yan Papenhuyzen has paid a heartfelt tribute to Melbourne teammates and ARLC chairman Peter V'landys after being crowned the 2020 Clive Churchill Medallist.
The superstar Storm fullback scored a scintillating second-half try from inside his own quarter, ran for a game-high 187 metres and made two tackle breaks in Sunday night's thrilling 26-20 grand final victory over Penrith at ANZ Stadium.
The 22-year-old has been rewarded for an outstanding season with a first-time selection in coach Brad Fittler's NSW State of Origin squad.
But he said he couldn't have achieved anything without the sacrifices of his Storm teammates, who spent more than three months living in a bubble on Queensland's Sunshine Coast while locked out of Melbourne.
"Oh, this is unbelievable," Papenhuyzen said.
"I'm pretty emotional after the game but, first of all, thanks to the boys. It's been a bloody tough year.
"We didn't know where we were going. We were sitting on the tarmac at Bankstown Airport and we didn't have a clue where we were going and we just stuck together.
"We overcame that bit and we got here."
Papenhuyzen only ended up at Melbourne when he was behind James Tedesco in the pecking order at Wests Tigers.
At the start of the last year he found himself behind Scott Drinkwater and Jahrome Hughes in the battle to replace Billy Slater.
But the Storm now appear to have found their fullback for the next generation.
Papenhuyzen has scored 17 tries in 29 games since moving to the back for the Storm, and now looms as a potential X-factor for the Blues.
"He's really matured this year," coach Craig Bellamy said.
"He'd be the first to say he's had a lot of help off the field.
"It's one thing to get that advice but he's really taken it as well."