Perris awarded Academy’s highest honour

AIS-AFL Academy midfielders Lloyd Perris and Josh Kelly have won the Ben Mitchell Medal, the first time in the prestigious award’s history it has been shared.

At the end of each Academy program, the 30 players are assigned a team value, such as courage, leadership and trust and vote on which teammate best embodies that trait.

The Medal is named in honour of former Academy graduate Ben Mitchell, who was killed in a car accident in 2002 and is the highest honour given by the Academy.

Perris has had an exceptional two years as a member of the AIS-AFL Academy, receiving the Level 1 Cameron Ling medal last year, also voted on by his peers, while he was recovering from a knee reconstruction.

The St George junior and QBE Sydney Swans Academy member is now preparing himself for Round 5 of the NAB AFL Under-18 National Championships when the NSW/ACT Rams take on Tasmania on Thursday at 1.15pm at Victoria Park, Melbourne to conclude the week-long carnival.

Perris is a Sydney Swans NSW scholarship holder who can be automatically listed by the club.