SYDNEY Swans midfielder Ryan O’Keefe has won the 2009 Bob Skilton Medal at the Club Champion dinner held on Friday night at Darling Harbour’s Convention Centre.

O’Keefe won the medal count with 528 points, ahead of first-year Swan Rhyce Shaw on 453 points and co-captain Brett Kirk on 421 points.

At the halfway point of the season Kirk was leading the way, with Darren Jolly in second and O’Keefe and Shaw behind by only one point in equal third position. O’Keefe scored almost 80 points more than Shaw and over 100 points more than Kirk and Jolly in the second half of the season to take the 2009 honours.

O’Keefe polled in 19 of the 22 games played in 2009, and his highest score was in round 14 against North Melbourne at the SCG, earning 45 points out of a possible 50. No player scored higher than 45 points for a game this season.

It is the first time O’Keefe has been named Club Champion; his previous best was in 2006 when he placed equal second. Last season the 28-year-old finished fifth.

O’Keefe made his debut for the Swans in 2000 and has since played 186 games and kicked 191 goals. Heading into the 2009 season, he signed a four-year contract and made a move from the forward line to play a role in the midfield.

In 2009, the hard-running midfielder was second to Shaw in disposals for the season and third for tackles behind Kirk and Jude Bolton.
 
The final voting (top ten) for the Bob Skilton Medal was:
1.    Ryan O’Keefe – 528 points
2.    Rhyce Shaw – 453 points
3.    Brett Kirk – 421 points
4.    Darren Jolly – 415 points
5.    Adam Goodes – 394 points
6.    Jarrad McVeigh – 366 points
7.    Kieren Jack – 346 points
8.    Martin Mattner – 330 points
9.    Heath Grundy – 318 points
10.  Jude Bolton – 306 points
 
Club Champion votes are awarded by the five coaches: Paul Roos, John Longmire, John Blakey, Peter Berbakov and Mark Stone. A player can be awarded up to 50 points per game, and a coach can allocate up to ten points for as many or as few players as he feels appropriate.

Other award winners at the Sydney Swans 2009 Club Champion Dinner:
Paul Kelly Players’ Player Award – Adam Goodes
Sydney Swans Rising Star Award – Nick Smith & Jesse White (equal)
Dennis Carroll Trophy for Most Improved Player – Heath Grundy
Barry Round Trophy for Best Clubman – Michael O’Loughlin
John Yates Award for significant contribution to the promotion and development of the Sydney Swans and AFL in NSW – Jared Crouch
Life Members – Craig Bolton, Cathy Marney, Matt Cameron, John Selby