What a four days it was for superstar Hallam midfielder Zach Dalton last week.
On Saturday he booted two goals on grand final day en route to playing in the Hawks’ first ever senior premiership.
Then on Wednesday, he was awarded with the Southern Division 4 League Best and Fairest.
The damaging mid won the award by polling 26 votes, four more than second place, after featuring in all of Hallam’s 20 games this year.
“It’s unreal,” Dalton said of winning.
“You don’t play for the medal, you play for the premiership which we got, so it’s even sweeter to win it.
“It’s a thankful moment that all the hard work pays off in the end.”
Dalton was named in the Hawks’ best 13 times this season whilst kicking 30 goals from the middle.
Most importantly, he hit form at the most crucial part of the season, slotting two goals in the second semi-final before bagging a pair in the big dance.
He played a massive role in helping his side go undefeated for the entire campaign, earning promotion to Division 3 in the process.
But even though the record of 20-0 including finals seems like Hallam dominated all year, Dalton took note of all the hard work and efforts behind the scenes that went into the achievement.
“From our point of view, obviously we didn’t lose a game but we had that many ups and downs,” he said.
“We had a pretty brutal preseason with heaps of running but everyone came back raring to go.
“The vibes were always good.
“We made sure throughout the preseason and the whole season that we never mentioned finals or never got ahead of ourselves.
“We stayed humble and we tried to keep it as level-headed as we could.
“Everyone else was waiting for us to lose and fall over but we kept the vibes up and gave each other constant feedback.”
A 21-point defeat in last year’s grand final to Hampton marked a key motivator for Dalton and the Hawks, vowing to not let heartbreak sour their season again.
“We were flat last year that we couldn’t get there but we knew this year we had what it took to get the job done,” Dalton said.
“The main thing for me in the preseason was I was trying to improve my running and get a bit stronger which I thought I lacked a bit last year.
“I had a good season of footy but there was still a lot that I learned.
“I remember when I came to the club and they put the idea forward that we could be the first ever premiership team and have our names in history forever, it’s what we wanted and what we worked for.”
The off-season addition of well-respected player Anthony Bernardo across from Seville as Hallam’s new playing midfield coach boosted dynamics.
Bernardo’s leadership and guidance aided Dalton in honing his craft and was pivotal in the emerging midfielder’s breakout.
“For me, having Anthony Bernardo come in as our mids coach was unreal,” Dalton said.
“He just helped me with some structure and the ongoing feedback has seen me improve.
“I can’t thank him enough for all the help he gave me along with Tom (Dalton) as well.”
Now, Dalton cements his name into legendary status at the club with his season being defined by success at every level.
