BFNL: Queenscliff captain wins back to back best and fairest medals

A Queenscliff star has created history in Bellarine netball with her league best-and-fairest medal.

BFL Finals: Netball. Oceangrove .VS. Queenscliff. Kaitlin Gladman for Queenscliff.

Queenscliff captain Kaitlin Gladman has made Bellarine netball history, becoming the first back-to-back winner of the league best-and-fairest award in the competition’s history.

Gladman dominated the vote count on Wednesday night, polling in 15 of a possible 18 games to storm away with her second medal, becoming just the second player after Geelong Amateur star Ashlea Creasey (formerly Salter) to win two Bellarine Netball League best and fairest awards.

Kaitlin Gladman won the BFNL's top A Grade honour at the age of 20 in 2022, and repeated her efforts in 2023. Picture: Alison Wynd

The 21 year old goal attack finished the night on 35 votes, seven clear of Newcomb’s Jessica Duke, who finished on 28 votes and in second place.

Duke amazingly did not poll in the opening five rounds of the season, having missed rounds 3-5 before earning 18 votes between rounds 6 and 12.

Geelong Amateur’s Darcy McFarlane rounded out the top three with 24 votes.

Gladman topped her winning vote count from 2022, having polled 32 votes in last year’s count.

The 35 votes Gladman earned in 2023 is the second-highest tally from any player in the history of the BFNL, with Creasey polling 36 to win the league best and fairest back in 2019.

Gladman polled 22 votes by the halfway-point of the season, with Creasey her next-closest rival on 12 votes after nine rounds.

Creasey missed seven games in the middle of the season, returning in round 16 and did not poll again after a blistering start to the year.

Surprisingly, Geelong Amateur shooter Ruby Watson finished equal fifth in the votes, tied on 18 with Ocean Grove’s Emily Moroney.

Queenscliff goal attack Kaitlin GladmanPicture: Mark Wilson

Watson created history this season by becoming the first player to eclipse 1000 goals for the netball season, having done it in round 18.

But the shooter polled votes in only nine games, with four being best-on-court and four being single-vote games.

Watson was joined by Ocean Grove’s Rebecca O’Neill as the goalers for the BFNL team of the year, with Gladman the starting reserve despite winning the league best and fairest.

Ocean Grove’s Georgia Ryan, Drysdale’s Olivia Young and Creasey were named in the mid-court, with Torquay’s Rebecca Trenerry named as the starting reserve.

Queenscliff’s Charli Nicol and Ammos’ Keisha Guilmartin were named in defence, with Newcomb’s Duke named as the reserve.

Ammos coach Mel Savage was awarded team of the year honours.

Originally published as BFNL: Queenscliff captain wins back to back best and fairest medals