1995 - The Best and Fairest



The Essendon Best and Fairest night is always one of the social highlights for the club, and last night was no exception. The event was held at Moonee Valley Racecourse this year, as last year's venue (Flemington Racecourse) would not have been able to hold all the people who wished to attend. There were just over one thousand people at the function, up again on last year, which just shows that the club is going from strength to strength each year. In traditional style, the awards for the reserves were handed out first. They were as follows:

Reserve Awards:

Best Club Man: Danny Morgan
Danny won this award for the second time running, saying that he was just as shocked to win it this time as he did the first.

Best and Fairest award:
1st Peter Cransberg
I think Peter summed up his feelings by saying "You never really want to win this award", but it was just reward for a terrific year he had whilst playing in the reserves. He played six games in the seniors this year, and many would say was very unlucky not to play more.
2nd Danny Morgan
Danny took out the reserves Best and Fairest last year, and this year he was given the chance to play senior football as his reward for hard work.
3rd Peter Berbakov (a supplementary list player)
Peter was one of the fine supplementary list players at Essendon this year. Along with Mark Pitura, Darren Fraser and Adam Kingsley, they put it fine performances and were one of the reasons that the reserves got up to finish third at the end of the year.

Then after main course was served, the senior awards were given:

Senior Awards:

Best First Year Player: Matthew Lloyd
Arguably the most promising young player in the entire AFL, Matthew Lloyd played out the season in the seniors (including the finals). He looks to be one of the future key players for Essendon on the forward line.
Most Improved Player: Ryan O'Connor
Ryan really stepped up this year, which was recognised early in the year with the Alex Jesaulenko Medal for best Allies player in the State of Origin game. His aggression and enthusiasm at the football make him one of the toughest players in the league, and this award tops off a good year for him.
Best Club Man: Stephen Alessio
Stephen is one of the really good blokes at Essendon, and this award reflects his off field personality towards everyone around the club. His year was disrupted with injury in the middle part of the season, but barring injury next year he willbe even more impressive on field than off.

The W.S. Crichton Award for the Best and Fairest Player:

 1st James Hird
It was back to back Best and Fairest awards for James Hird. Kevin Sheedy said "This man is not a great player yet...but he's certainly pushing it". In only a few years playing James has become a champion already. This certainly won't be his last Crichton Medal, and this one reflects the fantastic and consistent performance that James puts in week after week throughout the year. Congratulations James Hird.
2nd Michael Long
The top Essendon vote getter in the Brownlow was always going to feature prominently in the Best and Fairest. In typical Long style, he said after receiving second place "I didn't think I'd do this well this year...I'd thought I'd win it!" It was a remarkable year by Long, coming back after a whole year off in 1994 due to knee surgery, and going so close to winning the Best and Fairest was testimony to this.
3rd Gary O'Donnell
Gary is without doubt one of the most popular players at Essendon. And his consistent hard work on the field have won him the admiration of supporters from all clubs. Gary can always be seen urging the team on when it is behind, and is always seen in the play when the Dons are winning. As one of the leaders of Essendon, Gary deserved this award for 1995.

Well, with the end of the last Social Function for the year, it seems that football is all but finished for 1995. But in less than a month the players will be back out on the track, in pre-season training ready for 1996. The mood was extremely optimistic about our prospects in 1996. Nearly every speech given mentioned that we would improve next year, and David Shaw, the Club President, said, "We won the first flag... and I'll be damned if we don't win the premiership in the centenery year of the AFL!" I think if this focused attitude continues over the summer, we could see Essendon's sixteenth flag in the 100th year of the AFL.

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