Ball magnet pulls in the votes

By Ken Moore
DROUIN ball magnet Andy Soumilas has won his second Trood Award-Rodda Medal for the best and fairest player in the Gippsland Football League.
Soumilas polled 25 votes and had a five-vote buffer over Sale midfielder Kane Martin. Traralgon coach Josh Jennings was third with 18 votes.
Soumilas and Jennings will come head to head on Saturday when their clubs play off for the 2011 premiership.
The league’s leading goalkicker, Sale’s Matt Ferguson, garnered 16 votes to be fourth, one vote in front of three midfielders – Maffra’s Kelvin Porter, Wonthaggi’s Leigh McDonald and Morwell’s Adam Bailey.
In an exciting count, Soumilas hit the front for the first time with two votes in round 13 against Wonthaggi. Martin temporarily led in round 17 with three votes for a fine game against Moe until Soumilas regained the lead with three votes against Leongatha, also in round 17.
Soumilas won his first Trood Award-Rodda medal in 2005, when at Garfield.
And in 2004 he won the Breheny medal for best and fairest in the West Gippsland Football League, which turned out to be the last presented, as the league morphed into a one-division Gippsland league over the summer of 2005.
Soumilas was in the news before the season started when he trained and signed at Narre Warren. But much to the relief of Drouin, he did a U-turn and returned to the Hawks’ nest before round one.
He was presented with his award by another dual winner, Maffra star Hayden Burgiel.
Always a man of few words, Soumilas put his good form in 2011 down to an injury-free season.
Earlier on Monday night, Soumilas was presented with the League Champion award – and he was also selected as centreman in the Gippsland league team of the year. Jennings was named the coach.
>>> For full list of vote-getters, see Footy 11.