ALL nine WAFL clubs have now wrapped up their 2012 seasons by announcing their club champions with seven first-time and two triple fairest and best winners being named by their respective teams.
Perth's Ross Young and South Fremantle's Kris Miller both cemented their places as greats of their respective clubs by winning a third fairest and best award with Claremont's Kane Mitchell, East Fremantle's Steven Dodd, East Perth's Paul Johnson, Peel's Brendon Jones, Subiaco's Aidan Parker, Swan Districts' Shaun Hildebrandt and West Perth's Mark Hutchings claiming their first club champion award.
Premier Claremont was the last team to hold its club champion awards doing so last Friday night with Sandover Medallist Kane Mitchell capping off his remarkable season by claiming his first EB Cook Medal.
Mitchell now finishes his 2012 season a premiership player, Sandover Medallist, State player and fairest and best winner following a campaign that saw the long-haired 22-year-old average 25.4 possessions and kick 27 goals in the home and away season.
He followed up with a starring role in Claremont's grand final win over East Fremantle as well to end up the EB Cook Medallist for the first time on 366 votes just ahead of key forward Tom Lee who polled 314 having kicked 70 goals even though he started the season at centre half-back.
It breaks Luke Blackwell's run of three straight Claremont fairest and best awards with the 2011 Sandover Medallist finishing third on 309 votes ahead of Ian Richardson who polled 303.
East Fremantle had an outstanding season to go from missing the finals in 2011 to playing off against Claremont in the grand final. The Sharks' defence was perhaps the best in the WAFL all season long and that was reflected in their fairest and best count.
Steven Dodd claimed his first Lynn Medal for his outstanding season mostly at centre half-back as he continues to build on his 86-game WAFL career with the Sharks on top of his 101 matches with Fremantle. Fellow defenders Andrew Stephen, Tom Howlett and Mitch Brown also finished in the top seven.
Captain Mark McGough was runner-up to Dodd followed by last year's winner Rory O'Brien, Stephen, Rob Young, Howlett, Brown, Bradd Dalziell, Richard Hadley and young gun Sean Henson.
Shaun Hildebrandt's move to Swan Districts certainly paid off handsomely for both club and player with the 200-game wingman claiming the Swan Medal as the black-and-whites' fairest and best player for 2012.
The 28-year-old had previously played 60 WAFL games with Peel and 118 with Subiaco before deciding he wanted a fresh start at Swan Districts despite a fairest and best award and two premierships with the Lions.
He settled instantly on the wing for Swan Districts and went on to average 26.1 possessions a game to end up polling 104 votes to win the Swan Medal ahead of Kyle Hams (80 votes), Marlon Motlop (74), Justin Simpson (72), Tim Geappen (67), Ash Hansen (59), Matt Riggio (56), Josh Roberts (47), Tallan Ames (47) and Tom Roach (46).
East Perth did well to return to finals action in 2012 and a big part of that was the arrival of ruckman Paul Johnson. The former West Coast, Melbourne and Hawthorn big man joined the Royals for 2012 and was outstanding in the ruck averaging 18.3 possessions and 27.6 hit outs a game.
He was also terrific in the WA State game loss to South Australia in Adelaide winning the Simpson Medal, and claimed the FD Book Medal ahead of co-captain Craig Wulff, Garry Moss and Freddie Clutterbuck.
West Perth midfielder Mark Hutchings led the way in the Falcons' midfield all season long averaging 24.9 disposals a game and he was rewarded with his first Breckler Medal.
The 21-year-old, who finished second in the Sandover Medal with 51 votes, polled 104 votes to win the award ahead of Ray Bartholomew (88 votes) and captain Jason Salecic (82).
Despite now being 32 years of age and having played 279 matches in the WAFL, South Fremantle's Kris Miller is showing no signs of slowing down as evidenced by another tremendous 2012 campaign.
Despite the Bulldogs losing a host of senior players and only winning three of their first 15 games before a late season revival with victories in four of the last five games, Miller continued to lead the way in the midfield for coach Paul Hasleby's side.
Miller led South Fremantle for disposals at 24.1 per game and continued his amazing durability by once again playing all 20 matches. It is Miller's third WJ Hughes Medal to go with his wins in 2007 and 2009, and he also won East Fremantle's Lynn Medal in 2005.
Miller finished on 27 votes four ahead of both first-year ruckman Sean Tighe and impressive young defender Nick Borovac.
Subiaco might have had a disappointing season going from grand finalists in 2011 to finishing seventh in 2012, but captain Aidan Parker led the team tremendously and came away with his first fairest and best award in his decorated 212-game career.
Parker has been a mainstay of Subiaco's back-line ever since returning from Adelaide in 2005 and is a triple premiership player, but 2012 saw him win his first Outridge Medal.
While Parker was again terrific at centre half-back throughout 2012, through necessity he had to spend significant time in the ruck and while undersized played virtually as an extra midfield winning tremendous amounts of the ball.
Parker won the Outridge Medal with 147 votes to be well clear of Joseph Daye (66 votes) and George Hampson (55). Callum Sinclair, Rob Forrest, Clancy Wheeler, Jack Anthony, Abe Davey, Darren Rumble and Rhett Kerr made up the top 10 for the Lions.
Perth might have had a disappointing 2012 season with just six wins, but captain Ross Young once again led strongly to claim his third Butcher Medal.
In his 19 games for the season, he averaged 26.1 possessions and kicked 15 goals to win his third fairest and best award after also winning in 2009 and 2011.
Young collected 92 votes to win ahead of Leon Davis (80 votes) and Alistair Smith (74).
Peel Thunder captain Brendon Jones won a fairest and best award with Perth in 2008 before crossing to the Mandurah-based club in 2010, and he took out the Tuckey Medal for his terrific 2012 campaign.
The tough and hard running 26-year-old has now played 57 games with Peel to go with his 101 with Perth, and had an outstanding 2012 averaging 22.9 possessions and kicking nine goals.
Peel's recruiting for 2012 of some senior players certainly paid off with Matt Orzel coming from Claremont and finishing as runner-up to Jones with Pat Travers returning to the Thunder from East Perth to claim the most consistent award.
