Tim Kelly was named West Coast's club champion for the first time in his West Coast career on Saturday night.
The stand-out West Coast midfielder was awarded his first John Worsfold Medal for maintaining a consistent standard of effort during the club's horror 2023 season.
"It is a massive honour to win this award, it's something I'm really thankful for," Kelly said.
Kelly polled 200 votes under a system where the five members of West Coast's match committee rated each players' performance from 0-3 in every game.
Kelly won by 37 votes ahead of forward Oscar Allen (163), who was followed by defender Liam Duggan (158), first-year Eagle Jayden Hunt (116) and retiring captain Shannon Hurn (102).
The 29-year-old played 22 games, averaging 28 possessions, six clearances and nearly five tackles per game, with his ability to perform while the team was struggling that set him apart during 2023.
The midfielder led the club for disposals, inside 50s, clearances, tackles, contested possessions and score involvements, while also finishing equal fifth for goals.
During his speech, Kelly gave credit to a South Fremantle mentor who helped him improve his running ability which changed his game and allowed him to be a more explosive athlete.
"One thing I felt I was lacking a little bit was a little bit of speed. Fortunately I re-connected with one of my former coaches at South Fremantle, Tony Walters, and that's something he's really passionate about," Kelly said.
"He's a sprint coach. For someone like myself who has never been taught how to sprint and the basic mechanics of running, he was someone who was able to make slight adjustments.
"I feel like it had a massive impact in the short amount of time we spent together.
"We stripped a few things back. He contacted me because he saw the way I was running and he thought it was disgusting.
"I said 'it's funny you mention that because I've never been taught how to actually run.' It was something very small that has definitely helped me."
After making the he All-Australian team at the Cattery and finished seventh in West Coast's best and fairest in 2020, sixth in 2021 and third last season, Kelly admitted this year was his best best season in the AFL.
"I personally feel like I had my best year in the league," he said.
"In terms of consistency this year, in terms of the attention I've received from the opposition week in and week out, to be able to come off most games with my head held high, I've had my best year yet."
In 2018 Kelly burst onto the AFL scene as a mature aged recruit from South Fremantle, in his short time at Geelong he made an instant impact before returning back to WA to play for the Eagles.
West Coast gave Kelly a six-year contract and traded two first round and two second round draft picks to secure his services.
He is currently in his fourth year of his contract.
