Nightcliff midfielder Brodie Filo runs away with the NT News/Darwin Business Machines trophy

NIGHTCLIFF centreman Brodie Filo has won the first of what he hopes will be three pieces of silverware after claiming the NT News-Darwin Business Machines Player of the Year trophy

Brodie Filo’s good form for Nightcliff in the 2019-20 season has won him the NT News-Darwin Business Machines Player of the Year award. Picture: GLENN CAMPBELL

NIGHTCLIFF centreman Brodie Filo has won the first of what he hopes will be three pieces of silverware after claiming the $1000 NT News-Darwin Business Machines Player of the Year award.

The 29-year-old polled 17 votes from 12 games to win the 2019-20 award by four from teammate Liam Holt-Fitz (13) and Southern Districts midfielder Josiah Farrer (12).

Filo polled four best on ground votes in a season where the Tigers won 17 of 18 minor round games.

“I started off well, the first four or five rounds were pretty good and I’ve just been chipping around where I have to since,’’ he told the NT News.

“The side’s been pretty solid all year where we’ve got a lot of good players and that makes it a bit easier for you to play well.’’

Filo’s win makes him one of the favourites to win the league’s best and fairest award, the Nichols Medal, when it is presented in the lead-up to the March 14 grand final.

He won the medal in 2015-16, a season he rates one of his most consistent at any level.

“I haven’t been as consistent this season, but the games I’ve played at my best have been top quality,’’ Filo said.

“Plus the year I won the Nichols I played six or seven more games. But we’ve won a lot of games this season and I played well in a lot of those.

“So you just don’t know, I do tend to catch the umpire’s eye a bit. But, again, there’s four or five other blokes (Kaine Riley, Daniel Bowles, Liam Holt-Fitz) who have had good years.’’

Essentially a midfielder, Filo has not gone forward a lot this season despite kicking 15 goals, most of them from a long way out.

“I try and get a breather every now and then with the heat up here, that’s something I still can’t get my head around after playing footy in Darwin for five years,’’ he said.

And what about back-to-back Premier League flags for the first time in Nightcliff’s history?
“I think we can,’’ Filo said. “Last year there was a lot of pressure with the (54-year) drought and once we broke it a lot of weight dropped off our shoulders.

“A lot of the boys know how to win one now and we’ve recruited a lot of experienced players, so we’re better prepared.’’