Outer East league: Powelltown champion Ben Wratten wins fourth league medal

A guitar-playing ruckman has achieved a 70-year first by winning the Outer East Division 2 best and fairest award for a fourth time.

Ben Wratten won his fourth Jim Wandin medal on Monday night. Picture: Facebook

From popped knee caps to rock guitarist to champion ruckman…Ben Wratten has packed a lot into his 33 years.

On Monday night, the Powelltown captain achieved a special piece of Outer East league history when he won his fourth consecutive Division 2 best and fairest medal.

Jim Wandin, the man the medal is named after, is the only other player to win four successive league medals; he achieved the feat in the 1950s while playing with Healesville.

Wratten, who won the medal in 2019, ‘21, ‘22 and now ‘23 — Covid wiped out season 2020 — was humbled by his success.

“It’s pretty surreal actually,’’ he said on Tuesday morning.

“Yeah, a bit strange to be honest. I didn’t think I’d win one let alone four.

“It’s been a good year, mate. And we’ve got Saturday to come.’’

Ben Wratten with his medal in 2022. Picture: Facebook

Ben Wratten with his fourth Jim Wandin Medal. Picture: BH Photography

Wratten will lead Powelltown into Saturday’s grand final against Alexandra.

He rated his 2023 season, “up there with last year, definitely”.

“I just felt over the last two years I’ve been getting more out of my body,” he said.

“You’ve seen photos of me with my double knee taping. It’s not the best look and I obviously cop a lot from over the boundary line but I just feel like I’ve been pulling up better after games as time goes on which is pretty weird because I’m 33 and it should be going the other way but I feel like I’m getting younger.

“I’m a competitor and I love doing it. As you get older it gets harder with family and work and that but as long as you’ve got a good partner and people around you who love you and want you to do what makes you happy, I guess that’s the main thing.”

Wratten tapes his knees because his “patella pops out”.

It first happened in an under-16 final while playing for Mooroolbark.

The injury led to him give up footy for four years.

During this time Wratten taught himself to play guitar, joined a band and played at pubs around Melbourne.

“I found music,” he said.

“While I was doing rehab I learnt to play guitar so I ended up doing the music scene for a bit, played in bands and stuff.”

In his early 20s Wratten returned to football.

“I was working with Jarrod (Bayliss) and his brother (Jack) and as you know Jarrod is a mad footy head so it didn’t take him long for him to convince me to go down there (to Wandin). “I played a couple of games in the reserves at Wandin and just loved it, fell in love with it again.”

Scarlett Potter. Picture: BH Photography

Alana McGurgan. Picture: BH Photography

When Bayliss moved to Powelltown, Wratten followed.

“He’s like a fine wine, Wrattsy,” Bayliss said.

“He’s just a competitive beast, mate, it’s his work rate, his effort. He very rarely has a bad game.’’

Powelltown’s seniors and reserves will play off in grand finals on Saturday.

Wratten has his fingers crossed.

“Hopefully come Sunday we’ve got 44 medals, mate, that’s what we all want,’’ he said.

In other awards at the Outer East league Division 2 presentation night, Healesville’s Scarlett Potter won the Division 1 league medal. She was a member of the Eastern Ranges squad last year also played for Vic Metro.

In Division 2, Casey Wright, from Yarra Junction, was a clear-cut winner.

In Netball A grade, Alana McGurgan from Yarra Glen won the top award.

Daniel Keating won the veteran’s football medal to go with his best-on-ground medal in the grand final for Narre Warren.