BFNL Netball best and fairest: Kaitlin Gladman wins award

Kaitlin Gladman thought she was going to the BFNL night of nights because she is Queenscliff captain. Now she’s a league best-and-fairest winner.

Kaitlin Gladman assumed she was invited to the BFNL’s best-and-fairest count because she was Queenscliff captain.

Three hours later, she was awarded A-grade netball’s most prestigious individual honour.

The young Coutas star stormed home with 17 votes in the final seven rounds of the season to win the award with 32 votes, edging out fellow shooter Rebecca O’Neill (27), as well as Newcomb’s Jessica Duke (25) and past winner Kelsey Ollis (24).

Seeing her name up alongside some of the competition’s stars was something Gladman was still coming to grips with in the wake of the win.

“I still haven’t really (comprehended it), I’ve been lucky enough to play A-grade for a couple of years so I think just developing myself in the last few years has just really helped me,” she said.

“Super shocked (to win), (I had) no idea, I thought I was just coming for being captain and just for volunteering around the club.”

Being a part of a family with a long association with Queenscliff, Gladman spoke highly about the honour of pulling on the Coutas colours each week.

Kaitlin Gladman for Queenscliff. Queenscliff v Geelong Amateur Netball.

Added to the honour was the fact she is the first Queenscliff netballer to win the award since Rochelle Godfrey in 2013.

“It’s pretty special, (I’ve) had both grandparents also play for Queenscliff on both sides, so it’s really quite a family club for me,” she said.

With her side having missed finals but with the strongest percentage of those teams outside the top five, Gladman said there was plenty of room for improvement in the Coutas next season.

“We could’ve definitely made finals, it was just little things that sort of let us down, but that happens in a team sport,” she said.

“But I think we have such good talent in our squad to do better next year and in the coming years.”

Gladman storms home to claim top honour

Kaitlin Gladman has caused a massive upset to clinch the league best and fairest, with the Queenscliff star storming home in the final seven rounds of the season.

The goal attack polled 17 votes in the final seven rounds of the season, including three best-on-courts and four games with two votes, to finish five votes clear of the rest of the field on 32 votes.

More incredibly, Gladman was named best-on-court seven times across the season, with the Coutas only winning four games and drawing two.

Only once did Gladman miss maximum votes in games Queenscliff earned points through a win or a draw, with the goal attack polling two votes in round 13’s win against Newcomb.

A Grade netball BFL: Modewarre v Queenscliff. Queenscliff goal attack Kaitlin Gladman. Picture: Mark Wilson

Gladman scored 495 of Queenscliff’s 682 goals for the season, equating to 73 per cent of Couta scoring.

She finished second in total individual goals scored, behind only Ocean Grove’s Rebecca O’Neill, who finished the count in second place with 27 votes.

O’Neill also had a strong finish to the season, polling 20 of her 27 votes in the final nine rounds.

Newcomb’s Jessica Duke finished third in the vote count, polling 25 votes across the season.

Modewarre’s Ruby Bowers looked like claiming the award early, polling 17 votes to lead the competition through the opening 10 rounds.

BFL: Drysdale v Queenscliff netball

But the Warrior only polled in two more games, finishing on 21 total votes at the end of the night.

Kelsey Ollis won 24 votes and finished fourth for the award, meaning Ocean Grove was the only team to have multiple players inside the top six of the count.

Ashlea Creasey finished fifth with 23 votes, while Torquay pair Jessica Standfield (20 votes) and Rhian Moresi (18) both ended the count in the top eight.

Drysdale’s Alyce Delaney finished on top for the Hawks’ contingent, ending the night with 14 votes and in ninth place.

Hannah Barry-Murphy polled 10 votes for Anglesea, leading the way for the Kangaroos, while Jesse Hasell had the most votes for Portarlington with nine.

Barwon Heads had a tie at the top, with Maddie Okely and Tilly Avery both polling nine votes.

A-Grade Leaderboard

32 – Kaitlin Gladman (Queenscliff)

27 – Rebecca O’Neill (Ocean Grove)

25 – Jessica Duke (Newcomb)

24 – Kelsey Ollis (Ocean Grove)

23 – Ashlea Creasey (Geelong Amateur)

21 – Ruby Bowers (Modewarre)

20 – Jessica Standfield (Torquay)

18 – Rhian Moresi (Torquay)

14 – Alyce Delaney (Drysdale)

14 – Keisha Guilmartin (Geelong Amateur)

14 – Mon Pedretti (Modewarre)

B-Grade Leaderboard

24 – Jessica Kelly (Geelong Amateur)

20 – Sharon Ford (Geelong Amateur)

18 – Claudia Britt (Ocean Grove)

18 – Maddie McFarlane (Newcomb)

17 – Karly Mccrow (Barwon Heads)

16 – Jesse Sutton (Ocean Grove)

16 – Nikki Cooke (Ocean Grove)

15 – Meagan Canaway (Queenscliff)

15 – Meg Badrock (Ocean Grove)

14 – Meg Evenden (Portarlington)

C-Grade Leaderboard

29 – Lauren Richardson (Modewarre)

27 – Gemma Bell (Ocean Grove)

16 – Alyse O‘Keefe (Ocean Grove)

16 – Maddison Quilliam (Modewarre)

13 – Georgia Martin (Modewarre)

13 – Milly van Eck (Torquay)

12 – Adrienne Ingram (Torquay)

12 – Ashton Dunn (Barwon Heads)

12 – Caitlin Munday (Drysdale)

12 – Jeamma Evans (Anglesea)

D-Grade Leaderboard

24 – Kirrily Sager (Queenscliff)

23 – Sheree Gotts (Modewarre)

21 – Tori Hogan (Modewarre)

18 – Cassie Altimari (Torquay)

18 – Ruby Howard (Barwon Heads)

18 – Tina Birch (Ocean Grove)

15 – Monica Gill (Drysdale)

14 – Nicole Robertson (Geelong Amateur)

14 – Tiaha Holdsworth (Geelong Amateur)

13 – Ashleigh Williams (Barwon Heads)

13 – Laura Aylmer (Geelong Amateur)

13 – Marney Clarke (Barwon Heads)

13 – Steph Reade (Torquay)

E-Grade Leaderboard

22 – Jalen Walsh (Geelong Amateur)

17 – Terri-Anne Finch (Ocean Grove)

16 – Lara Barnes (Ocean Grove)

15 – Sophie Hickey (Torquay)

14 – Liza Harwood (Geelong Amateur)

11 – Alexandra Lillywhite (Torquay)

11 – Bec Ward (Queenscliff)

11 – Emily Farlow (Modewarre)

11 – Mia Clayden (Anglesea)

10 – Kasey McKay (Barwon Heads)

10 – Lauren McAuley (Geelong Amateur)

10 – Lucy Wheatland (Barwon Heads)

10 – Rebecca Bartlett (Modewarre)

Originally published as BFNL Netball best and fairest: Kaitlin Gladman wins award