Jackas captain crowned Best and Fairest
Nick Lewis’ stellar season culminated with the prestigious Michael Ritterman Best and Fairest award at the club’s awards night held at the Bentleigh Club last week.
NICK Lewis’ stellar season culminated with the prestigious Michael Ritterman Best and Fairest award at the club’s awards night held at the Bentleigh Club last week.
The round-by-round vote count saw Lewis and young gun Kane Nissenbaum go neck and neck, with the latter leading by just one vote with two rounds remaining.
A hamstring injury in round 16 derailed Nissenbaum’s chances though, leaving the door open for Lewis to claim his maiden senior Best and Fairest in his second year as skipper.
Lewis finished the night with a massive 77 votes, a 27-vote improvement on his 2017 haul.
Speaking to The AJN, Lewis explained that while he was honoured to receive the award, he is ultimately focused on achieving the premiership success that has eluded him in his short career.
“To win the Best and Fairest means a lot to me. It means joining a group of Jewish footballers that have ultimately achieved the highest individual accolade that you can win playing for a Jewish club,” Lewis said.
“I’m much more orientated around team goals. As cliché as it sounds I really would trade it in for a premiership, so while it is a nice feather in my cap, I’m looking forward to getting team success in the coming years.”
With Lewis poised to miss the 2019 season due to travel plans, he had strong words of advice for next season’s playing squad.
“Going forward, my advice would be to lift the training standard a little bit higher and to make the most of what the club has to offer.”
Adding to his Best and Fairest win, Lewis also claimed a swag of other accolades, including the Mark Feldy Best Clubman award, the Lionel Rosenberg Senior Coach’s award, and the Daryl Cohen Seniors Most Courageous award.
Having enjoyed their post-sea son break, the AJAX squad are due to link up with new coach Adam Andrews later next month to begin preparation for the 2019 Premier C campaign.
OTHER AWARD WINNERS
Seniors Most Improved: Justin Berkowitz
David Merkel Most Determined: Kane Nissenbaum
Seniors Best First Year Player: Cam Nankin
AJN & Pratt Family Trophy- Supporters B&F: Kane Nissenbaum
Jackettes Best and Fairest: Jess Marget
Jackettes Coach’s Award: Justine Gabriel and Daniella Abraham
Jackettes Most Courageous and Determined: Maddy Smart
Barry Linde Reserves B&F: Dylan Rothschild
Reserves Coach’s Award: Nicholas Cohen
Thirds B&F: Eli Adelist
Jeffrey Jankie President’s Award: Peter Berkowitz
In Appreciation of Outstanding and Invaluable Service: Andrew Shenker and Mark Mitchell
NEW HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
TWO of AJAX’s finest were inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame at the 2018 awards night. Lionel Rosenberg and Jack Chrapot became the ninth and 10th members of the prestigious list, joining famous AJAX names such as Daryl Cohen, Barry Markoff and Michael Ritterman.
Rosenberg, who was pivotal in the establishment of the club back in 1957, was the first captain of the club when it began in E-grade 61 years ago. He then went on to coach the seniors, leading the Jackas to their first ever premiership in 1966, defeating Old Ivanhoe Grammarians by a whopping 71 points.
Speaking to The AJN, Rosenberg stressed how far the club has come.
“It actually feels unbelievable that the club has come from such humble beginnings to what it is today. 700 kids in the juniors, it’s an unbelievable story,” he said.
The night’s second inductee was Jack Chrapot, who began his involvement with AJAX in the early 1980s as part of the junior club set- up.
Chrapot served both AJAX and the Moorabbin South Junior Football League (now South Metro JFL) for two decades, before he joined the AJAX senior committee. He currently sits as the chairperson of the match committee for the junior club.
“I was really honoured because unlike everybody else [in the Hall of Fame], they were players and I’m an administrator. Just to be in that company, it’s fantastic,” Chrapot said.
“I get a lot of enjoyment from watching kids grow up from five-year-olds when they can’t do up their own shoelaces to being young men and women, leaders of our community, not just in sport but in the general community.”
ASH OBEL
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