LEXTON Plains Football League best and fairest Ben Martin has declared he does not want to be the last player to win the coveted award.
The Navarre coach was last night presented the Peter Smith Memorial Medal after tallying 22 votes and then used his acceptance speech to call on the VCFL not to disband the Lexton Plains league.
Martin finished the count four votes ahead of Skipton's Graeme Lench, with Illabarook coach Brian Lovison third on 17.
The 25-year-old Martin wished Natte-Bealiba and Ararat Eagles success in the Maryborough Castlemaine District and Mininera District leagues respectively and then made an impassioned plea for the remaining clubs to "stick together".
"I am pretty sure Navarre wants to stick with the other clubs," Martin said.
"The Lexton Plains league is a very strong league. I am not sure why the VCFL couldn't drag a few clubs into our league."
"I am very proud to win this award but I don't want to be the last person to win this medal. There are a lot of people at the other clubs who you get to and become friends with. If we go one way and they go another, I think it will be quite sad."
Martin trailed Lovison by four votes after 10 rounds, but hit the lead by one vote with one round remaining in the count. He then scored the maximum three votes in the final round against Illabarook.
"This year it helped that I played as an onballer rather than in the ruck. It helps that you are the one getting the first possession rather than the hit out," Martin said.
"I think, being my third year back in the league, the umpires might have recognised me a bit more."
After three years at Stawell Warriors in the Wimmera league, Martin returned to Navarre three seasons ago.
Lench, meanwhile, was unable to attend the awards night, his trophy being accepted by Skipton playing coach Tim Mackay.
The VCFL is expected to announce the future of the LPFL and its eight clubs later this week.
Natte-Bealiba and Ararat Eagles have applied to join other competitions, while the remaining six clubs have indicated their preference to join the Central Highlands league.
The VCFL's initial recommendation pointed to Navarre, the western-most of those six clubs, joining Natte-Bealiba in the MCDFL.
Article: Gavin McGrath Ballarat Courier
Picture: Picture: Zhenshi van der Klooster
Last Modified on 17/08/2010 10:04