SANFL captain Ian Callinan has won the inaugural Adelaide Crows State League Club Champion award.

Callinan won the award with 67 votes ahead of first-year players Jake Kelly and Riley Knight on 62 votes apiece.

Callinan trailed Kelly by one vote after Adelaide’s Round 14 SANFL Showdown against Port Adelaide, but then polled four consecutive five-vote games to close out the count.

The four-time SANFL premiership player averaged 19 possessions per game and kicked a goal in all but one of his 16 SANFL appearances this season.

The Tasmanian booted 27 majors to also finish the year as Adelaide’s leading SANFL goalkicker.

Friday night’s honour added to a decorated list of individual achievements in Callinan’s career.

The 31-year-old was a two-time club champion with Central District (2007, 2010) and won a best and fairest with the now defunct Tasmanian Devils VFL side nine years ago.

He was also the recipient of the Jack Oatey Medal as best afield in the 2010 SANFL Grand Final.

Callinan, who played 32 AFL games for the Crows after joining the Club in 2011, led from the front in his maiden season as Adelaide’s SANFL skipper.

The Club’s first-ever state league captain led the team for inside 50ms (55), and was ranked inside the top five for kicks, marks, tackles and goal assists in what was a complete season for the popular veteran.

The award capped off a busy year for the small forward, who also worked closely with Crows coaching staff in a development role during the season.

Shared runners-up Kelly and Knight were among four first-year players to finish inside the top seven of the count.

Adelaide’s second-last pick in the 2014 AFL Rookie Draft, Kelly played all 18 games in his first year of senior football.

The tall defender was a shining light among the SANFL Crows’ young backline with his best performances often coming when opposed to some of the competition’s most dangerous forwards.

Kelly led Adelaide’s state league side for marks and rated second for effective kicks.

Midfielder Knight was equally impressive in his debut SANFL season after being snapped up with Adelaide’s third round selection at this year’s National Draft.

The 19-year-old built a reputation as one of the side’s most skilled ball-users alongside his elite endurance and tackling pressure.

Knight did not miss a game in Season 2014, led the side for score assists and ranked inside the top three for tackles, marks and handballs.

Cam Ellis-Yolmen, who made his AFL debut this season in Round 12, finished the count in fourth place, while inside midfielder James Battersby rounded out the top five with 52 votes.

State League Club Champion 2014 Top Ten