Alex Chidiac has joined an illustrious club as just the fifth player to win two Julie Dolan Medals, beating Adelaide United newcomer Erin Healy by just one vote to claim the prestigious honour for the second time in her career.
From fifth after 10 rounds to first at the end of the regular season, here’s how Chidiac chased down her competitors and beat Healy to the line in a photo finish.
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A Matilda leads after 10 rounds as Chidiac, Healy fall behind
Matildas and Brisbane Roar legend Tameka Yallop raced to an early lead in the Julie Dolan Medal count, collecting 14 points through the first 10 rounds to sit four points clear of Western United duo Kahli Johnson and Grace Maher, as well as Wellington Phoenix forward Grace Jale, who shared second place with 11 votes apiece.
Chidiac, meanwhile, sat six points behind Yallop by Round 10.
| Round 10 Leaderboard | ||
| Player | Player | Votes |
| Tameka Yallop | BRI | 14 |
| Grace Jale | WEL | 11 |
| Grace Maher | WUN | 11 |
| Kahli Johnson | WUN | 11 |
| Alex Chidiac | MVC | 8 |
| Fiona Worts | ADL | 8 |
| Lourdes Bosch | MCY | 8 |
| Mariana Speckmaier | MCY | 8 |
| Erin Healy | ADL | 7 |
| Momo Hayashi | BRI | 7 |
Healy storms through the pack – but Chidiac remains in touch
After 17 rounds, Adelaide’s Erin Healy had made her move in the Julie Dolan Medal count.
Having accrued 14 points through her last seven games, Healy rose from equal-ninth after Round 10, to first after Round 17; the American-born attacker was named best afield in Rounds 13, 15 and 16 and received votes in every game between Round 12 and 19 as she soared into contention to win the Julie Dolan Medal in her first season at the club.
Healy’s 21-point total after 17 rounds put the Reds star two clear of Chidiac who had made a similarly impressive run towards the top of the table.
Chidiac received three votes in Round 14 and two votes on four occasions between Rounds 11 and 17 to climb to 19 points, separating herself from three players tied for third by three votes.
| Round 17 Leaderboard | ||
| Player | Club | Votes |
| Erin Healy | ADL | 21 |
| Alex Chidiac | MVC | 19 |
| Annalie Longo | WEL | 17 |
| Mariana Speckmaier | MCY | 17 |
| Tameka Yallop | BRI | 17 |
| Grace Maher | WUN | 16 |
| Kahli Johnson | WUN | 15 |
| Emily Condon | ADL | 12 |
| Mary Stanic-Floody | CAN | 12 |
| Grace Jale | WEL | 11 |
Photo finish! Chidiac’s final performance earns her the Julie Dolan Medal
After 19 rounds, Erin Healy sat five votes clear of Chidiac on the Julie Dolan Medal leaderboard, with just four games to play.
But a quad injury saw Healy miss three of the four games leading into the end of the regular season. In her absence, Chidiac made her move.
A best-on-ground performance in the penultimate round saw Chidiac receive three votes and move to 24 for the season – one behind Healy (25).
Needing one vote to claim a share of the Julie Dolan Medal, and two to win it outright, Chidiac scored just her second goal of the season in a 2-0 win over Brisbane Roar to claim the two votes she needed to surpass Healy and claim the Julie Dolan Medal outright.
| Julie Dolan Medal – Final Leaderboard | ||
| Player | Club | Votes |
| Alex Chidiac | MVC | 26 |
| Erin Healy | ADL | 25 |
| Tameka Yallop | BRI | 23 |
| Holly McNamara | MCY | 22 |
| Annalie Longo | WEL | 20 |
| Mariana Speckmaier | MCY | 19 |
| Emily Condon | ADL | 17 |
| Emily Gielnik | MVC | 16 |
| Grace Maher | WUN | 16 |
| Indiana Dos Santos | SYD | 16 |
| Isabel Gomez | CCM | 16 |
