Steinberg caps a stellar season

AJAX Seniors vice-captain Warren Steinberg has won the club’s best and fairest award after a stellar Aussie Rules season that included a premiership and selection into the league’s team of the year.

Steinberg, who also won AJAX’s 2010 best and fairest award, polled 192 votes, with the club’s leading goalscorer David Fayman equal second with Rubin Winograd on 104 votes.

More than 200 players, coaches and supporters attended the awards function at Ormond Hall, Melbourne on October 10 as the club continued celebrating AJAX’s first premiership double in more than a decade.

President Ian Fayman announced that coach Bernie Sheehy had agreed to stay on next year, following the Jackas promotion to B Grade in the Victorian Amateur Football Association competition.

“All the coaches in our four teams (Seniors, Reserves, Warriors and Under-19) have agreed to continue next season,” said Fayman. “I want to thank all the 145 players who competed in an AJAX jumper this year.”

The Reserves best and fairest winner was Adam Trytell, and the Under 19 winner was Jarryd Ludski, who also won the top award in the league for his age group.

Sheehy praised his captain, Gary Blieden, as he presented the senior coach’s award to him.

“This is the most important award in a premiership team,” said Sheehy, who also paid tribute to the club’s depth of talent.

“The 22 players on grand-final day were important, but there were many other players not in the team on the day who came up from the Reserves and contributed to the success of the club.

“The quality of these players allowed us to keep winning, and we did not have to rush players recovering from injury back into the team.”

Sheehy praised forwards Jake Lew and Fayman, who won the John Brustman Golden Boot award for the club’s leading goal kicker.

“They kicked nearly 180 goals this year, but are very unselfish players who play as part of a team,” he said.

Lew won the award for the best senior player in the finals.

The award for most courageous player was won by defender Geoff Measey.

“There was a Melbourne Cup field of people to consider for the honour of being the most courageous player,” said Sheehy.

Marcus Jankie won awards for best clubman and the most determined player.

Steinberg, who also received a trophy for the best player as voted by supporters, said the accolades should be shared by all the players. “We are lucky to be premiership players,” he said, singling out assistant coach Mark Segal for praise as his mentor.

Adam Caplan, who played in the under-19 team at the start of the season before cementing a place in the Seniors, was named best first-year player.

The coach’s award for the Reserves was won by Joel Gocs.

REPORT by Danny Gocs

PHOTO of (from left) Rubin Winograd, Warren Steinberg and David Fayman at the AJAX best and fairest awards. Photo by Mark Feldy.

All the awards

SENIORS

Best and fairest
Warren Steinberg, 1; David Fayman and Rubin Winograd, equal 2.

Best clubman
Marcus Jankie

Senior coach’s award
Gary Blieden

Most courageous player
Geoff Measy

Most determined player
Marcus Jankie

Most improved player
Nick Marks

Golden Boot award
David Fayman

Best finals player
Jake Lew

Supporters’ best player
Warren Steinberg

Best first-year player
Adam Caplan

RESERVES

Best and fairest
Adam Trytell, 1; Josh Givoni, 2; Nadav Harel, 3.

Best finals player
Adam Trytell

Coach’s award
Joel Gocs

UNDER 19

Best and fairest
Jarryd Ludski, 1; Noah Rischin, 2; Richie Symon and Eyal Lang, equal 3.

Most courageous player
Ryan Dean

Coach’s award
Ashley Shenker

WARRIORS

Coach’s award
Ricky Cahn

CLUB AWARDS

Best clubman
Macus Jankie

Best administrator
Ian Fayman

President’s trophy
Peter Kagan

Life membership
Michael Karp, Mark Segal

200 games
Adam Sacks

100 games
Jason Ritterman, Geoff Measey, Corey Jankie, Sam Chester. Josh Gottleib

VAFA AWARDS

C Grade team of the year
Warren Steinberg (capt), David Fayman, Jake Lew, Josh Ludski

C Grade leading goal kicker
David Fayman

C Grade Rep team
David Fayman