Swan's Voice Medal

by LES EVERETT

MIDFIELDER Michael Swan is the winner of the 2004 Voice Medal.

swan&schulze

2004 Voice Medal winner Michael Swan with award sponsor Dean Schulze from Beaufort Street 24 Hour Chemist. Photo by Les Everett

Votes in the last five rounds were counted last Friday week at the Hyde Park Hotel with the top two Swan and Paul Ridley holding their positions despite polling just one vote between them in the final four games.

Troy Wilson polled 12 votes in that period to storm into third place while Michael Clark and Troy Butcher rounded out the top five.

Votes were cast on a 5,4,3,2,1 basis by Voice observers at every East Perth game in 2004.

Swan came to East Perth last season to join his brother David. He spent two injury interrupted seasons on the Sydney rookie list and had problems this year with a broken shoulder late in the season.

The younger Swan said his burning football ambition was to play in an East Perth premiership team.

Award sponsor Dean Schulze of Beaufort Street 24 Hour Chemist presented the medal while Voice News owner Andrew Smith made presentations to Ridley and Wilson. The Mayor of Vincent Nick Catania also attended.

All the votes: Michael Swan 33; Paul Ridley 29; Troy Wilson 23; Michael Clark 19; Troy Butcher 18; Jeremy Humm, Andrew Merrington 17; Frank Agostino, Brent Cowell 16; Zac Beeck 14; Craig Glancy, Damian Lynch, Adam Pickering 9; Dean Brennan, Rowen Langridge 8; Daniel McConnell, Jon Perrett, Craig Wulff 7; Ryan Turnbull, Luke Webster 6; Brendan Hancock, Tim Lyster, Paul Symmons 5; Troy Kirwen 4; Mark Ainley, Jeremy Barnard, Russell Thompson 1.

Michael Swan joins Ryan Turnbull and Brent Cowell as winners of the Voice Medal. Meanwhile Ridley, Cowell, forward Andrew Merrington, ruckman Tim Lyster and defender Troy Kirwen have signed new contracts with the Royals and Royce Vardy and Jon Perrett are heading back to Victoria.

Football manager Brad Ward told the Voice the club would be doing some selective recruiting to add to what he described as a talented playing list. The shopping list currently includes a midfielder with speed, a key defender and a small crumbing forward.

The search for a new coach to replace Andy Lovell continues with this year's VFL combined team coach Gerald Fitzgerald opting to stay in Victoria for family reasons.

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