Sunbury Lions’ Jake Egan still can’t believe the end of the Ballarat Football League Henderson Medal count, which ended with him being named the competition’s best player.
Egan polled five best on grounds in the final five rounds to come over the top of two-time winner, Brett Bewley.
Bewley led by eight votes after 13 rounds and by the final round the margin was just one vote, with Egan now in second.
The Devils captain didn’t play the final round, with Egan polling the three votes to finish on 28 votes, two clear of Bewley.
Egan said it was pretty crazy.
“I’m pretty pumped at the moment,” he said the following day. “I thought I might go alright but not to that extent that happened at the end of the night.
“It’s nice, it’s the biggest honour in the league. It means a lot and I try to put in the work and it has paid off.”
Egan said he and the rest of the Lions knew that Bewley didn’t play in the Devils final round win putting them all on edge.
He said Bewley was the clear favourite heading into the account.
The Lions had a big win over Melton in the final round.
Daniel Johnston polled one vote for the Lions, before Tony Lockett Medal winner Jake Sutton polled the two votes adding to the drama.
Egan would poll the three votes.
“It was a weird one,” Egan said. “Sutto had kicked six goals that day so it could have gone either way.
“I’m thankful it fell the way that it did.”
Egan thought he had a pretty strong season with a lull in the middle of the season. He was still able to poll votes in some of those games.
The five best on grounds to finish the season came as a shock.
“The boys asked how I was feeling and I thought I went OK,” he said. “Things kept falling my way.”
A key cog of the midfield, Egan had to step up his game when Josh Guthrie went down injured.
Guthrie, who finished with 15 votes, was in front after 10 rounds along with Bewley.
Egan said Guthrie was a massive support for him even when he hasn’t been playing.
“He is a star,” he said. “He has helped me out there with everything week in, week out.
“Me and him [Guthrie] work well together. We work well off each other.
“I had to help step up when he went down.
“The midfield coach and group look after me and have helped me become the player I am.”
While thrilled with the Henderson Medal win, Egan has a bigger focus with the Lions facing off against Darley in Saturday’s grand final.
With seven teams in the grand final, Egan said the whole club was buzzing.
“I’m pretty pumped,” he said. “It’s going to be a very fun week and I’m going to try and enjoy and embrace it.
“Hopefully we can come away with the win. Hopefully we can get a few wins and celebrate over the next few weeks.”
Egan was named in the team of the year along with Sutton and Lions skipper Tyson Lever.
On the netball court, Simona Di Filippo was just three votes off a third straight McLean Medal.
The midcourter finished on 27 votes, three behind North Ballarat’s Maddy Selmon.
Di Filippo, Tayla Honey, Sarah Croft and Rebecca Hicks were all named in the A-grade team of the year.
