Tara Murray
Caroline Springs’ Alex Paech has claimed his first Barry Priest Medal being named the Western Football League division 1’s best player.
Paech was named the winner of the league’s highest honour at the competition’s annual awards night on Thursday night.
Paech finished on 16 votes, two clear of two-time winner, Werribee Districts’ Dillon Viojo-Rainbow.
Parkside’s Tom Condon and Yarraville Seddon’s Michael Selsby finished in equal third on 12 votes.
Caroline Springs Ryan Allan and Hoppers Crossing’s Josh Pickess round out the top five on 10 votes.
Spotswood’s Matthew Paynes also polled 10 votes but was ineligible.
It was Paech’s first season at the Lakers and in the Western league. He had previously played in the North Eastern Australian Football League and in the Coates Talent League for the Murray Bushrangers.
He was named ruck in the WFL division 1 team of the year.
In the division 2 best and fairest, Albion’s Christopher Tomazos led home a Cats trifecta to claim the Allan Smith Medal.
Tomazos polled 20 votes to finish two clear of Caleb McPherson and a further two clear of Jesse Cavanagh, who didn’t play in the regular season after round 12.
Tomazos polled just four votes last season and was illegible, while McPherson also finished in the top 10 last year.
All three were named in the team of the year this year.
Wyndhamvale’s Liam Scarborough and Laverton’s Antony Pasqua finished equal fourth on 15 votes.
It was a massive effort from Pasqua, who finished seventh in the division 3 best and fairest the previous year.
In the women’s best and fairest was a thriller with two players sharing the award.
The Suns’ Akima Manoah and Werribee Centrals’ Jessica Spall finished on 21 votes each.
It’s one better for Spall, who finished equal second last year in the then division 1 competition.
Manoah, who started playing football with Burnside Heights in 2019, played for the Western Jets the last two years while she also played six Victorian Football League women’s games including two this year.
Former winner, Caroline Springs’ Dijana Vasilevska, finished in third spot on 16 votes, while Parkside Spurs Taquila Angel and Rita Ceravolo finished in fourth and fifth spot respectively.
It’s back-to-back top five finishes for Ceravolo.
In the division 1 netball, Sunshine’s Malia Seumanutafu won the best and fairest on 19 votes, one clear of Caroline Springs Kyra Ballantyne.
Spotswood’s Kimberley Phillips, who won it last year, and Hayley Cran finished equal third.
