Revealed: Who you voted as QAFLW or QAFL’s Top player of 2022

After nearly 1500 votes, the fans have decided on Queensland AFL’s top player of 2022. Do you agree? Find out.

The 2022 QAFL and QAFLW seasons were filled with entertainment, heartbreak and pure talent.

The Gold Coast Bulletin sport team looked across this years competitions to determine who made up the top 100 for the season.

A total of 50 men and women were selected from each competition, with results taken from their Best and Fairest votes, home and away season ‘best player’ votes and special end-of-season accolades given at the Grogan and Zielke awards.

Last week we released our Top 100 list – and then you had the chance to determine the ‘Reader’s Top 100’.

Over 1500 readers voted, with the winner decided on December 26 (note: the order of the top 100 will change over time but the winner has been decided).

Here’s who you voted for.

The winner is…

Bond University’s Caitlin Thorne has been crowned the unofficial queen of Queensland AFL.

The vote ebbed and flowed for over a week, with Palm Beach Currumbin Lion turned Western Bulldog Liam Jones a fan favourite right until Christmas Eve, where supporters sealed the deal for the young Bull Shark.

A Rising Star nominee, 19-year-old Thorne is a back flanker who made Team of the Year in fullback and was part of the U18 Queensland team to play at the AFLW National Championships.

Thorne is a sure talent to watch and will no doubt impress fans further in 2023.

Bond University's Caitlin Thorne in the QAFLW. Photo: AFLQ

Who moved the most across the vote?

Another favourite of the competition, Wilston Grange stalwart Matthew Payne moved from the Editor’s #19 (calculated using season votes) to Reader’s #3 with plenty of love from the fans.

And as just the second QAFLW player to make the Top 10, was Southport’s Georgia Breward. 38% of votes felt she was underrated in her original position of #88, while 17% agreed with her position.

Maroochydore Roos QAFLW player Lily Postlethwaite. Photo: AFLQ.

The Editor’s #6 pick Lily Postlethwaite was moved down by the Readers to #62, but we’d still put her higher.

And in the biggest move of the list, #1 ranked Ryan Banks-Smith moved down to #94, despite 53% agreeing he should be in the top spot, and 38% declaring him ‘overrated’.

Check out the rest of the placings below.

Note: Placings were determined on December 26, 2022, positions are subjet to further change.