IT is one of the feelgood stories of the Victorian Football League.
Ben Ross was considered unlucky to be delisted by Werribee Tigers affiliate North Melbourne at the end of last season and became a free agent.
The 23-year-old had the right to choose whichever club he felt would be a good fit for his football career going forward, but took the unusual step of staying with the Tigers, even though he was detached from the Kangaroos.
Ross felt comfortable in the Tiger cage and the Tigers were not going to let a player of his immense quality go without a fight.
The Tigers did not have much convincing to do as Ross felt his best chance to make a speedy return to the big league was back at Watton Street.
The gun midfielder is not one to mope around.
As soon as he dusted off the disappointment of his delisting, Ross was on the phone to then Tigers coach Paul Satterley, informing him that he wanted to play a big part in the club’s 2011 finals series.
Ross was one of the stars in the Tigers finals campaign that ended abruptly with a heavy preliminary final loss to western suburbs rivals Williamstown.
Satterley left, taking up a plum assistant coaching position with AFL club Melbourne, but Ross pledged his allegiance to the Tigers, got back to work in the preseason and bought into the new regime led by coach Scott West.
Ross’s decision to stay a Tiger was proven a right one at the VFL’s night of nights tonight at Etihad Stadium.
The hard working onballer took home the prestigious JJ Liston Trophy for best-and-fairest player in the VFL seniors for 2012.
Ross finished on 20 votes, one ahead of Casey Scorpions young gun Tom Couch and two more than widely tipped John Baird from Port Melbourne.
Ross became the fifth Tiger to win the award, following Anthony Eames (1991), Satterley (1995), Michael Frost (1998) and James Podsiadly (2008).
A deserving winner and a reward that should thrust his name before the AFL recruiters once more.
Of course, only once he completes his unfinished business with the Tigers in this year’s finals series, who are just four quarters away from a grand final after beating Casey Scorpions in Sunday’s qualifying final.
