Weston Creek Molonglo all-rounder Blake Dean has capped a stellar debut season at his new club, winning the DB Robin Medal as the best and fairest for the Cricket ACT first-grade competition.
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Dean claimed the medal by a solitary vote in front of Eastlake captain Michael Spaseski at the Woden Tradies Club on Wednesday night.
The 27-year-old made an immediate impact with Weston Creek after coming across from Queanbeyan with older brother Jono Dean in the off-season.
Blake Dean scored 706 runs in the regular season across the two-day and one-day games at an average of 64.18.
But it was with the ball where he did the damage in last weekend's Douglas Cup final, taking 10 wickets for the match and making a quick-fire 81 in Weston Creek's outright victory against Wests/UC.
Weston Creek captain Michael Delaney said Dean thoroughly deserved the award and believed he was capable of playing at a higher level.
"He's proven himself in the last few years to be the best player in the competition with his all-round efforts," Delaney said.
"There's no better spinner in the competition and him, his brother (Jono Dean) and (Michael Spaseski) are the three best batsmen.
"I think with the talent he's got he could play state cricket very regularly, but I don't know whether he believes in himself enough."
Dean was picked up by the Sydney Thunder as a supplementary player for the 2013-14 Big Bash League season, but had a rough initiation in his one and only game.
He conceded 29 runs from his two overs and made three runs with the bat against the Sydney Sixers.
"I think that was a pretty tough period for him," Delaney said.
"I'm not sure if he realised how good he really was and how big of an achievement it was to play at that level.
"There's no one around with more talent than him, it's just about whether he wants to do it."
Dean was also named in the first grade team of the year, along with Creek veteran Cade Brown and Jono Dean, who was also named the regional Twenty20 player of the year.
Spaseski claimed the batting award with 828 runs for the season, while Tuggeranong paceman Luke Ryan led the competition with 35 wickets.
Wests/UC picked up the club championship, Grant McDonald from Tuggeranong collected the Darren Richards Medal for the indoor grade cricketer of the year, while Zoe Cooke (Wests/UC) and Eastlake's Zoe Richards shared the SJ Moore Medal for the women's competition.
AWARD WINNERS
DB Robin Medal: Blake Dean (Weston Creek Molonglo)
SJ Moore Medal: Zoe Cooke (Wests/UC) and Zoe Richards (Eastlake)
Darren Richards Medal (indoor grade cricketer of the year): Grant McDonald (Tuggeranong)
Club Championship: Wests/UC
Konica Minolta Twenty20 Player of the Year: Jono Dean (Weston Creek Molonglo)
First-grade batting award: Michael Spaseski (Eastlake)
First-grade bowling award: Luke Ryan (Tuggeranong)
First-grade team of the year: Blake Dean (Weston Creek Molonglo), Jono Dean (Weston Creek Molonglo), Joe Cooke (Wests/UC), Michael Spaseski (Eastlake), Cade Brown (Weston Creek Molonglo), Vele Dukoski (Eastlake), Joe Leach (North Canberra Gungahlin), Andrew Stead (ANU), Dale Riley (Wests/UC), Luke Ryan (Tuggeranong), Josh Bennett (Eastlake), Cameron Suidgeest (Ginninderra).
