Bolton caps brilliant 2018 with Claremont fairest and best

IT is hard to imagine that Jye Bolton could have possibly done anymore to lead Claremont from the front in 2018 and the dual Sandover Medallist capped his brilliant season with a second EB Cook Medal as well.

Bolton was in his third season in the WAFL with Claremont since he crossed from VFL club Werribee and while he hasn’t quite been able to achieve the team success he craves, it's hard to imagine the three years could have gone too much better from an individual standpoint.

Bolton arrived at Claremont in 2016 and had a stunning first season playing for the WAFL State Team, winning the Simpson Medal and then finishing the season with both the Sandover Medal and Cook Medal as Claremont's fairest and best winner.

His 2017 was hardly shabby either with Bolton still playing his second game for Western Australia and finishing runner-up in Claremont fairest and best voting behind Bailey Banfield.

Then in 2018, it might very well have been Bolton's best of the three seasons at Claremont as he went on to win a second Simpson Medal during WA's state game victory in Adelaide against South Australia.

He went on to win a second Sandover Medal as well and then capped off the year with the EB Cook Medal as Claremont's fairest and best for a season that saw him averaging 30.8 disposals and not drop below 20 in any one game.

His consistency throughout the season was remarkable and he had 11 of his 20 games for the season that he had 30 or more possessions.

It caps a remarkable three years for Bolton at Claremont with the two fairest and best awards, two Sandover Medals, two Simpson Medals, three appearances for WA and it wouldn’t surprise if he is given a chance at AFL level as a result despite being 26 years of age.

If that doesn’t eventuate, he does appear set to remain at Claremont in an attempt to achieve some team success that has so far eluded him. 

The finals of 2018 was his first taste of it in his three years with Claremont beating East Perth in the elimination final before losing to West Perth in the first semi-final.

It wasn’t as if Bolton didn’t have good competition for the fairest and best award at Claremont either particularly with the strength of the Tigers' midfield throughout the season.

Jared Hardisty produced the best season of his career averaging 20.7 disposals a game and being a ferocious tackler. As a result he finished runner-up in fairest and best voting.

Kane Mitchell returned to Claremont in 2018 and the 2012 fairest and best winner, Sandover Medallist and dual premiership star had a strong season to end up third in the running for the Cook Medal.

Tom Lee led the goalkicking for Claremont in 2018 kicking 41 goals while other major award winners included Declan Hardisty (Best First Year Player), Jack Beeck (Engine Room Award), Jesse Laurie and (Sacrificial Tiger Award).

Claremont's reserves reached the preliminary final in 2018 and from that team, Rylie Morgan won the Dennis Marshall Trophy as fairest and best winner. He won ahead of Isaac Wallace and Jacob Sideris.

Max Grant won the Tom Richardson Trophy as Claremont's colts fairest and best winner ahead of Oliver Henderson, Tyron Smallwood and Callum Jamieson.

LEAGUE AWARDS
EB Cook Medal (Fairest and Best): Jye Bolton
Runner-up: Jared Hardisty
Third-place: Kane Mitchell
Leading Goalkicker: Tom Lee (41 goals)
Best First Year Player: Declan Hardisty
Engine Room Award: Jack Beeck
Sacrificial Tiger Award: Jess Laurie
Players' Player Award: Jared Hardisty
 
RESERVES AWARDS
Dennis Marshall Trophy (Fairest and Best): Rylie Morgan
Runner-up: Isaac Wallace
Third-place: Jacob Sideris
 
COLTS AWARDS
Tom Richardson Trophy (Fairest and Best): Max Grant
Runner-up: Oliver Henderson
Third-place: Tyron Smallwood, Callum Jamieson
Past Players & Officials Encouragement Award: Tom Baldwin