browne is another 2013 premiership player who had a tremendous 2015 season for West Perth while celebrating his 100th game with the Falcons along the way, and he ended up third in Breckler Medal voting. 

Marcus Adams emerged as one of the best young players in the country during 2015 as a key defender who had the ability to overpower opponents, but also show great quickness, marking ability as well as being able to read the play and kick the ball long.

Having also played as a forward previously and at times during 2015, he finished fourth in fairest and best voting with the 22-year-old having a bright future either in the WAFL with West Perth or potentially the AFL.

Drew Rohde, Luke Meadows and Nick Rodda were other West Perth young players to receive awards throughout the night while first-year recruit Michael Lourey was presented with the Ray Scott Memorial Award as the leading goalkicker for 2015.

Also of note during the Breckler Medal awards night, was the retirement announcement of two more 2013 premiership players, Ray Bartholomew and Marc Crisp.

Bartholomew had a strong finish to the 2015 season after spending time early in the year in the reserves, and has decided to retire following a 187-game WAFL career with West Perth that includes not only the 2013 premiership but life membership, two-time Breckler Medal runner-up and state representative.

Crisp also is a premiership player having had his best season in 2013 after having to serve a long apprenticeship in the reserves. The 28-year-old now retires following 75 matches with the Falcons after making his debut in 2008.

West Perth's reserves had a strong season in 2015 making the finals and then winning their elimination final against East Perth, and Brayden Antonio was rewarded for his terrific year by claiming the Roy Ennis Medal as the fairest and best winner.

Dean Munns stepped up from the colts where he came third in fairest and best voting last year to be runner-up in the reserves in 2015, with the midfielder proving not only a strong ball-winner but a tackling machine.

Blake Wilhelm finished third and Broderick Walton claimed the Coaches Award from Michael Pratt.

West Perth's colts made the finals for the first time in 2015 for the first time in more than a decade, and won its elimination final against East Fremantle at HBF Arena to cap off a terrific season.

Conal Lynch won the Dominish Medal as the fairest and best winner for 2015 ahead of Ben Mountford and Scott Nelson. Tom O'Brien was named most promising colts player with Jacob Turner receiving the award of excellence and Nathan Alexandre the Past Players Encouragement Award.

Craig Thomas was named the WAFL Colts Coach of the Year for 2015 and he presented his Coaches Award at West Perth to Angus Allen.

LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS
Breckler Medal (Fairest and Best) – Aaron Black
Runner-up Fairest and Best – Jay van Berlo
Ken Ashdown Memorial Award (Third Fairest and Best) – Steven Browne
Past Players Award (Fourth Fairest and Best) – Marcus Adams
Santana Electrical Rising Star – Drew Rohde
League Coaches Award – Luke Meadows
City of Joondalup Best Clubman Award – Aaron Black
Wayne Dayman Courage Award – Nick Rodda
Ray Scott Memorial Award (Leading Goalkicker) – Michael Lourey
Townshend Financial Solutions Sacrificial Act Award – Jay van Berlo

RESERVES AWARD WINNERS
Roy Ennis Medal (Fairest and Best) – Brayden Antonio
Runner-up Fairest and Best – Dean Munns
Past Players Award (Third Fairest and Best) – Blake Wilhelm
Reserves Coaches Award – Broderick Walton

COLTS AWARD WINNERS
Dominish Medal (Fairest and Best) – Conal Lynch
Rosa Townsend Award (Runner-up Fairest and Best) – Ben Mountford
Past Players Award (Third Fairest and Best) – Scott Nelson
Jack Appleby Trophy (Most Promising) – Tom O'Brien
Life Members Award (Award of Excellence) – Jacob Turner
Colts Coaches Award – Angus Allen
Past Players Encouragement Award – Nathan Alexandre

OTHER AWARD WINNERS
Carbone/De Vita Award – Ray Bartholomew
Ross McMillan Volunteer of the Year – Darrell Kent