North Ballarat young gun Nick Rippon has been named the 2015 J.J. Liston Trophy winner following a thrilling vote count on Monday night at Crown Palladium.

The 21-year-old came from two votes behind leader Matt Thomas (Richmond) with a best-on-ground performance in the final round of the season to finish one vote ahead of four runners-up.

Thomas had held the outright lead from Round 13, but after polling his final votes in Round 16, the Tigers had the bye in Round 17 before the rugged midfielder was called up to play two matches at AFL level.

He was left stranded on 14 votes before the final round, ahead of Williamstown’s Ben Jolley and Box Hill Hawk Jonathan Simpkin (13 votes apiece) and Roosters pair Rippon and Myles Sewell (12 votes apiece).

While Jolley and Simpkin failed to poll in Round 20, Rippon and Sewell dominated in North Ballarat’s 42-point victory over Coburg at Eureka Stadium.

Both had 28 disposals, but Rippon’s four goals secured him the three votes required to overtake Thomas while Sewell had to settle for two.

A previous winner of the award in North Ballarat’s 2009 premiership year, Sewell finished as one of four runners-up with Thomas, Sandringham’s Clint Jones and Williamstown’s Sam Dunell (the latter two both polling three votes in the final round to shoot up the leaderboard).

Rippon joins former teammate Steve Clifton (a joint-winner in 2013) as the only J.J. Liston Trophy winners to have come from a team that missed the finals since 2000, when AFL clubs became involved in the VFL.

The East Point product has enjoyed a rapid rise during his three seasons and 49 senior games under legendary coach Gerard FitzGerald at the Roosters.

After a stellar 2012 season with the North Ballarat Rebels, in which he won the club’s best-and-fairest award, finished second in the Morrish Medal and was named in the back pocket in the TAC Cup Team of the Year, Rippon followed the talent pathway into the region’s VFL team.

He played 12 senior matches and five at Development League level in his first season in 2013, before blossoming as a midfielder capable of playing inside and outside the contest in 2014.

Rippon averaged 26 disposals per game in 18 matches and was rewarded with selection in the VFL Team of the Year last season, before averaging 24 disposals in 18 matches this year – again named in the Team of the Year.

As well as polling three votes in Round 20, the umpires also named him best-on-ground for a 32-disposal performance in a 103-point win against Frankston in Round 15 and for a 34-disposal effort in a 47-point defeat of Geelong in Round 17.

Rippon becomes the fifth Liston Trophy winner from North Ballarat in the last 12 years (Julian Field 2004, Sewell 2009, Clifton 2010 (joint) and 2013 (joint)).

2015 J. J. Liston Trophy leaderboard

Nick Rippon (North Ballarat) 15

Matt Thomas (Richmond) 14

Myles Sewell (North Ballarat) 14

Clint Jones (Sandringham) 14

Sam Dunell (Williamstown) 14

Ben Jolley (Williamstown) 13

Jonathan Simpkin (Box Hill Hawks) 13

Daniel Currie (Werribee) 11

Sam Iles (Box Hill Hawks) 11

Full votes CLICK HERE

OTHER AWARD WINNERS:

ALEC GILLON AWARD (club volunteer recognition): Vic Fuller - Geelong

VFL LIFE MEMBERSHIP: Ian Liversidge (Coburg), Stephen Smith (AFL Victoria) & Richard Mills (umpiring)

‘FROSTY’ MILLER MEDAL (goalkicking): Sam Grimley (Box Hill Hawks), Jordan Lisle (Port Melbourne) and Liam McBean (Richmond) – 42 goals

A. TODD MEDAL (Development League B&F): Dylan Conway - Williamstown

FOTHERGILL-ROUND MEDAL (most promising talent): Adam Marcon - Williamstown

VFL TEAM OF THE YEAR click HERE