By Lance Jenkinson
Sam Collins has rounded out a remarkable Victorian Football League season by taking out the Bruce Montgomery Trophy for Werribee’s best-and-fairest player.
The key defender was the undisputed pre-count favourite and saluted with 53 votes to finish 15 ahead of the challengers.
A new name was engraved on the trophy for the first time since 2014.
Gun onballer Matt Hanson won the past three awards, but a foot injury ruined his season. Hanson was restricted to just five matches this year, but polled well in those games.
Collins, 24, beat out midfield duo Tom Gribble (38) and Kurt Aylett (34).
Collins was a prime target for most VFL clubs once he was delisted by the Fremantle Dockers and did not get selected at the draft.
He showed why he is so highly regarded with his dependability down back, his incredible reading of the play that led to an inordinate amount of intercept marks and his leadership of the defensive unit.
Collins’ stay at Watton Street is likely to be brief, with experts tipping he will be drafted back to the AFL later this year after his stunning VFL season.
He was honoured to take home the most coveted award in his first season in the black and gold.
“It’s really humbling to be awarded this tonight,” Collins said. “To come back here and be able to play in front of my mum and dad is something I’m really happy to be able to do after the previous two years.”
If it is to be Collins’ one and only season with Werribee, he will leave a fantastic legacy.
His teammates and coaches spoke glowingly of his influence on the team in its move back to being a stand-alone club after breaking away from the North Melbourne alignment.
“This year was a really challenging year for us, but I think everyone will look back and be pretty proud of how it went,” Collins said. “We took it to the eventual premiers and played some good football … I think it’s something everyone can be really proud of.”
Collins made waves across the competition.
Named at centre half-back in the VFL team of the year, he finished third in the JJ Liston Trophy count for the league’s best-and-fairest, just three votes behind joint winners Michael Gibbons (Williamstown) and Anthony Miles (Richmond).
Collins finished atop the leaderboard for uncontested and contested marks for the season.
In other Werribee best-and-fairest awards, Andrew Hooper was the leading goalkicker with 33 goals. He was also in his first season with the club.
Jack Henderson took home the best first-year player award.
Hooper kicked the goal of the year, while Matthew Brett won the mark of the year gong.
Nick Buykx was recognised for his work in the Wyndham community with the community award, while volunteers Jimmy Masterson and Ian Wilson were joint winners of the club person of the year award.
It was an emotional night for departing coach John Lamont and outgoing player Nathan Laracy, who were both awarded life membership.
