2022 Hampden football league: Who won their club best and fairest awards?

TERANG Mortlake captain Joe Arundell spent his forced stint on the sidelines marvelling at two of his young teammates. The creative utility missed the bulk of the Hampden league season with a serious shoulder injury which required surgery and became a regular fixture on the Bloods' bench. It gave Arundell, 27, a chance to watch teenagers Ryley Hutchins and Xavier Vickers emerge as bonafide midfielders in season 2022. Hutchins won the Bloods' best and fairest and Vickers was runner-up. Another teenager - South Warrnambool's Archie Stevens - also won his club's top individual award. It was an extra special feat considering he missed games while furthering his football with VFL club Carlton. Arundell said Hutchins and Vickers impressed. "They're both 18 years old and got thrown in the deep end with our older, experienced players missing chunks of the season, they were steering the ship on their own which is hard for anyone let alone two blokes in their first year of seniors in the Hampden league," he said. Arundell said Hutchins crossed from Warrnambool and District league outfit Kolora-Noorat while Vickers had come through the Bloods' junior system. "They both were playing midfield in the end so I think they probably complemented each other pretty well," he said. "Ryley used his skills well and Xav is just a good contested midfielder and his tackling - I don't think I have seen a kid his age tackle that well to be honest." Terang Mortlake, which has re-signed Ben Kenna as coach for the 2023 season, is bullish about its young crop, headlined by its best-and-fairest podium duo. "It is pretty exciting and it's probably unheard of for any club really to have two 18 year old players finish first and second," Arundell said. "It makes you excited to see what they can do; they're only going to get better." Arundell said Hutchins and Vickers - both completing apprenticeships around Terang - were unassuming off the field. "I didn't know Ryley because he only came in this year and he was a bit quiet at the start but as the season wore on he's come out of his shell a bit which is good and you can probably tell by the the way he was playing," he said. "Xav is a pretty quiet sort of a fella as well and you know what you're going to get with him." Arundell is planning for a round one return to the field after successful surgery which forced him to miss 10 weeks' work as a plumber. He will take lessons from time on the bench and "seeing a different side of things". "The improvement from the start of the year to the end makes me pretty keen to be playing with them all to be honest," Arundell said. "The majority seem to be sticking around so hopefully we can build on the second half of the year." Camperdown: Winner - Cameron Spence; runner-up - Charlie Lucas Cobden: Winner - Grady Rooke; runner-up - Paul Pekin Hamilton: Winner - Andrew Pepper; runner-up - Brady Hicks Koroit: Winner - Sam Dobson; runner-up - Jeremy Hausler North Warrnambool Eagles: Winner - Jett Bermingham; runner-up - Tate Porter Port Fairy: Winner - Kaine Mercovich; runner-up - Matt Sully Portland: Winner - Daniel Jackson; runner-up - Lochie Huppatz South Warrnambool: Winner - Archie Stevens; runner-up - Shannon Beks Terang Mortlake: Winner - Ryley Hutchins; runner-up - Xavier Vickers Warrnambool: Winner - Jye Turland; runner-up - Damien McCorkell MORE SPORT: Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: