Port Melbourne’s Shane Valenti is the 2011 J.J. Liston Trophy winner. After sharing the title last year with North Ballarat’s Steve Clifton (now at GWS), Valenti was the runaway winner this season in the Peter Jackson VFL, polling an amazing 14 votes in the first six rounds. The Port midfielder ended the count on 25 votes from 15 games - having missed three games due to injury midseason – and finished 10 votes ahead of runner up Casey Scorpions Matthew Bate (15), with Williamstown’s Ben Jolley finishing third (13).
Valenti became just the sixth player to win two Liston’s and is only the third player to accomplish the extraordinary feat of back to back wins. It has added another layer to the outstanding season enjoyed so far by Port Melbourne, which has now provided 11 winners of the Liston.
After coming through the TAC Cup, Valenti progressed to Sandringham, played in a premiership, won the Fothergill Round Medal for the best young talent in the competition and on the back of those standout seasons earned selection as a rookie player with Melbourne.
While events did not pan out as he would have wished at the AFL, Valenti returned to the VFL as he wanted to play and enjoy football at the highest possible level.
He has this season been an integral part of Port Melbourne’s longest winning streak in the clubs history – currently standing at 19 wins – and he will this weekend be taking to the field on Saturday against the Northern Bullants in a Preliminary Final at TEAC Oval, with the winner to progress through to the Peter Jackson VFL Grand Final at Etihad Stadium on Sunday September 25.
Other awards presented on the night included.
A. Todd Medallist (reserves B&F): Matthew Cravino - Williamstown
Jim “Frosty’ Miller Medallist (leading goalkicker): Patrick Rose – Port Melbourne (67 goals)
Fothergill-Round Medallist: Ahmed Saad – Northern Bullants
The Fothergill-Round medal is awarded annually to the most promising young player in the Peter Jackson Victorian Football League. Recent winners include Robin Nahas now at Richmond, Michael Barlow at Fremantle and Michael Hibberd at Essendon. The Fothergill-Round Medal main criteria being that eligible players must be in their 23rd year or younger.
Best Conducted Club Award: Geelong FC
After every Peter Jackson VFL Senior match the officiating umpires voted on a scale of 1 to 5 in three categories - Player Behaviour, On Field Official Behaviour and Off Field Official Behaviour.
Last Modified on 12/09/2011 22:25