Ararat Rats reserves playing coach Jake Strafehl finished with the Wimmera Football League best and fairest runner-up trophy after a strong 2017 season.
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Strafehl coached the Rats reserves to a semi-final appearance after finishing the regular season in fourth place.
He joked that he benefited from being able to pick himself in the centre.
“That always helps,” he said.
“The boys obviously played a big part, we have got a good bunch of boys and for an old bloke like me it’s important to still have the young boys coming through.”
Strafehl finished one vote behind eventual winner Stawell Warrior Shane Field.
Field split his time between the reserves and seniors during the season but polled enough votes in his eight games to finish a vote clear of Strafehl and Warrack Eagles’ Jordan Taylor in third place.
The boys obviously played a big part, we have got a good bunch of boys
- Jake Strafehl
Strafehl’s runner-up result was a positive end to the season after the Rats were eliminated from premiership contention by the Horsham Demons in the first semi-final.
The Rats reserves coach said his coaching future of the team had yet to be discussed but that he was open to the idea of staying on as coach for the 2018 season.