AFLW awards: Jasmine Garner league best-and-fairest count again falls short

Every person at the W Awards was hoping Jasmine Garner would get belated recognition from the umpires, a feeling that bubbled over midway through the night. But again, she was left disappointed. JOSH BARNES examines why.

There was a reason they picked up the cutlery and started banging the tables as Andrew Dillon read out the week five votes at the W Awards.

Perpetually snubbed, North Melbourne superstar Jasmine Garner polled three votes in a win over Richmond.

AFL boss Andrew Dillon had to stop his counting as people seated at North tables banged their fists and the rest of the room following by erupting into applause.

Jasmine Garner dominates everywhere but with the umpires. Picture: Michael Klein

While Ebony Marinoff was widely regarded as having the best individual season this year, many AFLW players would revert to Garner as still the top player in the league.

The Roo had to pick out another hanger in her wardrobe for her seventh All-Australian blazer before the count started on Monday night and was named skipper.

She was second favourite – behind Marinoff – with the bookies for the best-and-fairest but you would get a sore thumb scrolling to find her, as she tied for ninth on 12 votes.

It was easy money for the bookmakers – everyone knows Garner polls worse than a Liberal in inner-city Melbourne.

Jasmine Garner couldn’t catch Ebony Marinoff. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

The W stars gobbled up votes – both Marinoff and runner-up Ash Riddell each polled in every week bar two – but Garner was well off the podium.

Last year the goalkicking mid polled 14 votes, she dominated the 2022 season but snagged just 12 votes and shockingly polled just four votes after being the best player of the 2020 campaign.

Again, the umpires just saw her differently to everyone else.

Garner didn’t poll in the opening four weeks of this season with the whistleblowers.

But the coaches gave her nine votes in round 1, seven in round 2, two in round 3 and a perfect 10 in round 4.

By that stage in the coaches award, Garner had 28 votes and sat fourth.

In the umpire count, she was on zip.

Eventually, Garner finished the year on the pace she should have began but there was no catching the leaders.

The Roo ended up second in the coaches votes for the season but well down the list in the league award.

It’s Jasmine Garner FYI pic.twitter.com/jSVCbA2ZcA

— Kate Shierlaw (@kateshierlaw_) November 25, 2024

It will matter little to her if she leads her club to a breakthrough flag on Saturday against Brisbane.

On a night where the big names polled heavily – the top six of Marinoff, Riddell, Madison Prespakis, Emily Bates, Mon Conti and Georgia Nanscawen all averaged more than 1.5 votes per match – Garner’s slide was again a standout.

Garner was named skipper of the team of the year. Picture: Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos

Capable of dominating the midfield and sliding forward to kick goals, Garner plays much like Western Bulldog champion Marcus Bontempelli, the male All-Australian captain.

Like Bontempelli, Garner seems locked in to being looked over on their version of footy’s night of nights, but at least ‘the Bont’ gets close.

When she polled those week five votes, Conti told Fox Footy it was “very well deserved, took a very long time”.

Collingwood star Ruby Schleicher then responded that the umpires ”might have finally heard the AFLW players calling out for Jassy Garner to get votes”.

Schleicher later jokingly apologised for questioning the umps, but the room all agreed with her.

As Marinoff toasted the crowd with the league medal around her neck, she told the room that “one day Jassy (Garner) will be up here”.

The way things look, that doesn’t seem likely.

Originally published as AFLW awards: Jasmine Garner league best-and-fairest count again falls short