Captain Cook claims second fairest and best award

THE South Fremantle Football Club has awarded captain Ryan Cook with his second WJ Hughes Medal in three years as the club honoured its 2013 season that saw the reserves win a premiership and colts take part in a third successive WAFL grand final.

Cook was presented with his second WJ Hughes Medal as the 2013 South Fremantle fairest and best player at the Griff John Function Centre at Fremantle Oval.

It marks a superb three years with the Bulldogs for the 25-year-old after spending four years in the AFL with Collingwood where he played 14 matches.

Cook arrived at Fremantle Oval in 2011 and had an immediate impact winning the Hughes Medal that season while also representing Western Australia.

He again played for WA in 2012 and finished just behind Kris Miller in the fairest and best count and now in 2013, he was recognised for his outstanding second season as captain where he averaged almost 26 possessions a game by winning his second Hughes Medal in three years at the club.

Cook's strong consistent season for the Bulldogs split between the wing and on the ball was recognised with solid vote gathering right throughout the year from the coaching staff.

He finished with 47 votes to take out the WJ Hughes Medal with an eight-point advantage over runner-up Sean Tighe. The ruckman finished in second place with 39 votes in his second season with South Fremantle.

Tighe was outstanding all season long virtually carrying the ruck duties alone finishing up averaging over 19 possessions and 28 hit outs a game.

Tighe's good friend and first year recruit from Port Adelaide in the AFL Mitch Banner was tied on 36 votes for third-place with emerging young defender Nick Borovac.

Banner was South Fremantle's leading possession gathering throughout the season averaging almost 27 touches while also taking out the Bulldogs leading goalkicker award, the John Gerovich Trophy, after booting 33 majors for the year.

Fellow third-place finisher Borovac continued to emerge as one of the best defenders in the entire competition in 2013 with coach Paul Hasleby not afraid to give him the task of playing on the best forwards whether small or tall, and with the 21-year-old consistently coming through for the team.

Borovac also received the Culver Family Award to recognise courage and perseverance.

Borovac's fellow defender Dylan Ross had a breakout season for South Fremantle in 2013.

The 23-year-old had managed just eight games in two years at Claremont as a centre half-forward before crossing to South Fremantle in 2011 where he played just 13 matches coming into 2013, but this year he cemented his spot at centre half-back.

Ross was outstanding in not only playing on opposition key forwards, but also being outstanding at chopping off with marks from opposition kicks inside the 50 and with setting up play out of the defensive 50.

The coaching staff rewarded his season with 34 votes in the Hughes Medal count as he finished in fourth position in the first year of his career where he was given a consistent run in the league line-up.

Veteran forward Paul Mugambwa was fifth on 29 votes followed by young midfielder Jacob Martinez on 28, three-time winner Kris Miller on 28, Haiden Schloithe 28, Adam Guglielmana 27, Adam McIntosh 27, Ashton Hams 25, Craig White 22, Adam Carter 20, Mitch Carter 20 and Tim Kelly 20.

Other league awards presented on the night saw Guglielmana receive the Warren Medal as the Best Clubman while 19-year-old midfielder Kelly was named the Best First Year player and received the Shearer Family Award.

Lifetime Awards were also presented on the night to Jan Whelan and Alan Branch.

South Fremantle's reserves won the premiership in 2013 by beating West Perth in the grand final and young midfielder Brendan Verrier came away with the Roy McGuinness Medal to take home the fairest and best award.

Jarrad Winter was runner-up and won the Centurion Club Award with Jason Maskos finishing third and claiming the Harold Harper Award.

South Fremantle's colts made it through to a third straight WAFL grand final in 2013 with a host of star performers who are sure to come under the eyes of AFL recruiters.

Jacob Dragovich claimed the Dave Ingraham Memorial Medal as the fairest and best player with Bailey Matera runner-up.

Jarrod Garlett was presented the Collard Family Award with Tim Stewart the Best First Year Player, Mitchell Banks the Best Clubman, Matera the Most Consistent, Brad McPhail the Best Team Man, Garlett the Most Improved, Matthew Gundry the Coach's Award and Brandon Rhodes the Past Players and Officials Award.

LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS

WJ Hughes Medal (Fairest and Best) – Ryan Cook

S & D Jewellery Award (Outstanding Performance) – Ryan Cook

N MacDonald Memorial Trophy (Runner-up) – Sean Tighe

Past Player & Officials Trophy (Third place) – Nick Borovac, Mitch Banner

John Gerovich Trophy (Leading Goalkicker) – Mitch Banner (33 goals)

Warren Medal (Best Clubman) – Adam Guglielmana

Shearer Family Award (Best First Year Player) – Tim Kelly

Culver Family Award (Courage & Perseverance) – Nick Borovac

RESERVES AWARD WINNERS

Roy McGuinness Medal (Fairest and Best): Brendan Verrier

Centurion Club Award (Runner-up Fairest and Best): Jarrad Winter

Harold Harper Award (Third Fairest and Best): Jason Maskos

COLTS AWARD WINNERS

Dave Ingraham Memorial Medal: Jacob Dragovich

Runner-up Fairest and Best: Bailey Matera

Collard Family Award: Jarrod Garlett

Best First Year Player: Tim Stewart

Best Clubman: Mitchell Banks

Most Consistent: Bailey Matera

Best Team Man: Brad McPhail

Most Improved: Jarrod Garlett

Coach's Award: Matthew Gundry

Past Players & Officials Award: Brandon Rhodes

By Chris Pike