WITH the 2025 NAB AFLW home and away season in its final few weeks, the end of the year is fast approaching for 10 of the competition’s 18 clubs. And that means club best and fairest awards.

We’ve taken a look at the major contenders for each side’s club champion. Some are virtually done deals, while for some teams there’s a bit of competition.

Of course, any thing can happen in the final four rounds, but here’s who’s likely leading your club’s count at this stage of the season.

EBONY MARINOFF

It’s no surprise that Ebony Marinoff is in the conversation to take home another best and fairest for Adelaide. At this point in the season, it’s not so much a matter of ‘will she win?’, more so ‘how much will she win by?’.

While last year’s AFLCA Player of the Year hasn’t quite dominated the coaches’ votes count like she has in previous years, the seven-time All-Australian has still been sublime as she inches closer towards cementing a legacy as one of the competition’s all-time best.

Marinoff has averaged 27 disposals and 12 tackles per game true to her hard-working, uncompromising style of play, featuring in the competition’s top-three this season in both statistics, and astonishingly has registered more than double the amount of tackles (94) than the next-best Crow (Sarah Goodwin, 34).

After 10 seasons and 100 games, Marinoff’s football CV is absolutely stacked. Triple Premiership honours, seven All-Australian nods, the AFLW Coaches’ Association Champion Player of the Year and a slew other other accolades… four best and fairests on top of all that is nothing short of extraordinary.

COURTNEY HODDER

Since its formation in the competition’s inaugural year, Brisbane has only had three best-and-fairest winners: Emily Bates (four times), Ally Anderson (four) and Kate Lutkins.

While Ally Anderson is still in the mix to notch up her fifth club accolade, the stranglehold on the Lions’ most prestigious honour could well be bucked by the electrifying season that Courtney Hodder has pieced together.

Hodder’s reputation across the competition has been built upon crafty skills, pressure around goal and a penchant for the miraculous, and this season has seen those eye-catching traits moved further up the ground to terrific effect.

While still hitting the scoreboard (11 goals) and doing her best work close to the sticks, the small forward’s team-oriented approach in Craig Starcevich’s line-up is sure to be recognised come the Lions’ vote count. 

ERONE FITZPATRICK

Already an established star in the Gaelic competition, Erone Fitzpatrick is well on the way towards making an even bigger name for herself in the land down under with a potential maiden best and fairest win on the cards.

The fleet-of-foot Irish recruit has bounced back superbly from last year’s season-ending knee injury, receiving coaches’ votes in six out of a possible eight games — receiving the most votes out of any of her teammates by some margin — to coincide with the Blues’ place inside the top-four in 2025.

While Fitzpatrick hasn’t garnered possessions at a rate of knots compared to some of her midfield contemporaries, the impact she’s had with limited use has been notable, with an additional average of a goal per game cementing her as one of the Blues’ most important pieces in their prospective finals tilt.

It certainly isn’t a lock, however, with many ‘Baggers piecing together equally commendable campaigns. Harriet Cordner could give defenders across the competition a huge morale boost as she firms as one of the competition’s best backline generals. Dayna Finn, Keely Sherar and Mimi Hill have been a midfield trio of envy for the rest of the competition, while father-daughter selection Abbie McKay was well in the running to claim Carlton’s best and fairest before a hamstring injury robbed her of crucial matches to poll in.

BRIT BONNICI

Collingwood hasn’t soared to the heights of previous years with only two wins so far in 2025, but win, lose or draw, Brit Bonnici has dug the heels in to chart as her side’s best and fairest favourite.

Shouldering the weight of the Magpies’ midfield workload, Bonnici hasn’t let the added pressure weigh her down as she continues to lead her side in all the key midfield stats, with her fierce tackling and contested possession dominance not letting up.

Despite her amazing consistency over multiple seasons as she approaches her 75th senior game this weekend, Bonnici has only snared the best and fairest once in her 10 seasons at the highest level.

Defender-turned-midfielder Tarni White is following close behind in arguably her most influential season in black and white, while captain Ruby Schleicher is among those looking to round out the top three.

GEORGIA NANSCAWEN

Week after week, Georgia Nanscawen rolls up the sleeves – literally and figuratively – and gets the job done.

While Essendon has been attempting to resurrect its season with five consecutive losses coming after its 3-0 start to the season, the dependable Nanscawen hasn’t so much as wavered as both a ball-winning, contested bull and defensive on-ball option going toe-to-toe with the opposition’s best.

Nanscawen sits third in the competition for tackles (86) behind established tackling tornados Kiara Bowers and Ebony Marinoff, and perhaps most intriguingly has been ultra-consistent in gaining possessions — only once dipping below the 20 mark — to rank eighth for total disposals in 2025.

Maddy Prespakis and Steph Wales are also in the conversation (more on their sisters, Geelong’s Georgie and Hawthorn’s Lucy respectively in a moment), however last year’s winner Maddi Gay is out of the frame having just returned from an ACL strain last week.

MIM STROM

Who takes home Fremantle’s best and fairest is an intriguing proposition.

There’s the constant force that is the comp’s leading tackler Kiara Bowers, who is the only player in the team’s short history to win the award multiple times (four times, in fact). But that may change if Mim Strom has anything to say about it.

In a continuing trend across the competition where young rucks are dominating in droves, the Dockers’ 2024 best and fairest has been again a beacon for her side both in the air and at ground level, having head and shoulders the most clearances of any ruck in the comp (44).

Outside of Strom, Emma O’Driscoll and Aisling McCarthy have featured strongly in their respective domains, while Gabby Newton could also come home with a wet sail after finishing her first season in purple with a top-three finish at Fremantle’s best and fairest.

GEORGIE PRESPAKIS

It’s hard to miss Georgie Prespakis on-field with her striking long sleeves, yet this year’s season has drawn even more attention as her blistering campaign continues to pick up steam.

Clearance machine, contested bull, amazing accumulator; any description fits the young Cat perfectly as she not only hunts a second Geelong best and fairest, but also follow in her older sister Maddy’s footsteps with the competition’s coveted best and fairest award.

Prespakis leads the competition for total clearances, and also sits in the top 10 across the entire competition for inside-50s (second), effective disposals (third), disposals (fifth), contested possessions (fifth) as she tightens her grip on Geelong’s grandest accolade, with a standout effort against Essendon the perfect summary of all metrics working in perfect harmony.

Mikayla Bowen and Nina Morrison remain in contention alongside forward duo Aisling Moloney and Jacqueline Parry, however don’t expect Prespakis to hit a form slump any time soon.

NIAMH MCLAUGHLIN

Niamh McLaughlin made history earlier this season as the first player born in Ireland, male or female, to ever captain a side at the highest level, and is firming towards another historic feat should she be crowned Gold Coast’s best and fairest at season’s end.

Gold Coast have just one win to its name this season, however the Suns co-captain has been — all puns aside — a shining light on a challenging start to Rhyce Shaw’s tenure as senior coach, featuring among her side’s best in close to every game this season as the defence has been forced to work double shift.

The running defender with fast feet has been forced to use her evasive skills on countless occasions this season, but has racked up plenty of football both springing out of defence or driving into attack to sit just behind Charlie Rowbottom and Meara Girvan when it comes to disposals and intercepts respectively. At just 22 years of age, Rowbottom already has two best and fairest awards under her belt and could make it three if she finishes the season with a flurry, while fellow co-captain Lucy Single is sure to feature somewhere on the podium. 

ZARLIE GOLDSWORTHY

There’s still a long way to go until Zarlie Goldsworthy catches up to four-time best and fairest winner Alicia Eva, however there’s every chance she could become a two-time club champion in a little over a month.

Finishing runner-up last year’s count behind fellow contender and potential three-time champion Bec Beeson, the 20-year-old forward may have kicked far less goals compared to last year, but has offset it with a huge leap in her disposal numbers (23 up from 15) as she drifts further towards the midfield.

Goldsworthy’s constant pressure and class has been a highlight despite her side’s 2-6 ledger, with no clearer example than her match-winning 31 disposals, nine tackles and a goal in this year’s Sydney Derby which coincided with GWS’ first win in 378 days.

It was a memorable and long-waited win for GWS, and a performance for Goldsworthy which could give her some much-needed separation come awards season in what is on track to be a very, very close vote count.

LUCY WALES

Hawthorn has taken the appreciation of Lucy Wales to a new level with ‘Wales Wednesdays’ now part of the weekly social media cycle. And expect that to jump up another notch should she take out the brown and gold’s best and fairest award.

The 22-year-old is well on track to clinch her first piece of individual silverware if she keeps true to the trajectory she currently finds herself on, which has seen her rocket up the rankings of the competition’s most influential young rucks.

Saying Wales ‘can do it all’ is no exaggeration. Be it her bread and butter in the hitouts (ranked fourth in the competition for 2025), tackling at ground level, intercept work or hard edge around the clearances, Wales has exhibited all traits in her most impactful outings this season, most notably in her side’s gutsy win over Geelong on the road in round seven.

That is just one of a number of encounters that Wales will poll well in, and even with veterans Eliza West, Tilly-Lucas Rodd and Emily Bates all standing up to task, expect the young Hawk to take home the chocolates.

KATE HORE

There’s just as much chance of it being four for Kate Hore or a treble for Tyla Hanks when it comes to Melbourne’s best and fairest award.

Second on the ladder and firing on all cylinders, the Demons have been a force to reckon with in 2025. And while coach Mick Stinear has pointed to his all-in, team approach as the cornerstone of their success, the brilliance of Hanks and Hore can’t be ignored.

Hore perhaps has her nose in front with her seamless skillset between the on-ball brigade and forward line yet again a glittering feature, booting multiple majors on six occasions only going goalless in a game this season the first time last week.

Hanks has been equally sublime in her prolific ball-winning acumen to drive the Demons into attack and leads by a meagre three coaches’ votes over Hore, yet it is the later who is in the frame to make history by surpassing the three best and fairests won by club great, Daisy Pearce.

ASH RIDDELL

It is nothing short of mind-boggling that Ash Riddell has only one best and fairest award to her name. 

Granted, it’s been nigh impossible to overlook five-time winner Jas Garner’s sheer dominance in recent years, but 2025 is just about a lock for ball-magnet Riddell — averaging 38 disposals per game this season — to claim top honours for the first time since 2022 (S6).

The competition’s foremost disposal-winner and leader in the coaches’ votes tally in 2025 has broken records for fun this season as North Melbourne’s unbeaten streak (now at 20 matches) shows no signs of coming to a head any time soon, levelling the all-time disposal record in an AFLW game (43) in round two before surpassing the feat twice to hold the record outright (45) by round eight.

As this season has already shown, Riddell has etched her name into the history books multiple times. Have no doubt she’ll do it again come awards season.

MATILDA SCHOLZ

Yet again, it’s a flip of a coin between whether it’s Matilda Scholz or Abbey Dowrick leading Port Adelaide’s best and fairest.

Both players have already won the club’s highest honour — the former most recently — and were separated by only six votes at last year’s gripping count, and it’s looking like it could be an equally close finish this time around.

Scholz may just be a whisker ahead as she carries on from last year’s breakout campaign, with the 20-year-old continuing to entrench herself as one of the competition’s most dynamic rucks with an eye-catching average of 16 disposals, 22 hit-outs and four clearances per game; her follow-up work at ground level just as impressive as her aerial ability.

Whether it’s been in raucous victories against Gold Coast where she polled a perfect 10 coaches’ votes, or the come-from-behind thrillers as seen last week against the Western Bulldogs, Scholz’ output and increasing stamp on the competition is well on the way towards a second best and fairest.

MONIQUE CONTI

Success has been fleeting for Richmond this season, but Monique Conti could be in seventh heaven should she claim, staggeringly, her seventh best and fairest in yellow and black.

Unsurprisingly, the superstar midfielder has led the Tigers in every major midfield metric, boasting an average of 27 disposals, eight tackles and five clearances per game — ranking in the comp’s top 10 in each — to be a clear standout amid an otherwise glib-to-date campaign for the club.

Conti hasn’t been dethroned since she first moved to the Tigers in 2020 after another best and fairest-winning campaign at the Western Bulldogs the season prior, and this year seems destined to be no different.

No. 1 draft pick Ellie McKenzie is the most likely threat to stopping Conti’s run, but it will take something monumental to knock off the Tiger Queen.

TYANNA SMITH

A Jaimee Lambert best-and-fairest hat-trick in Saints colours would have been just about a lock heading into 2025, however the gap between her and the rest of the pack is certainly shrinking.

It’s a pleasing byproduct of St Kilda’s improved team performance in the hunt for a first-up finals campaign rather than the 32-year-old slowing down, and while Lambert is still firmly in the mix to claim her sixth best and fairest overall, it’s perhaps Tyanna Smith who could pinch top honours come season’s end.

After three seasons on the podium, the silky but equally gritty midfielder has flourished as St Kilda’s premier ball-winner, leading the club for clearances, tackles and pressure acts, all of which she ranks inside the competition’s top 10 for.

Smith certainly isn’t alone in the nail-biting chase, however. Jesse Wardlaw has won multiple matches off her own boot to further her charge to the top, while vice-captain Serene Watson has played an unsung but pivotal role down back to bank a considerable amount of votes.

LAURA GARDINER

Talk about a seachange bringing immediate results. After making the jump from Geelong to Sydney in 2023, Laura Gardiner has already reaped plenty of individual success.

This year could be much of the same after clinching the club’s most distinguished accolade in 2023 and finishing on the dais in 2024, with Gardner the pick of the Swans bunch with thanks to her elite accumulation (second in the comp) and dominance in just about every other midfield metric, for which she leads her side.

Amazingly, Gardner’s three seasons at the Swans have seen her average close to or above 30 possessions per game, with four matches in 2025 surpassing that tally, inclusive of a mammoth 38 disposals as Sydney ran rings around the Suns.

Chloe Molloy’s return from an ACL injury is sure to thrust her into the conversation, while the rise of youngsters Zippy Fish, Ally Morphett, Montana Ham and last year’s winner Sofia Hurley will make in a particularly intriguing best and fairest counts in seasons to come. 

ELLA ROBERTS

There are infinite permutations, scenarios or possibilities that could come from what’s left of this year’s AFLW season. But Ella Roberts taking home West Coast’s best-and-fairest is the only definite, even with four rounds and a potential finals stint left to play.

The 20-year-old was crowned West Coast’s club champion last season, and has backed up that sterling run with one even more prolific as the Eagles ensconce themselves in the top-eight in 2025 under the shrewd coaching of Daisy Pearce.

Roberts has incredibly polled a perfect 10 coaches’ votes on four occasions this season alone, currently sitting equal-second on the leaderboard alongside competition best and fairest contender Georgie Prespakis and 14 behind outright leader Ash Riddell. 

Boasting a healthy average of 23 disposals, 15 contested possessions (fourth in the competition), seven tackles, four clearances and a goal per game, Roberts has established herself as one of the game’s most well-rounded, promising talents. A second best and fairest nod would all but establish that.

ISABELLE PRITCHARD

Ellie Blackburn’s sixth best and fairest in red, white and blue might have to wait a fraction longer if Isabelle Pritchard has anything to say about it.

Claiming the award last year in light of Blackburn’s absence through injury, the 23-year-old Pritchard is firming to win the award outright in light of another dominant season through the midfield, even with the former skipper fully fit and firing.

While the Bulldogs haven’t tallied the wins as regularly as they would have liked, Pritchard has been the explosive power in the engine room week after week, sitting second in the comp for clearances behind Geelong’s Georgie Prespakis.

That said, the field is still open. Alice Edmonds has been one of the most influential rucks across the AFLW and could surge towards a top placing, winger Rylie Wilcox has been reliable on all fronts to push towards another podium finish.