Ken Wines reflects on 1993 Esam Medal win

Ken Wines initially didn't plan on attending the 1993 J.A Esam Medal count and didn't view himself a realistic chance to win the league's most prestigious award.

The 37-year-old centre/ruck-rover from Northern Districts was in the twilight of his career, so you can imagine his surprise when he was crowned the Warrnambool and District league's best and fairest with 20 votes.

He finished two votes ahead of South Rovers centreman Tony Colman after polling 15 votes in the second half of the season.

At the time, Wines was believed to be the oldest ever recipient of the medal.

Now 67 and part of the furniture at Hampden league club North Warrnambool Eagles, he looks back on the night fondly.

"It was a shock to me because I didn't expect it," he told The Standard.

"I nearly didn't even go to the actual night. I didn't expect to win anything."

Wines was so convinced he wouldn't walk away with the win, he told The Standard afterwards that he'd made a friendly wager he wouldn't receive more than eight votes.

"I have never done well in individual awards and I had a bet with my boss at work that I would be lucky to get eight votes," he said at the time. "I guess I lost."

Wines said he was and still "honoured" to receive the accolade, although it wasn't what he set out to achieve.

"You definitely don't play sport for anything like that because it's about the team, the people you meet and the friends you develop out of it," he said.

"Apart from that, all the other things are bonuses."

The Esam Medal win was just one chapter in a glittering career for Wines, who is a life member at Koroit and North Warrnambool Eagles, as well as the HFNL.

The two sides to this day battle it out for the Ken Wines Cup whenever they meet.

Wines played about 270 senior Hampden league games with Koroit before joining Northern Districts for the 1992 WDFNL season, admitting the Hampden league "was getting too quick for me".

He won a club best-and-fairest with the Saints in 1987 and when he departed there in 1991, he was the club's senior-games record-holder.

The champion footballer played one more season with Northern Districts after 1993 (1994) before retiring and was lucky enough to go out on a high, winning his only senior premiership.

He relished playing with both the Saints and Northern Districts, who wore the same St Kilda strip, but acknowledged there was less pressure and "less limelight" playing in the district league.

"All the footy's been enjoyable," he said.

Northern Districts joined the Hampden league in 1997 and became known as North Warrnambool Eagles and it wasn't long before Wines' sons Matt, Adam and Luke came through the ranks.

All three brothers have been key members of the Eagles' recent success with Matt recently becoming the first person to play 300 games for the club.

"I was around the club and then I got more involved as the boys started playing senior footy," Wines said.

"I only live just down the road in Woodford. I'm not involved in an official position at the moment whereas I have been on the committee and stuff.

"Over the years we've watched them (my sons) come through the ranks and it's been good. They've done well for themselves.

"I do not give them much advice at all, occasionally I might say something to them but no, they're smart enough to work it out themselves I think."

Wines, three years retired, is currently holidaying in Western Australia with wife Sue but will be back in time for finals which the Eagles have already qualified for.

The former electrical fitter is enjoying life as a retiree and admits the 30 years since 1993 have flown by.

"Our lives are so busy and we're tied up in so many things the days and the weeks just go by," he said.

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