IT is one of the feel-good 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, but took the unusual step of staying with the Tigers, even though he was detached from the Kangaroos.
Ross felt comfortable at Watton Street and the Tigers were not going to let a player of his immense quality go without a fight.
As it turned out, 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 not one to mope.
As soon as he dusted off the disappointment of his delisting by the Kangaroos, Ross was on the phone to then Tigers coach Paul Satterley, telling 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 pre-season and bought into the new regime, led by coach Scott West.
Ross’s decision to stay a Tiger was proved the right one at the VFL’s night of nights on Monday night at Etihad Stadium.
The hard-working onballer took home the JJ Liston Trophy for best-and-fairest player in the VFL seniors.
Ross finished with 20 votes, one ahead of Casey Scorpions young gun Tom Couch and two more than the widely tipped John Baird, from Port Melbourne.
Ross became the fifth Tiger to win the award, following in the footsteps of Anthony Eames (1991), Satterley (1995), Michael Frost (1998) and James Podsiadly (2008).
It was a well-deserved win which should thrust his name before the AFL recruiters once more.
Of course, that’s only once Ross completes his unfinished business with the Tigers in this year’s finals series. They’re just one win away from a grand final after beating Casey Scorpions in Sunday’s qualifying final.
