EDFL: Maribyrnong Park’s Will Martiniello claims Reynolds Medal
Gun Maribyrnong Park midfielder Will Martiniello has been awarded the Reynolds Medal for the best and fairest player in EDFL Premier Division, just reward for another brilliant season.
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MURRAY Bushrangers’ 2008 TAC Cup premiership side was chock-full of talent, headlined by Steele Sidebottom, Jack Ziebell, Sam Wright, Tom Rockliff and Andrew Browne.
Will Martiniello was also a member of the winning grand final team and while he did not manage to crack the top level, his ability is not in question.
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The gun Maribyrnong Park midfielder claimed the Reynolds Medal for the best and fairest player in Essendon District Football League Premier Division on Thursday night, just reward for another brilliant season.
Martiniello has spent two years with the Lions after stints with VFL club Werribee and Goulburn Valley outfit Benalla following his time in the TAC Cup and has established himself as one of the competition’s blue-chip players.
The 28-year-old polled 23 votes to finish two clear of Strathmore’s Luke Jarrad.
Martiniello polled in 10 games and received three votes in the final round to secure the league’s top individual honour.
He said he had fond memories of playing alongside some of the AFL’s big names as a teenager.
“You could tell it was a special team,” Martiniello said.
“Most of us were feeling pretty confident we were going to get away with a premiership by the end of the year.
“It was a great team and I was lucky to be a part of it really.”
Martiniello spent five years in the VFL and crossed to Maribyrnong Park in 2017 to join former Werribee captain Robbie Castello, who has stepped down as coach after four years at the helm.
Martiniello is rated highly for his ability to win the contested ball and apply pressure and helps form one of the best midfield combinations in the EDFL with Zac Keogh, who won the Reynolds Medal in 2017.
“I’ll be honest with you, mate, I didn’t expect it at all,” he said of the accolade.
“I came here thinking I might have just scraped into the top five or something like that, but there’s so many good players in the comp and it really is a great honour.
“It was probably one of my more consistent years.
“I managed to get through every game with no injuries, which was good. I probably thought I played a bit better last year.
“Early on especially, I played all right. It didn’t go well from a team perspective, but hopefully we’ll bounce back next year.”
Maribyrnong Park finished sixth after progressing to the preliminary final the previous season.
“I don’t think we are too far away,” Martiniello said.
“We were 10-2, looking pretty good and then we had a couple of injuries to a couple of key players, especially in our backline, and it kind of wrecked the whole structure really.
“We played some good sides towards the end of the season when we had those players out, but I don’t think we’re too far off.
“Good players, we jell well together, good group … I think we’re heading in the right direction.”
Martiniello said he was set to remain at the club “at this stage”, adding he was yet to commit for 2019.
The Lions have appointed former North Melbourne boss Dean Laidley as coach for the next two seasons.
“I’ve had a couple of conversations with him already and he speaks really well,” Martiniello said of Laidley.
“I think it’s exciting times and he might hopefully attract a couple more players, just with his name. He knows his craft and I’m looking forward to it.”
Keilor’s Kane Barbuto (20 votes), Pascoe Vale’s Matthew Watson (19) and Greenvale’s Fort Caruso (15) rounded out the top five in the count.
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