Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
PROUD of his Cheatley Medal achievement, but his focus firmly on North Bendigo's premiership tilt.
That was Bulldogs' star Joel Helman's mindset on Thursday following his Cheatley Medal triumph on Wednesday night.
Helman won the Heathcote District league's Cheatley Medal with 18 votes - all from six best-on-grounds - as the 24-year-old claimed a second league medal in as many seasons.
The gun goalkicking midfielder also won the Central Murray league Jack Betts Medal last year playing with the Cohuna Kangas.
"It's an honour to win the league medal, but a premiership at North Bendigo is what I'm really after," Helman said.
"I've played in 10 grand finals going back to under-13s and only won one, so I really want to win one with North."
Helman - a welder by trade - hasn't been without his chances of winning a senior flag in the HDFNL with both North Bendigo and former club Leitchville-Gunbower.
In 2015 he was part of the Leitchville-Gunbower side that lost the grand final to North Bendigo. Then in 2017 after making the move from the Bombers to Atkins Street he was in the North Bendigo team that lost the grand final to Leitchville-Gunbower.
After a year at Cohuna last season the powerfully-built Helman returned to the Bulldogs this year and after battling through injury early in the season has been a dominant force in the North Bendigo engine room.
"Maybe it's the helmet that makes me stand out... I'm not sure, but I'm not any better than any other midfielder," Helman said.
Maybe it's the helmet that makes me stand out... I'm not sure, but I'm not any better than any other midfielder
- Joel Helman
"Coming back to North this year, I've got a lot of really good mates and it's just a great family club. Since I first came here a couple of years ago, it has been the best club I've been involved with.
"The only reason I went back to Cohuna last year was because of the travel. It's hard being 90 minutes away, but I really wanted to come back this year and try to win that premiership with North Bendigo."
Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.