Dakota Villiva’s incredible rise to second VAFA best-and-fairest

Not even a torn ACL mid-season could stop Dakota Villiva from dominating the VAFA Premier Women competition in 2024 and she has now been paid the ultimate honour after displaying incredible bravery.

Kew’s Dakota Villiva. Picture: Valeriu Campan

 

Moments after winning a second Shona MacInnes Medal as the VAFA Premier Women’s best player, Dakota Villiva dropped a bombshell.

She had been playing the back half of the season with a torn ACL but stormed home to win the award with 31 votes.

The Kew star added to her 2022 award in a season where she had only just returned from a knee reconstruction.

Villiva missed the entire 2023 season having torn her ACL during a practice match.

Her stats for this year included 17 games, 19 goals and 13 mentions in the best while she was also best afield in the VAFA Big V representative game against the Perth Football League.

During her acceptance speech, the Bears gun midfielder revealed she was now expecting to miss 2025 to go through another period of rehab.

“I don’t know how,” Villiva said when asked how it felt knowing she had won.

“(I) got into the forward line a bit more, I was injured so I missed a few games. I’ve been playing with one ACL, I did it in the middle of the year.”

Kew had a new coach in Em Avery this season and earlier in the year, she predicted Villiva would get back to her best.

“Her versatility around the footy is one thing that makes her a real weapon for us, we definitely missed her last year,” she said at the time.

“She’s probably going to get better as the year goes on and she gets more confidence.”

Dakota Villiva and Kiara Camill at the VAFA Awards Night. Picture: Brendan Beckett

Those words couldn’t have rang more true as Villiva played a key role in her side’s finals appearance.

Ultimately the Bears were beaten by Caulfield Grammarians in the semi-final, after reaching the 2023 decider.

“Unfortunately we didn’t get as far as previous years but it was still a pretty good effort to make it to finals,” she said.

“We had a fair few injuries throughout the year.

“We pretty much had the same structure and everything so it was basically just a change of coach.

“All the vibes and that were the same.”

Sam Fisher in action for the Big V. Photo: VAFA Media.

Old Xaverians gun Sam Fisher claimed the Woodrow Medal as the best player in the VAFA Premier Men’s competition.

He finished on 16 votes, one ahead of St Kevin’s star Paddy Kerr.

In a bizarre finish to the count, none of the top-four polled in the final month of the season.

This year was Fisher’s first in the competition having arrived from the WAFL where he won the Sandover Medal in 2020 while at Swan Districts.

“It’s extremely humbling, there’s obviously a number of very good players in the VAFA,” Fisher said during his acceptance speech.

“It’s an amazing bunch of players (at Old Xavs), people involved in the club and I am thoroughly enjoying my time there.”

Fisher, who spent time on Sydney’s AFL list, also gave credit to coach Dan Donati for his impact.

“He’s a ripper,” he said.

“Just one of the most down to earth people, prioritises connections and growth and camaraderie in the group. I think we’re building something special at the Xavs.

“He’s the leader of that.”

Note: The content summaries were created with the assistance of AI technology, then edited and approved for publication by an editor.