OUTGOING senior coach Nathan Wemyss has been crowned the Ararat Eagles' best and fairest player of the 2014 Mininera and District Football League season.
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The defender took out the top award ahead of assistant coach Lewis Baker, who will replace Wemyss in the top job next year.
It was the second time Wemyss has won the club's best and fairest award following on from the 2012 accolade.
Wemyss said he was lucky to hold off a number of challenges from his team mates.
"I wouldn't have got it if Tom Taurau hadn't have got his call-up to the Rebels, I think he finished fourth with 26 votes and he only played five games!" he said.
"So I have got to thank Tommy for being too good for us, because he won it pretty easily last year, beating me to the punch.
"It really does mean a lot. I suppose personally, I'm nearly 36 and I just try and do more and more each year so I can keep up with the young guys.
"I hope it is a bit of inspiration to the others to see that it doesn't matter about age or anything like that, it just depends on how hard you are working, if you do that you can get great results."
Taurau was named the club's best under-21 player.
Baker's runner-up finish capped off a brilliant first season with the Eagles.
"He has been fantastic all year, we just needed a bit more support for him in the middle," Wemyss said.
"He was burrowing in every time to try and get the footy out and we didn't quite have enough support around him for that.
"He gave his all throughout the season, didn't miss a beat on the track, spoke well to the players as an assistant coach and came up with some good ideas - I just couldn't have asked for any more from him."
Wemyss said as the senior coach he put the pressure on himself to stand up and lead from the front and he knows Baker will be doing the same in 2015.
"I really think he will step up again next season," he said.
"He came across wanting to take on some leadership roles to add that to his game. I think he has done that well this year and it will be another big step up again as a senior coach, but I am sure he will do that extremely well."
Winning the Eagles' reserves best and fairest was young gun Matt Peoples, with runners-up honours to Justin Bond.
It was a successful season for the club's under-16 team, winning back-to-back premierships and captain Naish McRoberts made it the perfect end to the year by claiming the best and fairest award.
McRoberts finished ahead of Mininera and District Football League best and fairest Ben Robertson.
Over on the netball court the A grade best and fairest was won by Jakki Weppner, despite missing several matches, while the consistent Sarah West was runner-up.
Kim Dohnt was the B grade best and fairest, with Alanna Woods finishing runner-up and Jordyn Leggett capped off a strong year in the Eagles' C grade team, which made it through to the grand final by claiming the top award.
Leggett's sister Sarah was the C grade runner-up best and fairest.
In the juniors it was an exciting count with Jen Lofts and Ebony McLoughlin finishing tied on votes to be crowned joint-winners of the 15 and under best and fairest, with runner-up going to Grace Harrison.
Other major presentations on the night included acknowledgement of Toni Chegwin and Riki McRoberts' 450-game milestones, while McRoberts also received the prestigious best club person award.
Ararat Eagles life memberships were awarded to Aaron Jenkins, Brian 'Lippy' Jenkins and Cath Perry.
Club secretary Tina Collins, on behalf of the executive team of Nats McRoberts (president), Daniel O'Connell (vice president) and Riki McRoberts (treasurer), thanked every single member, player, supporter and especially the volunteers who helped make 2014 a very successful year for the Ararat Eagles Football-Netball Club.