Scott Pendlebury can rightfully be considered a great of Collingwood, after winning his fourth Copeland Trophy on Friday night.
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Magpies skipper Pendlebury, 27, became just the fourth four-time winner of the award. The three men to have preceded him: current Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley (six-time winner), Len Thompson (five) and Bob Rose (four) are all of Australian football hall of fame members.
Pendlebury won the award comfortably, finishing with 169 votes to end the count 49 clear of Dane Swan (120). Youngster Jack Crisp (113) capped off a brilliant first year following his move to Collingwood from the Brisbane Lions, placing third at the count, held in front of 1500 people at Crown Casino.
It meant Crisp matched the 2014 effort of the man with whom he was traded from the Brisbane Lions — Dayne Beams — who finished third behind Pendlebury last season. In a positive sign for the developing Magpies, four of the top 10 — Crisp, Taylor Adams, Tom Langdon and Marley Williams — were under 23.
Pendlebury has now won the Pies' best and fairest three years in a row, and four times out of five, after first winning in 2011. He polled in 19 games during a season in which he averaged 29 disposals and five tackles, leading the club in both categories.
He finished the home and away season eighth in the competition for disposals, 10th for handballs, equal 12th for goal assists and 18th for kicks.
The 2010 Norm Smith Medallist polled 15 votes in this year's Brownlow Medal, the sixth straight year in which he has polled at least that many.
Of active AFL players in 2015, only Matthew Pavlich (six), Nick Riewoldt (six), Gary Ablett (five), Brent Harvey (five) and Chris Judd (five) have won more club best and fairest awards than Pendlebury, although Hawthorn champion Sam Mitchell could claim his fifth Peter Crimmins Medal on Saturday night.
Teenager and last year's fifth draft pick Jordan De Goey's 16-game first season was rewarded with the Harry Collier Trophy as the Magpies' best first year player. Like Crisp, De Goey was also recruited in Beams deal.
Three-time Copeland trophy winner Swan's second place followed a below-par 2014 season in which he missed the top 10. Key defender Nathan Brown finished eighth in the count after injuries restricted him to just three games last season. Brown also won the Darren Millane perpetual memorial trophy as best clubman. Travis Varcoe finished 10th following a solid first season at the club after crossing from Geelong.
