ILES WINS COL AUSTEN TROPHY
Friday, 9 October 2009

By Daniel Dufty

Sam Iles has capped off a sensational debut season for Box Hill, with the skillful midfielder being crowed the 2009 Col Austen Trophy Winner as the Box Hill Hawks Best And Fairest Player in a lavish function held in the newly built South Pavilion at Box Hill City Oval.

Iles, who was selected in the 2009 VFL Team Of The Year and finished in a deadlock equal 3rd in the J.J.Liston Trophy, adds another scalp to already an impressive Box Hill resume.

A consistent performer, Iles regularly featured in the best for Box Hill, not only as a hard runner, but as a fierce attacker of the football, while having the ability to win games off his own accord.

Iles finished the count with 45 votes, 9 ahead of Box Hill Co-Captain and 2008 Col Austen Trophy Winner, Steve Kenna.

Iles missed just one match for the season and was adjudged best on ground 4 times, scoring maximum votes (5 out of 5) against Bendigo Bombers in Rounds 9 and 18, as well as North Ballarat in Round 13 and Coburg Tigers in Round 16.

Kenna continued to stay in close quarters of Iles, but a season ending hamstring injury in Round 18 against the Bendigo Bombers restricted the midfielder’s attempt of back-to-back Col Austen Trophy awards.

In third position was playmaker Adem Yze, whose class and finesse captured the hearts of many, in a fine introduction to the Box Hill nest as a moving back/forward target throughout the 2009 season, finishing on 24 votes.

Rounding out the top six were in equal fourth Co-Captain Lukas Markovic and Cameron Pedersen on 21 votes and Best First Year Player Ed Curnow in 5th position compiling 16 votes.   

In the Development Team Votecount, midfielder Joel Cross (pictured) comfortably took out the award ahead of teammate Lachlan George to win by 21 votes.

Cross, who was also awarded the A.Todd Medal for the Fairest & Best Player in the VFL Reserves Competition, had a stella season leaving no stoned unturned to lead the Box Hill Development Team to their 2nd ever VFL Reserves Premiership.

Cross finished with 58 votes, ahead of Lachlan George who snared 37 votes from just 14 games.

Finishing third was promising talent Leigh Kitchin, who polled 33 votes completing a strong season for the Fred Hill Memorial Medalist.

Hard-running engine Jack Bull (24) and the versatile Ben Fagan (17) finished fourth and fifth respectively, while Lachlan Carey rounded out the top six with 16 votes. 

Other Awards presented on the night are as follows:

• 50 SENIOR GAMES FOR BOX HILL HAWKS: Sam Gibson, Steve Kenna, Beau Dowler
• PRESIDENT’S TROPHY – MOST VOTES IN THE J.J.LISTON TROPHY: Sam Iles
• A.P.DICKINSON TROPHY FOR BEST CLUB MAN: David Marcius
• TEAM FIRST AWARD: Sam Gibson
• MOST COURAGEOUS: Lukas Markovic
• MOST IMPROVED: Cameron Pedersen
• BEST PLAYER IN FINALS SENIORS: Adem Yze
• BEST PLAYER IN FINALS DEVELOPMENT TEAM: Jack Bull
• SENIORS LEADING GOALKICKER: Cameron Pedersen
• DEVELOPMENT TEAM LEADING GOALKICKER: Chris Hoegel
• BEST FIRST YEAR PLAYER: Ed Curnow
• TRAINERS AWARD: Ben Fagan
• 3WBC OUTSTANDING PLAYER AWARD: Marco Bello