Clayton Oliver has won Melbourne’s best and fairest award in just his second AFL season
GUN midfielder Clayton Oliver has won Melbourne’s best and fairest in just his second AFL season after a standout year but where did Jack Watts finish?
Melbourne
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MELBOURNE hard-nut Clayton Oliver has won the club’s best and fairest award by a runaway margin in just his second AFL season.
The courageous onballer polled 530 votes on Monday night to claim the “Keith Bluey” Truscott Memorial Trophy by 184 votes over runner-up and co-captain Jack Viney (346).
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It was extraordinary year for Oliver, 20, who averaged 30 possessions across 22 games and polled most votes for Melbourne in seven matches.
Fellow co-captain Nathan Jones and premiership Hawk Jordan Lewis tied for third on 327 votes, underlining Lewis’s considerable on-field value after his shock trade from Hawthorn last year.
It was the sixth time in Jones’ career he has finished top-three in the club champion award.
Reliable backman Neville Jetta was also duly recognised for his important defensive role, finishing fifth.
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Ex-Bomber Michael Hibberd finished in sixth in his first season at the Demons, while exciting youngster Christian Petracca was one spot lower in his second full season.
However, the voting also laid bare the coaches frustrations with defender Christian Salem, who finished in 20th place, and Jack Watts in 21st.
Watts finished fifth in last year’s award but battled form and injury issues in the second half of the season and has been put up for trade.
Watts, 26, and Salem, 22, both played 16 games this year.
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