At the start of the season, Adam Plummer was hoping to just cement a first team spot..
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But he had no issue doing that for the Bathurst Bulldogs throughout the 2021 season, with Plummer the receiptant of the club's first grade best and fairest award.
Plummer, who usually plays either wing or outside centre, was announced as the winner of the award at the Bathurst Bulldogs' presentation ceremony at Ann Ashwood Park on Saturday afternoon.
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Plummer said he was thrilled to have won the award, considering he was doubting whether he'd been in the first XV for the 2021 season.
"To be honest, I was pretty worried about making the side," he said.
"I was in [2021 coach] Mick Lesberg's ear, asking if he'd look at me for flanker or number eight, because I was trying to guarantee a position.
"In 2020, even though it was a shorter year, I had played sub-par and I wasn't able to contribute to the team a whole lot, at least that's how I felt."
The award comes after Plummer was named in the NSW Country side that was meant to contest the Senior National XVs Championship in Adelaide from September 29 to October 5, but it was later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, it was just good to be able to get out there, even though the club didn't come away with any accolades at the end of the year.
- Adam Plummer
He also featured in Central West's Caldwell Cup campaign back in June, which the Blue Bulls successfully defended after a 24-19 win over Far North Coast.
"This year, it was just good to be able to get out there, even though the club didn't come away with any accolades at the end of the year," Plummer said.
"It was just great to be able to contribute for the Bulldogs and the Central West side."
While the players' player award - which was won by Zac Taylor - is voted on by players, the best and fairest award is voted on by coaches and managers on a 3-2-1 system.
The first grade best and fairest award is something Plummer has never won before and while it's a great accolade for him, he admitted it doesn't compare to playing in and winning a grand final.
For now, Plummer will focus on pre-season, which the Bulldogs side has started early in preparation for the 2022 season.
"At the moment, we've already got pre-season kicking-off, which you wouldn't really see down at Bulldogs until January or start of February," he said.
"We've got a group of boys that feel like we achieved less than what we could've this year, so we've got some players that are really keen to dig in already for next year."
Bulldogs finished the regular season in third place, with the blue and golds scheduled to play Forbes Platypi in a minor semi-final in the first week of the finals.
That finals match never went ahead - and neither did the rest of the competition - after the COVID-19 lockdown across NSW seeing the abandonment of the Blowes Clothing Cup competition for 2021..
In the Bulldogs' women's team, Brydie Comiskey was crowned the best and fairest.
This year was Comiskey's second year with the Bulldogs, having scored the match winning try in the blue and golds 17-12 Ferguson Cup grand final win over Dubbo Kangaroos.
Comiskey joined the Bulldogs for 2020 season after previously playing for CSU-Mitchell, having lost the decider to Bulldogs in 2018.
Her accolade as the women's best and fairest isn't bad for a former Western NSW FC soccer player who didn't know any union rules when she first took up the sport four years ago.
The Bulldogs' women side had finished top of the ladder at the end of the regular season, with 11 wins from 12 games.
They were scheduled to play Dubbo Kangaroos in the major semi-final, but that match never went ahead because of the COVID-19 lockdown.
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