LEADING by example has paid off for Cats captain Diarmid Cleary, who earned Best and Fairest for the Casterton Sandford football seniors on Saturday night.

 After he already topped the Cats cohort and came third overall in the Western Border’s Best and Fairest tally, Cleary locked in the club’s top prize with 51 votes, even after having battled injury through part of the season.

Coach Kane Forbes said Cleary had still been fantastic for the club despite not being at full fitness.

“The warning is to everyone else that if he can get his body right for a full season, he’s going to be a force to reckon with,” he said.

“He still has an impact regardless and he wouldn’t be out there if he wasn’t going to be able to contribute.

“His 80 per cent was as good as a lot of people’s 100.”

Forbes also had plenty of praise for the captain who “leads by example”.

“He works really hard, trains hard and then on a Saturday he’s tough as nails, goes and gets the footy and just tries to get the boys going week in, week out,” he said.

“He’s a fantastic player and does a lot for us, on the ground but also off the ground.”

Cleary said he had aimed to lead by example throughout the season.

“I like to … show the boys what to do – that’s my way to do it,” he said.

It was not the only recognition on Saturday night for Cleary, who was also awarded the Seniors’ most consistent player.

“Obviously very proud but I think of it more as a club thing,” he said.

“I appreciate all of the boys – that’s what means more to me.”

Forbes also congratulated Cleary’s result in the Western Border’s Best and Fairest tally.

“I’m sure he’s probably one who would prefer to be playing on the last day in September but her thoroughly deserves the award – the league vote shows that as well,” he said.

“If he had played those games (he missed) he could have finished first or second (in the WBFL tally).”

Hamish McCrae earned runner-up in the Best and Fairest tally with 41 votes and was also awarded the Seniors’ most improved player.

Jarrad defies injury

INJURY could not stop Scarlett Jarrad’s shining on-court performances earning her Best and Fairest for Casterton Sandford’s A Grade netball Cats.

She finished Saturday night’s tally with 43 votes

Jarrad said she was “genuinely surprised” she had won the award.

“I probably didn’t have the end of the season that I wanted,” she said.

“Doing my knee playing football so I was a bit disappointed to finish off that way but super proud of the team in its whole.”

Although the A Grade Cats did not have the season they had hoped for, she said she was proud of the team’s important as each game passed.

“From how we started at the start of the season to the games at the end of the season, we were doubling our original scores so our development throughout the season was unreal.

“A real credit to all the kids (in the team), how far they’ve come and to Jodie’s coaching.”

While she won’t be on the court next season as she recovers from her knee reconstruction, her presence with the A Grade team won’t be diminished.

“I’ll probably be screaming from the sidelines … which I’m sure they’ll all be very thrilled about,” she said.

Caeleigh Humphries narrowly came within distance of Jarrad’s tally but finished the night just three votes behind on 40.