Tara Murray
One of the first things star Werribee midfielder Dom Brew told incoming coach Jimmy Allan was that he was going to win the J.J Liston Medal this year.
Allan just thought it was tongue in cheek and had a smile but on Monday night that prediction came true with Brew being named the Victorian Football League’s best player.
Brew dominated the count, so much so they declared the winner with four rounds remaining and they stopped counting votes.
He finished on 31 votes to finish nine votes clear. He had earlier in the night won the coaches best player award too.
Brew said the bold statement he made to Allan showed where his mindset was from the start of the year.
He said coming into the night he thought he would be around the mark but didn’t think he would take it out.
“My belief never waivered,” he said. “Obviously a bold statement but you can say that I backed it up.
“To win by that much is a bit of a shock really, I think just winning it is enough. I don’t look at the count.
“I do hold such a high regard for some of the other boys, especially those Southport boys. To get the chocolates are pretty good.”
The journey to be the best player in the competition has been a long one.
Brew couldn’t get a senior game at his home club, so he switched to North Albury.
He then played in the VFL development league and came into the senior side more as a tagger.
Brew said it comes down to working hard.
“I said something to Jimmy at the start of the year it’s always about proving people wrong and he said it’s about proving yourself right, that’s pretty true,” he said.
Brew said if the opportunity presents itself he would love to still play AFL, but understands that he is 27.
He said he feels like he is starting to get into his prime.
Brew was also named captain of the team of the year. Allan was named coach of the year, while Nathan Cooper, Jack Henderson and Riley Bice were also named in the team.
Brew, who was co-captain a couple of years ago, has stepped back into the captaincy role this season with Nick Coughlan missing most of the year with injury.
“It is pretty special,” Brew said to step back into the captainancy. “I’m obviously close with Nick. We started our footy together.
“To step back into the leadership position again, didn’t really have a choice, but when it’s your turn to go, you’ve got to go.
“I’m incredibly humbled… To even be a role model to be something for them to look up to.”
While the medal is special, Brew said it won’t settle in for a little bit.
For now he is more focused on Sunday’s grand final against Southport.
The Tigers are in a second straight grand final with a different playing group to 12 months ago.
Brew said they have a pretty good program and everyone has to play their roles.
“I would trade it all in for a premiership this weekend,” he said. “To get the ultimate award, ultimate success for this great club.
“There’s so many great people at the club. To bring some silverware to the Werribee Football Club and Werribee community would mean the absolute world to me and I would be a very happy man.”
