AWARDS season is upon us as the 2024 NAB AFLW season reaches the pointy end.
Check out every club’s best and fairest winner as it is announced.
Keeley Sherar was a runaway winner of Carlton’s count, finishing first with a buffer of 34 votes.
The midfield dominated the count, with Sherar winning from Abbie McKay and third-place ruck Jess Good.
Comeback queen Maddy Guerin tied with Mimi Hill for equal-fourth spot.
Key back Harriet Cordner‘s outstanding season both on and off the field was recognised by both the players and coaches, taking out two awards voted on by both parties.
Such was Sherar’s strong form this year, she received the maximum number of possible votes in five of her 11 matches.
109 votes: Keeley Sherar
73 votes: Abbie McKay
63 votes: Jess Good
Eq-4th: Maddy Guerin and Mimi Hill
Coaches’ Award: Harriet Cordner
Most Valuable Bluebagger: Harriet Cordner
Rookie of the Year: Meg Robertson
All-Australian ruck Mim Strom’s fine year has been capped off with a maiden Fremantle best and fairest award.
Still just 23, Strom was also recognised by her teammates, taking out the players’ award.
She finished ahead of a pair of midfield recruits, Aisling McCarthyand Gab Newton, while Fremantle stalwarts Emma O’Driscoll and Gabby O’Sullivan rounded out the top five.
Ange Stannett – who spent her first year as captain rehabbing a torn ACL – was named best clubwoman for a fifth straight season.
Each of Fremantle’s five coaches allocates 0-5 votes per player, with a maximum of 25 votes on offer per match.
256 votes: Mim Strom
237 votes: Aisling McCarthy
228 votes: Gabby Newton
222 votes: Emma O’Driscoll
183 votes: Gabby O’Sullivan
182 votes: Orlagh Lally
180 votes: Jess Low
170 votes: Ash Brazill
162 votes: Laura Pugh
153 votes: Dana East
Players’ Award: Mim Strom
Player of the Finals: Gabby Newton
Best Clubwoman: Ange Stannett
Best First-Year Player: Tunisha Kikoak
Geelong midfielder Nina Morrison has claimed her first club best and fairest award, capping off a strong 2024 season.
Morrison was a mainstay for an injury-depleted Geelong midfield this year, averaging 20.8 disposals, 7.1 tackles and 3.9 clearances a game.
It is the first time Morrison has claimed the most prestigious award at the Cats, after finishing runner-up in 2023 and third in 2022 season seven.
Each match the head coach and three line coaches award a 5-4-3-2-1 rating for the best five players of their estimations. These ratings are then added, meaning the most votes a player can receive each round is 20.
138 votes: Nina Morrison
98 votes: Aishling Moloney
74 votes: Georgie Prespakis
59 votes: Rebecca Webster
48 votes: Rachel Kearns
42 votes: Jackie Parry
40 votes: Amy McDonald
38 votes: Mikayla Bowen
37 votes: Julia Crockett-Grills
22 votes: Anna-Rose Kennedy
Carter Family Community Champion: Kate Darby
Hoops Award: Mikayla Bowen
Star Suns midfielder Charlie Rowbottom has claimed her second club best and fairest award in the past three seasons after a scintillating campaign.
Rowbottom polled 313 votes to claim the award, ahead of young gun Daisy D’Arcy and the dashing Niamh McLaughlin (258), who tied in second place.
The 21-year-old played all 11 matches in 2024, leading the competition for clearances (68) and contested possessions (195) as she continued to stamp her authority as one of the games biggest stars.
It was the fourth consecutive time Rowbottom has finished in the top two of the club best and fairest after debuting in 2022.
The Club Champion Award was voted on by the coaching panel, with the head coach and three assistants assigning each player a score from one to 10 based on their efforts of each game. The maximum votes a player can receive per match is 40.
313 votes: Charlie Rowbottom
258 votes: Daisy D’Arcy
258 votes: Niamh McLaughlin
234 votes: Meara Girvan
227 votes: Elise Barwick
225 votes: Georgia Clayden
223 votes: Jac Dupuy
221 votes: Lauren Bella
216 votes: Clara Fitzpatrick
213 votes: Charlotte Wilson
Players’ Player: Daisy D’Arcy
Most Professional: Sienna McMullen
Coach’s Award: Meara Girvan
Leading Goalkicker: Tara Bohanna
Player of the Series: Tara Bohanna
Female Academy Player of the Year: Havana Harris
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It’s safe to say captaincy suits Rebecca Beeson, taking out the Gabrielle Trainor Medal as Greater Western Sydney’s best and fairest for the 2024 season.
The 27-year-old thrived in her first season in the role, back to full fitness after a series of debilitating and serious concussions in the past few years.
She also took out the cherished Jacinda Barclay Fearless Award, voted on by the players after each match, recognising team values and playing in a “selfless and fearless fashion”.
Beeson polled 41 votes to win from the dynamic Zarlie Goldsworthy (35) and vice-captain Katherine Smith (31).
Perennial poller Alyce Parker and first-year Irish ruck Eilish O’Dowd rounded out the top five with 30 votes each.
Votes are awarded by senior coach Cam Bernasconi, with input from his assistant coaching panel. Bernasconi awards 1-6 votes to as many players “as he sees fit” after each game. With 11 games this year, a perfect season would see 66 votes awarded.
41 votes: Rebecca Beeson
35 votes: Zarlie Goldsworthy
31 votes: Katherine Smith
30 votes: Alyce Parker
30 votes: Eilish O’Dowd
26 votes: Madison Brazendale
25 votes: Tarni Evans
24 votes: Pepa Randall
23 votes: Georgia Garnett
21 votes: Alicia Eva
Rising Star: Kaitlyn Srhoj
Jacinda Barclay Fearless Award: Rebecca Beeson
Members’ Choice: Kaitlyn Srhoj
Leading Goalkicker: Zarlie Goldsworthy
Mark of the Year: Izzy Huntington, rd6 v Melbourne
Goal of the Year: Eilish O’Dowd, rd1 v Gold Coast
Coaches Award: Georgia Garnett
Giants Community Award: Cambridge McCormick and Tarni Evans
Academy Player of the Year: Amelie Prosser-Shaw (eligible for this year’s draft)
Eliza West’s move to Hawthorn has paid off in spades, named best and fairest in her first year at the club.
The Hawks’ starting midfield dominated the count, with skipper Emily Bates finishing eight votes adrift of West in second, and young gun Jas Fleming third, 10 votes behind the lead.
Up to eight votes per player, per game are on offer under the Hawks’ voting system. Senior coach Daniel Webster can allocate up to four votes, with the remaining vote card being a combined view of his three assistants.
West received two lots of eight, coming in week five against Geelong and week six against Gold Coast, in a particularly purple patch amid a fine season.
68 votes: Eliza West
60 votes: Emily Bates
58 votes: Jasmine Fleming
51 votes: Tilly Lucas-Rodd
49 votes: Jenna Richardson
48 votes: Lucy Wales
46 votes: Aileen Gilroy
40 votes: Emily Everist
39 votes: Aine McDonagh
38 votes: Tamara Smith
World Class Award: Lucy Wales
Competitor Award: Emily Everist
Unbreakable Award: Ainslie Kemp
Best Player in Finals: Emily Bates and Jasmine Fleming
Players’ Player: Greta Bodey
It’s three on the bounce for Jasmine Garner, who has now won a total of five North Melbourne best and fairests in the club’s seven seasons.
Unsurprisingly, fellow All-Australian midfielder Ash Riddellfinished second, with intercept defender Sarah Wright coming in third.
Young midfield duo Mia King and Ruby Tripodi rounded out the top five, with Tripodi finishing fifth in a premiership year in just in her second AFLW season.
Garner also took out the Shinboner of the Year, the club’s equivalent of a “players’ player” award.
Senior coach Darren Crocker allocates up to 10 votes per player, with the assistant coaching panel providing their own collective rating out of 10. Players can receive a maximum of 20 votes per match.
211 votes: Jasmine Garner
193 votes: Ash Riddell
160 votes: Sarah Wright
144 votes: Mia King
136 votes: Ruby Tripodi
135 votes: Alice O’Loughlin
134 votes: Amy Smith
133 votes: Tahlia Randall
129 votes: Kim Rennie
129 votes: Kate Shierlaw
Shinboner of the Year: Jasmine Garner
Best Clubwoman: Ash Riddell
Best Young Player: Ruby Tripodi
Mazda Next Level Performer: Jasmine Garner
Monique Conti has recorded an astonishing sixth consecutive Richmond best and fairest.
The superstar midfielder also won the Western Bulldogs’ best and fairest in her final year at the club, meaning she has topped her side’s count in her past seven seasons.
Conti won from Eilish Sheerin for a third straight season, the newly minted midfielder finishing just one vote behind her younger teammate.
Winger Kate Dempsey and young gun Ellie McKenzie finished equal-third.
21 votes: Monique Conti
20 votes: Eilish Sheerin
17 votes: Kate Dempsey
17 votes: Ellie McKenzie
16 votes: Bec Miller
14 votes: Grace Egan
14 votes: Poppy Kelly
14 votes: Beth Lynch
14 votes: Gab Seymour
13 votes: Katie Brennan
Players’ Player: Beth Lynch
Best First Year Player: Isabel Bacon and Mackenzie Ford
Leading Goalkicker: Katie Brennan and Caitlin Greiser
Jaimee Lambert has made it two from two, winning her second St Kilda best and fairest in her second season at the club.
It’s the champion midfielder’s fifth club best and fairest, after three awards at Collingwood.
Lambert finished 11 votes ahead of key forward Jesse Wardlaw, with rising midfielder Tyanna Smith just one vote behind the spearhead in third.
Rebound defender Serene Watson finished fourth, with winger Molly McDonald and recruit Paige Trudgeon in equal-fifth.
J’Noemi Anderson was named best emerging player after her most consistent season to date, thrown into the midfield with good effect in the final rounds of the year.
66 votes: Jaimee Lambert
55 votes: Jesse Wardlaw
54 votes: Tyanna Smith
41 votes: Serene Watson
38 votes: Molly McDonald
38 votes: Paige Trudgeon
35 votes: Nicola Stevens
32 votes: Grace Kelly
32 votes: Ash Richards
24 votes: Darcy Guttridge
Always a Saint: Ash Richards
Best Emerging Player: J’Noemi Anderson
Red Rooster Sainter of the Year: Jaimee Lambert and Jesse Wardlaw
Bernadette Sierakowski Allegiance Award: Chantel Pinney (footy ops and logistics)
Winger Sofia Hurley has won her first Sydney club best and fairest at just 20 years of age, in her third season at the top level.
Counterpart and co-captain Lucy McEvoy finished second, with inside midfielder Laura Gardiner in third.
The tenacious Tanya Kennedy and midfielder-turned-forward Cynthia Hamilton rounded out the top five.
Hurley was also recognised by her teammates with the players’ player award, while retiring favourite Alana Woodward was named best club person.
370 votes: Sofia Hurley
283 votes: Lucy McEvoy
258 votes: Laura Gardiner
191 votes: Tanya Kennedy
175 votes: Cynthia Hamilton
168 votes: Alice Mitchell
134 votes: Montana Ham
132 votes: Brenna Tarrant
109 votes: Ella Heads
99 votes: Bec Privitelli
99 votes: Lexi Hamilton
AFLW Players’ Player: Sofia Hurley
Best Club Person: Alana Woodward
AFLW Rising Star: Sarah Grunden
Ella Roberts has won her maiden West Coast AFLW best and fairest, pipping defender Charlie Thomas by a single vote.
The dynamic Roberts – who spent time in the midfield and up forward in 2024 – polled 115 to Thomas’ 114, a reverse of last year’s results.
Star midfielders Bella Lewis (106) and Ali Drennan (100) finished third and fifth respectively, with rising key back Beth Schilling (102) splitting the two in fourth.
Injury replacement player Sanne Bakker also finished in the top 10, despite only joining the Eagles over pre-season.
115 votes: Ella Roberts
114 votes: Charlie Thomas
106 votes: Bella Lewis
102 votes: Beth Schilling
100 votes: Ali Drennan
96 votes: Zoe Wakfer
92 votes: Mikayla Western
89 votes: Emma Swanson
85 votes: Sanne Bakker
84 votes: Kellie Gibson
84 votes: Lauren Wakfer
Best clubperson: Courtney Rowley
Trademark player: Beth Schilling
Emerging player: Jess Rentsch
Fan MVP: Ella Roberts
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Isabelle Pritchard has capped off a career-best year with her maiden AFLW best and fairest.
The powerful midfielder polled 38 of a possible 55 votes, recording a seven-vote win over winger Rylie Wilcox.
The versatile Jess Fitzgerald – who played across all three lines this year – finished in third.
At the end of each match, every player is given a rating from 1-5 by the coaching panel, based on their impact on the game.
38 votes: Isabelle Pritchard
31 votes: Rylie Wilcox
30 votes: Jess Fitzgerald
29 votes: Elisabeth Georgostathis
28 votes: Maggie Gorham
27 votes: Dom Carruthers
27 votes: Alice Edmonds
27 votes: Sarah Hartwig
27 votes: Jasmyn Smith
26 votes: Isabella Grant
Anissa Groves Trainers’ Award: Isabella Grant
Best Young Player: Elaine Grigg
Most Improved: Heidi Woodley
Coaches’ Award: Elisabeth Georgostathis
Club Community Award: Rylie Wilcox
