HAMILTON Kangaroos had a strong showing at Monday’s Hampden Football Netball League junior presentations, with Charlie Field winning the Under-18 best and fairest.

Field polled 20 votes to edge out Camperdown’s Myles Sinnott by a single vote, with the 18-year-old telling The Spectator he wasn’t expecting to have his name called out.

“It is a pretty big honour, I wasn’t really expecting it, I was going there thinking I’d get third at best, so it is pretty exciting,” he said.

“I wasn’t nervous at all until my name got read out at the end, then it all hit me.

“I wasn’t putting anything on it too early or too late, anything could have happened, different umpires have different views, so wasn’t expecting much.”

Field bounced between seniors and Under-18s throughout the season, playing on the wing for much of the season at both levels, and said his stints in the top grade helped him develop and improve his game at Under-18 level.

“I think going up to seniors helped a lot throughout the year, it gave me a lot of confidence coming back into the Under-18s to perform, it felt pretty consistent throughout the year,” he said.

“It is a lot quicker paced, so it gives you extra confidence with the speed of the game.”

A big pre-season also set Field up for success, with Brad Thomas signing on as the Roos’ senior coach in 2023, with the group focusing on improving its fitness base.

Field said both Thomas and Under-18 coach, Damien Van Someren, pushed the midfielder throughout the pre-season and into the season.

“We had a massive pre-season, we started halfway through November and Thomo and Damo really pushed us early on,” he said.

“It has been pretty crucial.

“More so the mental side as well, obviously things don’t go your way all the time, so the mental side is important and not getting down on myself is important, fighting that adversity when it hits you.

“Thanks to the club as a whole and my teammates, Damo, Brad and all the people early on in my career, Bernie Porter, and those other coaches during my junior days, and my parents.”

Field’s teammate, Eddie McShane, also collected the Under-18 goalkicking award, booting 42 goals from 16 games, to finish well clear of South Warrnambool’s Jack McNeil who finished with 30 from 18 games.

The bottom-age player said the award was a nice reward for a consistent season from the team.

“It was nice to get a bit of recognition, it is a lot of my teammates’ work and I am just lucky enough to finish off with some goals,” he said.

“I will take the amount I kicked, but obviously I kicked a few points as well.

“Playing in good teams helps, a few of those midfield boys look out for me every week, and that is the main reason I kick so many I think.

“I am more a leading up to the footy and find that when the ball is on the ground, I can get it, but more play as a main target up forward.

“We have played a few games with 15 or 16, so it has left a lot of space to move up the ground, but against good teams, I stay deep and be that big target.”

McShane said a couple of teams in particular had a strong defensive system which took more to navigate.

“A couple of those South Warrnambool and Warrnambool defenders, they just know what to do, the good teams have good backs and you have to work hard for your goals,” he said.

“I probably played 70 per cent of the season up forward, played on a wing for a few games and down back for a few games, but majority up forward.

“It really doesn’t mean anything if we don’t win the flag, so I am more focused on team success, than individual success.

“Thanks to the teammates for kicking it to me, Damo the coach, and my dad for driving me, I live a fair way out of town, so he drives me to training.”

Hamilton also collected a netball award with Lexi Thomas finishing runner-up in the 13-and-Under best and fairest, two votes behind Cobden’s Athena Chivell.

Thomas polled 28 votes and said she thought she’d had a good season, but didn’t expect to finish in the top two.

“I thought I’d be in the top five, but not second,” she said.

“I was pretty nervous rocking up there, about after round 16 I kinda knew I was going to be up there.

“I had a good start to the season and we all made each other look good.

“I am a lot more experienced on the netball court, and taller and faster as well.”

The versatile junior spent time in multiple positions, but felt more comfortable in the midcourt.

“I have been playing a lot of centre, wing attack and goal attack, and a little bit of goal shooter,” she said.

“I definitely like centre the most, I like running.

“Thanks to my team, my mum and dad and my coaches, Nat O’Dea and Kelsey Lewis.”