HE may not have picked up any votes until round 11, but Queanbeyan Tigers forward Michael Wescombe was still able to collect equal best and fairest for the AFL Canberra competition at its presentation night last week.
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He shared the honour with Eastlake's Troy Fenyvesi, but in bagging 15 goals in his last three matches of the regular season, also scored the award for the competition's top goal kicker.
The 200-game veteran kicked 44 goals for the whole season, which was second best only to 64 goals he kicked in his junior playing days in South Australia.
But most importantly, he was able to top that all off with his first ever Queanbeyan Tigers premiership when his division one side toppled Ainslie in the grand final in Gungahlin.
"I obviously did the right thing towards the back end of the season there," Wescombe said with a laugh.
The 34-year old admitted he improved his fitness by the second half of the season, but in playing a mentoring role for the side's younger players, said those efforts kept his own game in check as well.
"The willingness to succeed, because I'm getting towards the back end of my career now, and chasing the ultimate prize of a premiership all helped my cause," he said.
Wescombe played in the NEAFL competition in its inaugural season in 2011 when the Tigers last won the AFL Canberra competition, and played in that competition when the NEAFL side won its sole title in 2012.
Given that, Wescombe said he was over the moon to finally win silverware last weekend.
"I hadn't won a premiership [before last Saturday], and I've been at the club for 14 years," he said.
While he could not confirm his plans for the future, Wescombe said he would consider retiring on a high now that he had finally won a premiership.
"I haven't got a decision in my mind yet, but it might be made soon," he said.