TAC Cup 2018: Mitch Mellis wins Pennington Medal as Eastern Ranges’ best and fairest
BORONIA junior Mitch Mellis is in the company of Sam Mitchell and Rory Sloane after winning Eastern Ranges’ best and fairest as a bottom age player.
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MITCH Mellis is in rare company.
The speedy midfielder joined future AFL hall of famer Sam Mitchell, dual Adelaide best and fairest winner Rory Sloane and Williamstown goalsneak Ben Cavarra as the only bottom-age players to win the Pennington Medal as Eastern Ranges’ TAC Cup best and fairest.
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Mellis, who turned 17 in September, finished as a runaway winner, polling 107 votes on Friday night to finish 29 clear of runner-up Kye Quirk.
“It’s a pretty big honour, considering the people that have won it in the past,” Mellis said when told of the names who have claimed the award before him.
“Hopefully I’ll just have a good season next year and see what happens.
“Obviously I want to get drafted but I’ve got a long way to go and some things to work on so I’ve just got to focus on that.”
Captain Joel Burleigh rounded out the top three with 75 votes.
It was clear the Boronia junior would take home the club’s top individual honour after Round 13 when he held a 22-vote advantage with four games remaining.
Mellis was one of just five players to play every game this season and was listed in the best in 13 of his 17 matches.
“As the season went on I started getting in the best and I thought I would probably have a chance,” he said.
“They (teammates) were always on my back — ‘have you got your speech ready?’ and stuff like that.”
Mellis credited Eastern coach Darren Bewick, who will coach the club for a 10th season next year, and his junior coaches at Boronia for his development.
“My goals for this season were just to get better and develop on things that aren’t my strengths,” he said.
“Boris (Bewick) has been really good to me, he’s probably helped out my footy a lot and he’s given me the confidence to take on the game.”
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