St Kilda’s highest individual honour for current players will be awarded on Wednesday night at the annual Trevor Barker Award.
But there are four lesser-known awards that are also presented at St Kilda’s night of nights.
Lenny Hayes Player Trademark Award
Honouring the 297-game champion and 2010 Norm Smith medallist, the Lenny Hayes Player Trademark Award is bestowed by the group onto the teammate they believe best exemplifies the club’s values of courage and selflessness.
Jimmy Webster, Jack Steele and Seb Ross will all be in the mix after exemplary 2018 campaigns.
Webster battled persistent injuries to emerge as the Saints’ premier rebounding defender, averaging 4.8 rebound-50s and showcasing boundless courage on multiple occasions in 2018.
Giants academy graduate Steele took on a run-with role midway through his second season at the club, the big-bodied inside bull averaging 23.5 disposals and 6.7 tackles per game.
Ross was the picture of consistency in a turbulent season, averaging a career-high 30.1 disposals, 5.4 marks and 472.7 metres gained to back up his 2017 Trevor Barker Award win.
Robert Harvey Best Clubman Award
The Robert Harvey Best Clubman Award goes to a player that lives up to the club’s values both on and off the field, putting his teammates and his community first. The award is named after the Saints’ games record-holder and dual Brownlow medallist.
Dylan Roberton, Sam Gilbert and David Armitage will all be held in good stead by their on- and off-field contributions.
Roberton was a noticeable absence from the field after collapsing at Geelong in Round 4 due to a heartbeat irregularity, but that’s where his absence stopped – the leader took it upon himself to support his teammates both on match-day and throughout the week from the coaches’ box.
Gilbert recently drew the curtain on a 208-game career with the Saints, having spent much of his final season in the VFL mentoring the club’s next generation of defenders in Bailey Rice, Brandon White and Oscar Clavarino.
Armitage recovered from a frustrating 2017 to play 15 matches, also spending time at Sandringham with the club’s younger midfield brigade and taking on a teaching role with Hunter Clark, Ed Phillips and Nick Coffield.
Best Emerging Player Award
Voted on by the coaching panel, the Best Emerging Player Award recognises a player in their first to
While eight players made their debut in red, white and black and a host of others made progress, Jade Gresham, Hunter Clark and Ben Long are the leading contenders.
Star forward Gresham topped the Saints’ goal tally with 35 and increased his midfield minutes in his third year.
Clark made 15 appearances in his first year at Moorabbin, averaging 15.4 possessions as a rebounding defender and impressing with his crisp disposal and
Long cemented a place in the side early in his second season and had a career-best game against GWS, laying eight tackles and booting a crucial goal. A fractured metatarsal interrupted the 21-year-old’s progress, but he made it back for the final three games of the season.
John Moran Loyalty Award
The John Moran Loyalty Award acknowledges the club’s volunteers and is named after the former under-19s and Reserves player, life member, number one ticket-holder and sponsor of the Saints. John passed away in 2003.
Any new inductee/s for St Kilda Football Club Life Membership will also be announced at the Trevor Barker Awards.
