AFLW Cairns: Superstar Hannah Hillman announced the 2024 Jo Butland Award winner
After powering the Tigers to this week’s grand final showdown against the Lions, Hannah Hillman has won the 2024 Jo Butland Medal.
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After powering the Tigers to this week’s grand final showdown against the Lions, Hannah Hillman has won the 2024 Jo Butland Medal.
The Tigers captain won by a remarkable margin, securing a whopping 33 votes.
The dominant ruck secured the women’s most prestigious individual honour over Lions ball magnet Amaliya Davies-Scherer (20 votes) and CTB Bulldog power forward Jade Ransfield (15 votes).
Lions livewire Denisha Chilman (13 votes) finished in fourth while tenacious attacker Tatiana Finlan finished fifth (13 votes).
AFL stalwart and Cairns legend Jo Butland presented the award to Hillman after a sensational season.
The premier ruck of the competition, she dominates the taps before bullying opposition at ground level.
The tough tackler, strong mark and durable runner has been a force to be reckoned with and a huge reason Tigers will battle it out for the 2024 premiership this Saturday at Cazalys Stadium.
Hillman’s coach and teammate Luana Healey, who has had a fantastic season in the forward line, was awarded women’s coach of the year.
Port Douglas Crocs inaugural captain and star midfielder Caity Walsh was awarded women’s players’ player.
2024 Jo Butland Medal contenders
Ahead of the 2024 AFL Cairns senior presentation night. We take a look at the strongest contenders for the prestigious Jo Butland Medal, which is set to be awarded this Sunday night.
Premier contenders
Amaliya Davies-Scherer (Cairns City Lions)
A relentless ball magnet, Amaliya Davies-Scherer does not stop chasing possessions for four quarters and has a natural instinct for where the next contest will be. The elite midfielder of the competition this season, she tackles hard, throws her body on the line and gets the ball fast into her teams forward line. The number 16 hasn’t been the only Lion in dominant form this season, with winger Delphina Day, leading goalkicker Amelia Martin and midfielders Daysia Creed-Wray and Jess Fatnowna all leading the side to the minor premiership.
Hannah Hillman (North Cairns Tigers)
The premier ruck of the competition, Hannah Hillman dominates the taps but it’s her follow up at ground level that puts opposition sides to the sword. A tough tackler, strong mark and agile runner, theirs not much the former Brisbane Lion can’t do and has been at the forefront of Tigers dominance in 2024.
Sophia Fowler (Manunda Hawks)
The standout player of a side that was crowned premiers in 2023. Fowler has taken her game to a new level and added another dimension to the Hawks this season.
Strong in the contest with a rifle of a right boot.
Fowler will push forward and find a score or move back and sweep up opposition attacks depending on what her side needs in the moment.
Teammates Jennifer Wren, Tiarne Sparks and Lusa Wagia also had astounding seasons.
Tatiana Finlan (South Cairns Cutters)
Easy to forget just how young Tatiana Finlan is given the dominant midfielder is a superstar of the competition. Aggressive in the contest, yet clean and smart after hunting possession. She makes the Cutters exciting to watch and combines strongly with fellow gun Precious Simeona week in, week out.
Dark horse challengers
Caity Walsh (Port Douglas Crocs)
The inaugural captain of the Port Douglas women’s team, Caity Walsh has been remarkable this year as both a leader and sharpshooter in front of goal.
With the newest team in the comp quite raw this year, Walsh has brought toughness to the midfield and quality in attack, accounting for more than one-third of her sides goals with 14 this year.
Delphina Day (Cairns City Lions)
Possibly the quickest player in the competition, there’s no stopping Delphina Day’s blistering pace once she snatches possession on the wing. Darting into the forward line with ease, she’s scored a number of solo run screamers this year. She doesn’t shy away from the defensive work and racks up key turnovers.
Luana Healey and Leashay Warburton (North Cairns Tigers)
These two experienced scoring machines have been crucial to Tigers structure and top two finish in 2024. Player-coach Luana Healey (16 goals) will sacrifice whatever is required to give her side the edge while Leashay Warburton was incredible at full-forward, finishing the year as the competition’s leading goalkicker with 40 goals.
Grace Frost (CTB Bulldogs)
A tough tackler and aggressively offensive-minded, Grace Frost had a fantastic year at Trinity Beach.
The Suns academy prospect narrowly missed out on the finals but was usually her side’s standout player, along with Rhania Hewitt and Jade Ransfield
The Jo Butland Medal was named after 200 game Far North icon Joanne Butland from North Cairns Tigers. Butland, a former Matilda, has a long history of achievement in AFL, winning 10 Premierships, playing in 12 grand finals and winning three best on ground performances in a grand final. She was also crowned league best and fairest four times to list a few of her many achievements in sport.
Previous winners:
2023 – Jennifer Wren (Manunda Hawks)
2022 – Tiarna Ahwang (Cairns Saints)
2021 – Poppy Boltz (Cairns Saints)
2020 – Kareena White (Manunda Hawks), Jennifer Robinson (Manunda Hawks) and Laquioya Cockatoo-Motlap (Cairns City Lions)
2019 – Tahlia Smith (Cairns Saints)
2018 – Kitara Whap-Farrar (South Cairns Cutters)
2017 – Kitara Whap-Farrar (South Cairns Cutters)
2016 – Luana Healey (North Cairns Tigers)
2015 – Selena Goodman (North Cairns Tigers)
2014 – Selena Goodman (North Cairns Tigers)
2013 – Selena Goodman (North Cairns Tigers)
Originally published as AFLW Cairns: Superstar Hannah Hillman announced the 2024 Jo Butland Award winner
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