Brodie Filo and Jasmyn Hewett the big winners at the 2024-25 Nichols medal night
The best players from the 2024-25 NTFL season were celebrated at the Nichols medal night with two cementing their place in history as they won the top awards for a third time. Check out all the winners and photos here.
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The who’s who of the NTFL celebrated a historic moment at the 2024-25 edition of the Nichols medal as two stars of the game became the first in their divisions to win three B&F medals.
Nightcliff skipper Brodie Filo and PINT playing-assistant coach Jasmyn Hewett were named the best of the senior divisions following outstanding seasons of Top End footy.
Filo won his previous medals in the 2015-16 and 2019-20 seasons and was again on song this season taking on leadership responsibilities alongside his usual huge on field work rate.
He averaged 28.8 disposals and 5.2 clearances a game, while scoring 10 goals and brought it home with a three vote final match to finish on 21 votes, one ahead of Waratah’s Scott Carlin.
Southern Districts Jed Anderson and the winner of the two previous medals Dylan Landt of St Mary’s followed on 18 and 16 votes respectively, with Crocs’ ruck Wyatt Ryan closing out the top five.
“It’s crazy, I came up here for one season 10 years ago and to have achieved what we have as a club is unreal,” Filo said.
“These individual accolades are good along the way but I’m just so proud of how this club has come and grateful for what I’ve achieved in hopefully moving our club in the right direction.
“Coaching and being captain is pretty cool, I’ve matured a lot over the past few years but I love the role and hopefully I can help drive the club to bigger and better things.
“We’ve had an unbelievable year, obviously didn’t get to where we wanted on the field, we had a few injuries but a team on the park and hopefully we can front up and do better next year.
“But it’s unreal up here, I just love it. I came up for one season and I’m still here 10 years on, everything I get now is a bonus.”
Hewett previous wins came in the 2020-21 and 2023-24 seasons, and again despite moving a lot of her focus to her assistant coaching role was a standout.
The AFLW premiership winning player with the Crows took on a joint coach / player role in the 2024-25 season and guided her side to another minor premiership with just one loss.
The Queenants won’t be in the grand final next week but Hewett has been an integral part of her side’s success and was recently appointed the NTFL women’s representative coach.
The ruck managed 11 goals throughout the season and recorded 31 votes, including eight three-vote performances.
She beat the Palmerston duo of Marika Carlton, who won last year’s Rising Star, and Ella Ward, with the Queenants skipper Reni Hicks coming in fourth with 17 votes.
“It’s incredible, it’s a pretty surreal feeling. My focus really wasn’t on my own individual performance being a playing coach,” Hewett said.
“My entire theme of this year was solely focusing on the year and collective so I didn’t really consider this to be a possibility.
“When you’re having fun the rest just flows, if you create a fun environment and you’re around great people as we are everything else just speaks for itself.
“The two best teams are playing in the grand final, we had a lot of close encounters with them and were lucky to finish on top.
“But they’ve both had great finals campaigns and deserve to be up there, it’s going to be a ripper grand final.”
Now her eyes are on building the best team to represent the Top End for the NTFL vs CAFL representative fixture.
“It’s exciting to see how much talent is coming through and the future of the NTFL is in good hands with the talent coming through, particularly in the junior space,” she said.
“Representing the NT is something I’m really passionate about and it’s great for these up and coming footballers and the girls that have been around for a long time that deserve recognition.”
Meanwhile, St Mary’s Jackson Calder reclaimed the title of Men’s Leading Goal Kicker for the third time, finishing with 56 goals, with Steven Motlop of Southern Districts on 37.
Nightcliff’s Cassie McWilliam took home her first Women’s Leading Goal Kicker award, scoring 36 goals during the season, while young talents Marika Carlton and Maria Rioli tied for second.
Nightcliff also took home the NT News men’s Rising Star Award through Sean Hunter, who made a swift impact on the competition averaging 13.2 disposals, 2.1 tackles, and 7 goals.
Shakaila Gardiner-Dunn from St Mary’s won the women’s Rising Star accolade after a thrilling debut season in Saints potential premiership run.
ALL THE WINNERS:
Nichols Medal
Brodie Filo, 21 votes – Nightcliff Tigers Football Club
Women’s Premier League Best and Fairest Medal
Jasmyn Hewett, 31 votes – PINT Football Club
Men’s Premier League Leading Goal Kicker
Jackson Calder, 56 goals – St Mary’s Football Club
Women’s Premier League Leading Goal Kicker
Cassie McWilliam, 36 goals – Nightcliff Tigers Football Club
NTFL Umpire of the Year
Jacob Port
NT News Men’s Rising Star
Sean Hunter – Nightcliff Tigers Football Club
NT News Women’s Rising Star
Shakaila Gardiner-Dunn – St Mary’s Football Club
Men’s Premier League Reserves (Mitch Lee Medal)
Jaise Coleman, 29 votes – Nightcliff Tigers Football Club
Men’s Premier League Reserves Leading Goal Kicker
Matthew Bricknell, 62 goals – Banks Bulldogs Football Club
Men’s Division 1 (Lancaster Medal)
Liam Read, 20 votes – Jabiru Bombers Football Club
Men’s Division 1 Leading Goal Kicker
Aidan McAdam, 21 goals – Jabiru Bombers Football Club
Men’s Division 2 Best and Fairest
Jonathan Farrer, 11 votes – Palmerston Football Club
Men’s Division 2 Leading Goal Kicker
Broderick Church, 34 goals – Palmerston Football Club
Women’s Division 1 Best and Fairest
Leah Reilly, 14 votes – Banks Bulldogs Football Club
Women’s Division 1 Leading Goal Kicker
Charlotte D’Ambrosio, 22 goals – Nightcliff Tigers Football Club
Women’s Division 2 Best and Fairest
Sasha Byrnes, 10 votes – Jabiru Bombers Football Club
Women’s Division 2 Leading Goal Kicker
Desiree Nadji, 15 goals – Jabiru Bombers Football Club
Towards Zero Volunteer of the Year
Eliza Caldow – PINT Football Club
Senior Club of the Year
Jabiru Bombers Football Club
ALL THE PHOTOS
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