JAMES TAKES HOME WHITLEY MEDAL

STORY & ALL THE VOTES: P40

BELL Post Hill’s Matthew James has capped off a stellar season by taking out the GDFL’s Whitley medal last night.

Speedster James was judged best-onground a total of nine times this season to finish with 30 votes ahead of Thomson playing coach Reece Holwell on 25.

Originally a Bell Post Hill junior, James donned the colours of Geelong West St Peters, Bell Park and St Mary’s as a teenager before making his senior debut for North Shore in 2015.

The 24-year-old has since added to the old theory that ‘patience pays off’ after he was forced to sit out of football last season due to a contractual dispute with the Seagulls.

“It was a pretty tough 12-18 month period and it was also pretty tough to watch from the sidelines but I just had to suck it up and I’m here (GDFL) now,” he said. “Last year I tried to stay away from footy because it was getting to me.”

James will now hope to join Bell Post Hill’s 47-man senior premiership club, which includes fellow Whitley medallists Shane Tobin (2013) and Shaun Lewis (2008). He now has the chance to become the first Panther to claim the Whitley medal/premiership double in the same season.

Neither James or Holwell polled a vote in the opening two rounds of the season. However, Holwell gained some momentum when polling 11 of 12 possible votes from Round 11 to 14.

A best-on-ground performance against North Geelong in Round 18 was enough for the 34-year-old to secure a second straight runner-up finish.

Werribee Centrals rising star Jackson Smith was rewarded with three votes for his impressive debut against East Geelong. He finished third overall only a year after claiming the Southern FL Division 2 league best and fairest for Mount Waverley as a 19-year-old.

Winchelsea best-and-fairest winner Alexander Gubbins also looked to end his club’s medal drought when polling three votes in his side’s dominant win over Corio in Round 11.

By this stage, the former Grovedale defender had collected an impressive 18 votes thanks to five best-on-ground performances, but he would only manage another three votes from then on.

Inverleigh players polled 89 of a possible 108 votes ahead of Thomson (80), Geelong West (67), Winchelsea and Bell Post Hill (both 64).