Potential No.1 draft pick Hugh McCluggage has capped his brilliant season by winning the TAC Cup's Morrish Medal.
The classy midfielder became the first North Ballarat Rebels player to win the award after polling 16 votes from 10 games this season.
McCluggage was two votes clear of Dandenong Stingrays half-forward Dan Allsop and Gippsland Power bottom-ager Callan McKeon.
McCluggage, who was named Vic Country's most valuable player at the mid-year NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, averaged 29 disposals and kicked 23 goals in the home and away season.
His goalkicking ability has added an extra layer to his game to make him the leading contender to be the first pick at November's draft in an unusually even field.
The 18-year-old is among a batch of prospects, including Will Brodie, Andrew McGrath, Ben Ainsworth and Sam Petrevski-Seton, who are vying for top position, which rests with Essendon.
The last No.1 pick to claim the Morrish Medal was Carlton's Matthew Kreuzer in 2008, with Melbourne midfielder Clayton Oliver storming home to win the award last year. Oliver was drafted by the Dees with pick No.4.
McCluggage kept up his consistency on the weekend in the first round of TAC Cup finals, gathering 20 disposals and two goals in the Rebels' loss to the Geelong Falcons.
His first goal highlighted his extreme talent, after he gathered the ball at half-back, fed it off a couple of times with precise handballs, kept running into the forward 50 and slotted a brilliant running effort.