Ashton Hams wins 2015 WJ Hughes Medal

ASHTON Hams has claimed his first WJ Hughes Medal as the South Fremantle Football Club fairest and best award winner capping off a tremendous 2015 WAFL season that included him representing Western Australia and earning life membership at the Bulldogs.

Hams had a tremendous season for South Fremantle with the 29-year-old dual premiership player spending the majority of the season in the midfield, averaging 29.9 possessions a game being tremendously consistent not having a game with less than 17 touches.

Along the way, he had 10 matches with 30 or more disposals and in the last 10 games of the 2015 season he was particularly outstanding averaging 33 possessions.

During the 2015 season, Hams also represented WA for a second time in the State match victory over South Australia at Lathlain Park while reaching his 150-game milestone to earn life membership of the Bulldogs.

Now he is a WJ Hughes Medal winner to go along with his career that has included two Simpson Medals, two premierships and two appearances for WA along with 39 AFL matches with the West Coast Eagles.

Hams claimed the Hughes Medal for the first time with 124 votes to win ahead of captain Ryan Cook (90 votes), Marlion Pickett (88), Kyle Hams (75), Adam Guglielmana (65), Adam McIntosh (61), Tim Kelly (56), Blayne Wilson (56), Brock Higgins (53) and last year’s winner Haiden Schloithe (51).

Cook finished as runner-up to continue his outstanding time with South Fremantle since arriving ahead of the 2011 season during which time he has now won two Hughes Medals, and finished runner-up on two other occasions while having now served as captain for a fourth season.

Pickett finished in third position as reward for his first full season of league football, and not only did he represent WA but became one of the most exciting, damaging and attack players off half-back in the competition who could now very well have an AFL future.

Kyle Hams came fourth in the Hughes Medal voting to cap a strong return to the WAFL after a year away, and his first season with South Fremantle since 2010 following a stint with Swan Districts.

Guglielmana cemented himself as one of the best small defenders in the WAFL and came fifth in fairest and best voting while McIntosh had the best season of his career as well in the back-line and finished sixth while also receiving the Culver Family Award for courage and perseverance.

Jacob Dragovich received the Shearer Family Award as the Best First Year Player while Cory Dell’Olio took out the John Gerovich Trophy as leading goalkicker after kicking 33 goals in his first season back with South Fremantle upon return from Essendon in the AFL.

Shaun Bewick was presented with the Warren Medal as the Best Clubman for 2015 having spent his season both in the league and reserves teams, and playing in his second reserves premiership in three years.

Speaking of the reserves, the career of Paul Mugambwa was also celebrated during the Hughes Medal night at Fremantle Oval after he captained the premiership winning team to bring an end to his 143-game WAFL career at South Fremantle.

Mugambwa also played in the 2009 league premiership team along with Craig White who has also now retired from the Bulldogs following a 192-game, dual premiership winning career that sees him finish as a life member.

Prolific ball-winning midfielder Anthony Collica claimed the Roy McGuinness Medal as the reserves fairest and best for 2015, winning with 94 votes ahead of John Sgherza (89), Ben Sokol (87), James Laurino (87), Matthew Gundry (71), Brendan Verrier (66), Tim Stewart (63), Shaun Bewick (57), Jason Maskos (55) and Mitch Banks (55).

Meanwhile in the colts, Brandon Donaldson was presented both the Dave Ingraham Memorial Medal and the City of Fremantle Mayoral Trophy as the fairest and best winner.

He claimed the fairest and best with 93 votes ahead of Jake Florenca (86), Jesse Mudge (61), Mitch Dzelebdzic (53), Jamie Foster (52), Miles Barritt (49), Brandon Colbung (49), Daniel Burke (41), Jack McMaster (40) and Jesse Musika (40).

LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS
WJ Hughes Medal (Fairest and Best) – Ashton Hams

N MacDonald Memorial Trophy (Runner-up) – Ryan Cook

Past Player & Officials Trophy (Third place) – Marlion Pickett

John Gerovich Trophy (Leading Goalkicker) – Cory Dell’Olio (33 goals)

Shearer Family Award (Best First Year Player) – Jacob Dragovich

Culver Family Award (Courage & Perseverance) – Adam McIntosh

Warren Medal (Best Clubman) – Shaun Bewick

S & D Jewellery Award (Outstanding Performance) – Marlion Pickett

RESERVES AWARD WINNERS
Roy McGuinness Medal (Fairest and Best): Anthony Collica

Centurion Club Award (Runner-up Fairest and Best): John Sgherza

Harold Harper Award (Third Fairest and Best): James Laurino, Ben Sokol

Player of the Finals: Brendan Verrier

COLTS AWARD WINNERS
Dave Ingraham Memorial Medal (Fairest and Best): Brandon Donaldson

City of Fremantle Mayoral Trophy (Fairest and Best): Brandon Donaldson

L & F Mihaljevich Award (Runner-up Fairest and Best): Jake Florenca

Terry Dean Award (Most Consistent Player): Jesse Mudge

Collard Family Encouragement Award: Josh Collard

Past Players & Officials Encouragement Award: Deng Maguang

Len Gilchrist Award (Leading Goalkicker): Mitch Dzelebdzic (31 goals)

Bob and Sabrina Maumill Award (Best Team Man): Jamie Foster

FLN Group Award (Best First Year Player): Daniel Burke