Not sure how you work out that Rowan Bell is the clear favourite for the award? The award is given to the player who is one year out of 3rds (effectively under 19 age group level, if they qualify to still play 3rds they are ineligible, hence the reason Tom Hams won the "Rookie of the Year" in his 3rd year of senior football, and the only reason the Dowse boys haven't won it for the past 6 seasons since they started playing senior football aged 12) who features in the best the most times. From the points system that I saw, I assume that if you are best on, you receive 6 points, second best 5 points and so on. Bell would not even be leading at this stage, let along favourite to win it. Basically, it is a system that favours players in weak sides as they will feature in the best more often. It would take an outstanding player to win it in a Heyfield/Woodside/Boisdale/Churchill side. Outstanding, as in, say the Dowse boys, Shaun Humphreys or sexual Chocolate or whatever variety of chocolate he is being known as these days. Bell is a good player, however, looking at the results of the Heyfield Sale City clash, it would appear that Heyfield might have more of a say in who wins the Rookie of the Year that Sale City. Also, there is a bloke playing at Stratford who has featured in our best as often or more than Rowan Bell, and without knowing every 18-19 year old throughout the league, I would think there would be others at other clubs who would be in front of Bell.
