AFLW finals: Jasmine Garner unfazed by best and fairest snub

A Kangaroos star who bizarrely missed the top five of the AFLW best and fairest has responded to the snub after collecting another award.

Jasmine Garner isn’t bothered by a lack of recognition from the umpires in Monday night’s AFLW best and fairest medal count. Picture: Michael Willson / Getty Images

North Melbourne star Jasmine Garner is not fussed about missing out on the AFLW best and fairest medal despite sweeping the other awards on offer in a stellar 2023 season.

The powerful midfielder claimed the AFL Players’ Association Most Valuable Player award on Tuesday night after also taking out the coaches’ association player of the year award last week.

Despite the respect from her peers and fellow coaches, Garner again struggled to poll votes in the league best and fairest count, with the umpires only awarding the 29-year-old six votes between rounds 4 and 9 when she had been expected to poll strongly.

Garner said she “wasn’t too bothered” by how the count unfolded, declaring Tigers rival Monique Conti a deserving winner as she turned her attention to Sunday’s grand final against Brisbane.

North Melbourne’s 2023 All-Australian trio Emma Kearney (left), Jasmine Garner (centre) and Ash Riddell at the AFL Awards on Monday night. Picture: Dylan Burns / Getty Images

She would not be drawn into offering any theories on why the umpires did not view her performances the same way as players and coaches.

“I’m not too bothered by it. We had a well-deserved winner on the night – Mon’s had a great year, and my little teammate Ash (Riddell) had a super year and she polled really well, so I’m really happy for her,” Garner said.

“I think everyone sees the game differently … I’m just thinking about Sunday, to be honest.”

Garner said it was a “special privilege” to again receive the AFLPA MVP award.

“I think it’s a great award to win … the girls who you go and play against each week, to have their vote as the MVP of the competition is something I’m really proud to win,” she said.

The Roos star said her side was full of belief it could beat Brisbane for the first time at Ikon Park on Sunday to win the premiership, pointing to finals victories over Melbourne and Adelaide after losing to both sides during the home-and-away season.

Garner received the AFL Players’ Association Most Valuable Player award on Tuesday to add to the coaches’ association gong she collected last week. Picture: Eleanor Armstrong

“We’re confident, we believe. It’s been a great year, obviously it hasn’t been perfect, but we’ve learnt along the way. We lost to Melbourne and Adelaide throughout the year, but then we beat them in finals, and now we get a crack at Brissy,” she said.

“It’s been a long six years at the club, and we’ve had a lot of list changes since then – I think there’s maybe seven of us who were the originals from the start.

“It’s something we’ve been working hard towards for the past six years, and now we finally get a crack at it on Sunday.”

Garner said she didn’t think the Lions’ experience from winning the 2021 premiership would be a significant factor.

“We have (former Western Bulldogs) Emma Kearney, Kim Rennie, Jenna Bruton who have won a flag at Ikon before and also Crock, our coach, he’s reminded us he’s been there and done it as well,” she said.

“We’re all just pumped and excited to be there.”