East Point midfielder Mickitja Rotumah-Onus continues to emerge as one of the Ballarat Football League's elite midfielders.
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He made an impressive start to the new season with a best-on-ground opening performance against Lake Wendouree.
Rotumah-Onus earned five votes in The Courier BFL player of the year award as the reigning premier defeated Lakers by 101 points.
Rotumah-Onus made his senior debut while still playing under-18.5s in 2015, but it was two years he began to make his mark.
He took a giant step forward last season, when in the top 10 in the Henderson Medal.
He was also fourth in the The Courier BFL player of the year and a key member of the East Point premiership line-up.
Sebastopol's Lachie Cassidy. Shane Page (Darley), Sam Willian (North Ballarat City) and Connor Griffiths (Melton) also received maximum votes.
ROUND 1 VOTING
SEBASTOPOL v BALLARAT: Lachie Cassidy (S) 5, Toby Thoolen (S) 4, Luke Kiel (S) 3, Lochie Dawson (B) 2, Daniel Kennedy (B) 1
EAST POINT v LAKE WENDOUREE: Mickitja Rotumah-Onus (EP) 5, Brad Whittaker (EP) 4, Jake McQueen (EP) 3, Matt Johnston (EP) 2, Jordan Johsnton (EP) 1
NORTH BALLARAT CITY v BACCHUS MARSH: Sam Willian (NBC) 5, Jacob Chisari (BM) 4, Josh Bromley-Lynch (NBC) 3, Jake Owen (BM) 2, Daniel Burton (BM) 1
MELTON SOUTH v MELTON: Connor Griffiths (M) 5, Shaun Campbell (M) 4, Dyson Stevens (M) 3, Will Thornton-Gielen (MS) 2, Daniel Leggett (MS) 1
DARLEY V SUNBURY: Shane Page (D) 5, Alik Magin (S) 4, Nick Graham (D) 3, Darren Leonard (D) 2, Mitch Conn (S) 1
PROGRESSIVE LEADERS
5-Lachie Cassidy (Sebastopol), Mickitja Rotumah-Onus (East Point), Sam Willian (North Ballarat City), Connor Griffiths (Melton), Shane Page (Darley)
EAST Point premiership player Jordan Payne is playing with Geelong West Giants in the Geelong Football League.
Payne is the only player from last year's grand final team to have left the Kangaroos.
NORTH Ballarat City is still chasing a clearance for Alex Riches from North Shore in the Geelong league.
A third clearance application has been lodged for the experienced Riches, who has moved to Ballarat with employment.
BALLARAT has lost two of its off-season recruits.
Ben Jackson has been cleared back to SMW Rovers in the Mininera District league, while Steve Patterson has applied for a clearance back to Carisbrook in the Maryborough Castlemaine District league.
Patterson moved to the Swans with Ash Munari.
Neither Jackson or Patterson were selected in Ballarat's senior line-up for the opening round.