Geelong Advertiser |
BELL Post Hill forward Shane Tobin has capped a stunning season, winning the Geelong and District Football League's best and fairest.
Tobin scored two votes in the final round to clinch the coveted Neville Whitley Medal in an exciting vote count at Buckley's Entertainment Centre last night.
Tobin, a three-time premiership player with the Panthers, polled 24 votes to finish three votes ahead of East Geelong midfielder Andrew Challis (21) and North Geelong onballer Derek Fitzsimmons (20).
Thomson's Jackson Macleod, who was runner-up to teammate Luke Forbes in 2012, finished fourth in the count and was leading by one vote at the halfway mark.
Macleod polled 12 votes, including three best-on-ground performances in Rounds 1, 4 and 8 to lead Tobin by one vote after nine rounds.
Werribee Centrals' Michael Cassidy and Andrew Leak were two off the pace with 10 votes heading into Round 10 before Tobin stormed home.
Tobin polled in five of the last nine games, winning best afield honours against Winchelsea in Round 12, Bannockburn in Round 13 and Werribee Centrals in Round 15.
He led Challis by two votes and Fitzsimmons by five votes with five rounds to play but neither player could catch him, despite the Magpie polling three-vote performances in two games.
Corio recruit Jason Huhn also had a stellar first season with the Devils, earning 17 votes, while Leak finished with 16 votes and North Geelong's Daniel Kee 15 votes.
Tobin was named in the best by the club on eight occasions this season.
He was best afield in Round 2 against Bannockburn, a game in which he failed to earn a vote from the umpires, and was instrumental in the clash against Werribee Centrals in Round 4.
In the reserves vote count, Bell Post Hill's Josh Bacely won the Ivan Tansing Medal with 19 votes.
Belmont Lions' Michael Jones and Corio's Ridley Livesay finished equal second on 14 votes.
