Sept. 26, 2012, 4:17 p.m.
NOR-WEST Jets under 18 division two captain Brent Johnston was named joint winner of the Hart Medal for the league best and fairest at the recent Sydney AFL presentation night.
The award is voted on by the umpires in a 3-2-1 format at the end of each game and is inclusive of teams from all over Sydney.
It is a great achievement by Johnston who played his junior football for the Quakers Hill Bombers & Hawkesbury Saints.
He polled consistently in 12 games, including three best on grounds from the umpires and finished on 23 votes, tied with Callum Johnston from Manly.
Johnston kicked 23 goals for the season while playing most of his football on the ball, but more impressively he also played one game for the Jets in division four, receiving best on ground from coach Peter Kyle but it was the seven division two games for the seniors where he showed his potential.
He kicked three goals and was twice in the top six for the seniors, often after playing earlier in the day with the 18s.
Senior coach Donald Ollington said it was a great achievement by Johnston, who matured throughout the year and that the exposure to senior football had greatly improved him as a footballer.
He played in some tight pressure games of senior footy and the experience was obvious when he went back to play in the under 18s.
The Nor-West Jets under 18s team, in its first year, provided a great opportunity for local kids to play AFL some of who had never played AFL before.
With a great team attitude they really took it up to the more established clubs finishing in the finals. On top of this, several promising youngsters also had their first opportunity to play senior football. The Nor-West Jets are looking for interested players for season 2013.
http://www.hawkesburygazette.com.au/story/360508/brent-johnston-wins-hart-medal/
