West Coast Eagles Matthew Allen and Luke Partington were crowned joint winners of East Perth Football Club’s 2018 FD Book Medal alongside inspirational co-captain Patrick McGinnity on Thursday night.
The terrific trio could not be separated at the end of the best and fairest count, each amassing 30 votes.
It was the second successive year that the Royals crowned three winners of its highest honour after versatile Eagle Fraser McInnes, accomplished backman Nathan Blee and inside bull Julian Ameduri tied for the club’s top prize last year.
Allen led the count for most of the evening, but Partington and McGinnity stormed home with three best-on-ground gongs in the final four rounds to tie the midfielder-forward.
The trio finished one vote ahead of first-year Eagle Brayden Ainsworth, who polled 29 votes from just 14 games.
Ainsworth also collected East Perth’s Outstanding Play Award and the Best First Year Player Award for his rookie season with the Royals, where he averaged 25.1 disposals, 5.9 marks and 0.7 goals per game.
Another first-year Eagle, Jarrod Brander, received the Jeremy Silcock Trademark Award alongside reserves player Taylor North.
Nathan Eaton received the Best Clubman Award and the highly coveted Trainer’s Award, Shayne Hill snared the League Coach’s Award and Will Maginness took home the club’s Leading Goal Kicker prize with a season tally of 26 majors.
