While there have been some standout individual performances throughout the season, Michael Voss’ chargers have certainly embraced the ‘team’ ethic and have been more focussed on playing their role than striving for personal glory.
The prestigious Merrett-Murray Medal is presented to the player crowned as our Club Champion as voted by the Lions match committee.
The voting system for the Merrett-Murray Medal remains the same under new Senior Coach Voss. The Lions match committee convened each Monday to discuss the previous weekend’s match and - among other things - each senior player was carefully scrutinised and his performance was given a rating out of five.
The process rewards consistency, excellence and durability and is appropriately decided upon by the people who know the players’ roles the best.
There are more than half a dozen Lions players who could legitimately stake claim to this year’s highest individual honour which suggests a tight finish is on the cards.
While the voting system makes it highly unlikely that two or more players will share the award, the Club has seen joint winners of the Merrett-Murray Medal on two occasions in the sward’s 12-year history - in 1999 (Jason Akermanis and Justin Leppitsch) and in 2001 (Simon Black and Michael Voss).
Lions skipper Jonathan Brown could become only the second player in Club history (behind Kevin Murray) to win three consecutive Best and Fairest awards after another stellar season.
The 2007 and 2008 Club Champion kicked a merged Club record 85 goals in 2009 and finished second behind Carlton’s Brendan Fevola in the AFL Coleman Medal. In the process, he also became just the ninth person in the Club’s 113-year history to reach 400 career goals.
Brown - who certainly led from the front during his first season as sole Captain - also led the AFL in contested marks, was the Lions’ only representative in the All-Australian team and finished a career-best equal fourth placing in the Brownlow Medal.
But the inspirational centre-half forward is sure to have some stiff competition from midfield dynamos Simon Black and Luke Power who have continued to lead the team’s midfield.
Black is searching for his fourth Club Champion award having already received the award in 2001, 2002 and 2006. The decorated midfielder has been as prolific as ever despite missing one match earlier in the year and finished equal fourth alongside Brown in the recent Brownlow Medal count.
The 30 year-old midfielder also led the Club in key stats categories including contested possessions, hard ball gets and clearances in 2009.
Power has remarkably finished in the Club Champion top five in each of the past six seasons but is still yet to receive the highest honour. Will 2009 be his year? The 29 year-old led the team in total disposals and tackles and will have undoubtedly earned the praise from his coaches after performing a variety of different roles throughout the season.
While the usual suspects are likely to feature prominently again, Lions fans might see some relatively new faces occupy a number of positions on the Club Champion leader board.
Mitch Clark has enjoyed a career-best season and is among the favourites to snare his first Merrett-Murray Medal.
He has played a critical role as the team’s only natural ruckman and was even recognised by the AFL in their preliminary All-Australian squad.
Clark has been arguably the team’s most indispensable player this year and could well be the surprise of 2009.
Justin Sherman is no stranger to the Club Champion podium after finishing Runner-Up back in 2006 and may well return there after a wonderfully consistent season. Sherman has enjoyed greater freedom in the midfield this season and injected a great deal of skill, energy and enthusiasm into the side.
First year sensation Daniel Rich has exceeded all expectations this season and will also challenge his more experienced team-mates. The AFL’s Rising Star could become the first player in Club history to take home the Merrett-Murray Medal in his first season.
Ashley McGrath is another who has enjoyed a career-best season playing predominantly across half-back. The 2003 premiership player played in all 24 Club matches in 2009 and proved a critical member of the team - particularly in the absence of Jed Adcock during the final two months of the season.
Other high profile candidates for the Club Champion award include Adcock, Daniel Bradshaw, Daniel Merrett, Joel Patfull, Josh Drummond and Jared Brennan, although all will be handicapped somewhat by the fact they have been sidelined for periods throughout the season.
Michael Rischitelli, Cheynee Stiller and Joel Macdonald may not receive the same sort of public attention as their higher profiled team-mates, but their performances have been just as critical to the side’s success. Each of these players have played in either all or most of the Lions’ matches in 2009 and have been constantly fulfilling their role assigned to them by the match committee.
Lions fans can also expect to see the likes of James Polkinghorne, Sam Sheldon, James Hawksley and Albert Proud achieve personal best results in this year’s voting tally.
The Merrett-Murray Medal is named after two legends of the Club - Kevin Murray and Roger Merrett - each of whom made a significant contribution to our Club’s history with Fitzroy and the Brisbane Bears respectively.
Most Club Best & Fairests
9 - Kevin Murray (Fitzroy)
5 - John Murphy (Fitzroy)
5 - Paul Roos (Fitzroy)
5 - Allan Ruthven (Fitzroy)
5 - Michael Voss (BB/BL)
5 - Garry Wilson (Fitzroy)
3 - Simon Black (BL)
3 - Norm Brown (Fitzroy)
3 - Len Wigraft (Fitzroy)
