WRFL 2021: Caroline Springs’ Stephen Brewer wins Division 1 best and fairest

Caroline Springs’ Stephen Brewer has capped off a stellar 2021 campaign, topping the WRFL’s Division 1. Not bad at 37...

At 37 years of age, Caroline Springs midfielder Stephen Brewer doesn’t miss a beat.

The former state leaguer was crowned the Barry Priest medallist on Thursday night, as the best and fairest in Western Region Football League’s Division 1 this season.

The top honour adds to a football CV bursting with individual and team accolades.

A premiership player with Port Melbourne and a VFL team of the year representative in 2009, the midfielder made the move to the WRFL from East Malvern ahead of 2019, having earned selection in the Southern league’s team of the year.

He also enjoyed a decorated stint with Greenvale in the EDFL where he won two best and fairests and featured in three grand finals, winning a flag and making the team of the year on three occasions.

But he’s not slowing down any time soon. Brewer again tore it up for the Lakers in his second season in the comp, named eight times in the best by his club from 12 matches on his way to Division 1 team of the year selection.

Brewer on the go for the Lakers. Picture: Damjan Janevski.

Brewer’s 16 votes last night pipped Deer Park big man Scott Greenhough (14 votes) to take home the prestigious honour, while St Albans’ Jack Sims finished third on 11 votes.

A three-vote performance against Point Cook in the second-last round sealed the deal for Brewer.

Caroline Springs football manager Marc Raak couldn’t speak higher of the star veteran’s season, paying homage to his meticulous preparation week by week.

Brewer finished fourth for the medal in 2019, and Raak said it was little wonder he had polled well again.

“The way he’s kept his fitness and keeps his body right and how he gets himself up week in and week out (is outstanding),” Raak said.

“For a local competition player, he is elite with the way he takes his fitness and the way he goes about his football.

“It’s really good to have at our club because we are still a young group, and they aspire to be like him, seeing the hard work that he puts in and gets the results.”

Raak said the Barry Priest medallist dabbles in triathlons in the off-season, adding that his work on the Strava fitness app bests those at the club more than a decade his junior.

“He smashes all our 25, 26-year-olds (on the Strava app), he just keeps going,” Raak said.

“He’s really guiding the kids under him, playing good football and he’s right involved in our club, he’s been an excellent recruit … and he puts everything into our side to win games of footy.”

Caroline Springs leapfrogged its way into the Division 1 top five late in the campaign for a tilt at a finals berth before the season was shut down.

Raak said Brewer was front and centre in the finals push – and the Lakers’ No. 3 will be suiting up for another season.

He’ll be 38 by the time the 2022 campaign rolls around, and Raak said Brewer could be granted a few weeks’ grace before returning for pre-season training.

“He’s played a pivotal role in our football club, and as long as he wants to keep going, we’ll provide for him to do that,” Raak said.

“He’s committed for next year which is fantastic, we know his body will be fine, we’ll probably give him an extra few weeks (before starting pre-season) – we’ve got no questions at all he’s going to turn up ready.

“We’ve got a lot of gratitude for what he’s done for our footy club.”

Parkside’s Shaun Campbell took out the Alan Smith Medal as the best and fairest in Division 2, while Wyndham Suns’ John Tomelty won the Ron & Thelma Angwin Medal in Division 3.

Shaun Campbell serves as a playing assistant at Parkside. Picture: Vladimir Bera

Campbell snagged the Division 2 honour with 20 votes, four ahead of North Footscray’s Adam Petridis in a season where Parkside finished second on the ladder with a 10-2 record. The boom recruit, who spent 2019 with Melton in the Ballarat league, delivered a monster 10-goal performance from the midfield early in the season to put the competition on notice on his way to a team of the year gong.

He won the Central Highlands league best and fairest playing for Ballan in 2015.

Tomelty’s 11 votes for the Division 3 medal edged out a field of three locked on nine votes, with Aidan O’Rafferty (Braybrook), Bobby Saric (Albanvale) and Justin Zahra (Sunshine Heights) tying for second.

Tomelty played a key role in the Wyndham Suns’ minor premiership this season. He was prolific in attack, kicking 16 majors from 10 matches to be named at centre half-forward in the Division 3 team of the year.

The Suns’ John Tomelty was dangerous in front of the big sticks this year. Picture: WRFL