Shae Audley, Maree Stephenson, Natalie Todaro win NFL league awards

Shae Audley’s return to the football field has seen the Diamond Creek star claim the NFL league best-and-fairest, Coaches’ MVP double. SEE ALL THE WINNERS

Diamond Creek midfielder Shae Audley capped an extraordinary return to football with the NFL Women’s Division 1 league best-and-fairest on Wednesday night.

The former Carlton AFLW player returned to her junior club after having her first child last year and produced a dominant display as the Creekers finished the season undefeated.

Audley claimed the league medal with 18 votes, edging Eltham’s Claudia Williver on 15 votes and Lower Plenty’s Molly McCormack on 14.

She also took home the Coaches’ MVP award, earning votes in all but one game to finish ahead of Greensborough’s Lauren Collis and Mia Tascone (Heidelberg) and Williver in equal third.

A two-time NFL netball league best-and-fairest winner, it was Audley’s first football league best-and-fairest after coming second in the WVFL in 2010 and 2013.

#AlwaysACreeker 💙❤️💙 on ya Shazwa!! https://t.co/x0xK95dFA7

— Steph Chiocci (@Steph_Chiocci) September 1, 2021

AUDZZZZZZ

— Chloe Dalton (@ChloeDalton7s) September 1, 2021

“It was definitely nerve-racking. I was very excited, it was a bit unexpected,” Audley said.

“I don’t know if my loudness on the field has got me very far in league awards before.

“After having Maddie, I went back to Essendon but getting used to being a mother for the first time I decided to come back to local.

“I was missing footy a lot, the opportunity to tackle people, and there was never a question of where I was going to play.”

“I would have loved to have been a lot fitter and stronger but only having Maddie in August there wasn’t much opportunity to get to the gym.

“In terms of getting my hands on the ball and having fantastic teammates around me, it was definitely a successful season.”

Drafted to Carlton with pick No.46 in the inaugural AFLW Draft, Audley played 16 games for the Blues before being delisted in 2019 and joining Essendon’s VFLW team.

The onballer still harbours hopes of playing at the highest level and believes there’s some amazing talent at local level.

“Definitely, I’ll have to see what comes next in terms of family but I’ll definitely be looking to head back to Essendon at some stage,” she said.

The 2021 Mirvac Division 2 Women’s Best and Fairest is Wallan rising star Maree Stephenson! #NFNLAwardspic.twitter.com/164Jobg1yi

— Northern FNL (@northernfnl) September 1, 2021

The 2021 Mirvac Division 3 Women’s Best and Fairest is Mernda captain Natalie Todaro!#NFNLAwardspic.twitter.com/ojlCcAbnfx

— Northern FNL (@northernfnl) September 1, 2021

“Brendan Major, the coach, was amazing and they’ve got an AFLW licence coming too.

“There’s some really good young footballers come through, which is really exciting for our VFLW and AFLW teams.

“If we can start to look at local levels at little bit more and see the names coming through because there’s a lot of talent.”

Meanwhile, Wallan’s 16-year-old sensation Maree Stephenson claimed the Division 2 best-and-fairest.

The Calder Cannons-listed young gun took the award with 18 votes ahead of Belinda Harris (Hurstbridge) and Elyssa Rees (St Mary’s).

Making the win all the more significant, the Magpies took the wooden spoon this season, but Stephenson still caught the umpire’s attention in eight of 10 games.

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Rees claimed the Coaches’ MVP award ahead of Burras teammate Brigid McEntee and Darebin’s Jessica Marks.

In Division 3, Mernda skipper Natalie Todaro took home the best-and-fairest, Coaches’ MVP double.

The Demons star finished ahead of Fitzroy Stars’ Valiecia Kelly-Briggs and Banyule’s Rebekah Di Paola in the league medal and Laurimar’s Kiera Hunter and Kelly-Briggs in the MVP voting.

Diamond Creek’s Linda Thorp (33 goals), Hurstbridge’s Rebecca Hayes (16) and Di Paola (31) finished the season as the leading goalkicker in their respective competitions.