bornadog
04-09-2014, 10:32 AM
Tom Liberatore wins Bulldogs best and fairest
DateSeptember 3, 2014 - 11:33PM
Peter Hanlon (http://www.smh.com.au/afl/by/Peter-Hanlon)
Senior sports writer for The Age
http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/1/0/c/4/2/0/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.10by44.png/1409751217161.jpg
Bulldogs president Peter Gordon. Photo: Pat Scala
Western Bulldogs president Peter Gordon has rated 2014 a setback in his club's football development, but quoted retiring favourite Daniel Giansiracusa in imploring all Bulldogs to "embrace the struggle" and become a genuine AFL power.
The despondency of a miserable season's end lifted a little on Wednesday night when hopes of a bright future were franked by Tom Lilberatore winning the Charles Sutton Medal from second-year player Jack Macrae. A first Bulldogs best and fairest win for 22-year-old Liberatore sets him alongside father Tony, who won the award in 1991, the year after taking out the Brownlow Medal.
Gordon used the night to urge all at the club to improve physically and mentally in 2015.
http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/1/0/c/4/1/i/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.10by44.png/1409751217234.jpg
Charles Sutton Medal winner Tom Lilberatore. Photo: Ken Irwin
"I believe the key to our progress is to enthusiastically embrace this very difficulty, the very struggle which is involved in developing a team on and off the field that can overcome the emerging franchises of the competition in GWS and Gold Coast Suns, as well as those sides which have become traditionally excellent, and those that are improving at an exciting rate," Gordon said.
"I want our cllub in 2015 to adopt that line he used: embrace the struggle, enjoy learning new ways. trying harder and by thinking smarter.
"For Bulldogs supporters, let 2015 be a year unlike any other, defined by our ability to grow, to think, to try and achieve recurrent personal bests."
Liberatore's comprehensive 67-vote win followed a season in which he earned All-Australian nomination having ranked first in the AFL for tackles and clearances and fourth for contested possessions.
Twenty-year-old Macrae was rewarded for a season of eye-catching consistency in which he amassed 25 or more possessions in 15 of his 21 games. Captain and dual Sutton Medallist Ryan Griffen polled well late to finish third, while Luke Dahlhaus made it three Bulldogs under 23 in the top four, finishing five ahead of veteran Bob Murphy.
Marcus Bontempelli was an obvious selection as the Dogs' best first-year player, while Mitch Wallis finished 10th in the best and fairest despite missing nine games in a frustrating campaign marred by spells in the VFL and a season-ending broken foot.
Liberatore also won three other gongs on the night, for best team player, most courageous and the team first award.
DateSeptember 3, 2014 - 11:33PM
Peter Hanlon (http://www.smh.com.au/afl/by/Peter-Hanlon)
Senior sports writer for The Age
http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/1/0/c/4/2/0/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.10by44.png/1409751217161.jpg
Bulldogs president Peter Gordon. Photo: Pat Scala
Western Bulldogs president Peter Gordon has rated 2014 a setback in his club's football development, but quoted retiring favourite Daniel Giansiracusa in imploring all Bulldogs to "embrace the struggle" and become a genuine AFL power.
The despondency of a miserable season's end lifted a little on Wednesday night when hopes of a bright future were franked by Tom Lilberatore winning the Charles Sutton Medal from second-year player Jack Macrae. A first Bulldogs best and fairest win for 22-year-old Liberatore sets him alongside father Tony, who won the award in 1991, the year after taking out the Brownlow Medal.
Gordon used the night to urge all at the club to improve physically and mentally in 2015.
http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/1/0/c/4/1/i/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.10by44.png/1409751217234.jpg
Charles Sutton Medal winner Tom Lilberatore. Photo: Ken Irwin
"I believe the key to our progress is to enthusiastically embrace this very difficulty, the very struggle which is involved in developing a team on and off the field that can overcome the emerging franchises of the competition in GWS and Gold Coast Suns, as well as those sides which have become traditionally excellent, and those that are improving at an exciting rate," Gordon said.
"I want our cllub in 2015 to adopt that line he used: embrace the struggle, enjoy learning new ways. trying harder and by thinking smarter.
"For Bulldogs supporters, let 2015 be a year unlike any other, defined by our ability to grow, to think, to try and achieve recurrent personal bests."
Liberatore's comprehensive 67-vote win followed a season in which he earned All-Australian nomination having ranked first in the AFL for tackles and clearances and fourth for contested possessions.
Twenty-year-old Macrae was rewarded for a season of eye-catching consistency in which he amassed 25 or more possessions in 15 of his 21 games. Captain and dual Sutton Medallist Ryan Griffen polled well late to finish third, while Luke Dahlhaus made it three Bulldogs under 23 in the top four, finishing five ahead of veteran Bob Murphy.
Marcus Bontempelli was an obvious selection as the Dogs' best first-year player, while Mitch Wallis finished 10th in the best and fairest despite missing nine games in a frustrating campaign marred by spells in the VFL and a season-ending broken foot.
Liberatore also won three other gongs on the night, for best team player, most courageous and the team first award.