Midfielder-turned-forward Mitch Wallis was a shining light in attack for the Western Bulldogs this season.
After spending much of his career as an inside or defensive midfielder, Wallis relished the opportunity to play forward in 2020, finishing atop of the Bulldogs’ goal-kicking leaderboard with 25 majors.
Barring four games, Wallis kicked at least one goal a match – including a four-goal haul in round 13 against Melbourne – and triples on three separate occasions.
He also played his 150th game in round 18, and finished 10th in the 2020 Charles Sutton Medal.
Fellow key forward Aaron Naughton said while Wallis stands at just 185cm tall, his craftiness inside 50 can make him a tricky opponent to play on.
“He’s quite a difficult match-up – he’s obviously not the tallest bloke, but he is one of the strongest,” Naughton said.
“Whether you play a key defender on him because of his strength, or you play a small on him because of his running ability – it makes a pretty tough match-up.”
Wallis also drew praise for his on-field efforts from his captain, Marcus Bontempelli.
“Because he’s so committed, so driven and so hard-working - that has put him in such a good spot to be able to evolve and adapt as a player,” Bontempelli said.
“He’s just one player this season we could rely on, turn up, do his best and compete as hard as he could.”
