Fremantle’s Kiara Bowers and Collingwood co-captain Brianna Davey made history by tying for the AFLW best and fairest on Tuesday night, the first dead heat in the league’s history.
In a thrilling count at Crown Palladium, a one-vote performance from Bowers in the round nine loss to North Melbourne at Arden Street left her tied on 15 votes with Davey, who didn’t poll in her team’s defeat to Adelaide.
Fremantle Docker Kiara Bowers was a joint winner of the AFLW best and fairest.Credit: Getty Images
Bowers’ very involvement in round nine had been controversial, given she was initially suspended for a dangerous tackle on Melbourne’s Eden Zanker in round eight. Bowers successfully had the charge downgraded at the tribunal, clearing her to play against the Kangaroos.
Davey, who was last week voted the game’s most valuable player by her peers, became the first Collingwood player to win the women’s game’s highest individual honour, while Bowers was the first Docker to claim the award.
Collingwood’s Brianna Davey tied for the AFLW best and fairest.Credit: Getty Images
Western Bulldogs skipper Ellie Blackburn burst from the blocks, polling the maximum nine votes from the first three games before picking up two votes in round four. But as the Bulldogs’ season faded, Blackburn was overtaken by Davey, who missed out on a vote in round one, but was then adjudged best afield in five consecutive matches between rounds two and six.
The former Matildas goalkeeper missed out in the round seven loss to the Brisbane Lions before being denied in round eight by the best afield showing of teammate Brittany Bonnici.
Bowers was rewarded for her consistency and was presented the medal by AFL commission chairman Richard Goyder at an event in Perth, with players attending events in their home states.
Last year’s winner Madison Prespakis (right) arrives at the W AwardsCredit: Getty Images
Melbourne’s Karen Paxman was also heading into contention going into the final round but didn’t poll to finish with 13 votes.
Meanwhile, Adelaide’s Danielle Ponter won the award for mark of the year while Brisbane’s Courtney Hodder got the nod for goal of the year.
AFLW All-Australian team
- B: Sarah Allan (Adel), Meghan McDonald (Geel)
- HB: Ruby Schleicher (Coll), Kate Lutkins (BL), Janelle Cuthbertson (Frem)
- C: Monique Conti (Rich), Kiara Bowers (Frem), Georgia Patrikios (StK)
- HF: Jasmine Garner (NM), Katie Brennan (Rich), Ellie Blackburn (WB)
- F: Erin Phillips (Adel), Chloe Molloy (Coll)
- FOLL: Breann Moody (Carl), Brianna Davey (Coll), Alyce Parker (GWS Giants)
- I/C: Ebony Marinoff (Adel), Brittany Bonnici (Coll), Darcy Vescio (Carl), Karen Paxman (Melb), Emma Kearney (NM)
Earlier, Melbourne star Paxman and North Melbourne skipper Emma Kearney maintained their perfect records of being named in the AFLW All-Australian team every season since the competition’s inception when the team of the year was named on Tuesday night.
It was a successful night for the Demons, with young midfielder Tyla Hanks becoming the first Melbourne player to win the AFLW Rising Star award.
Melbourne’s uber-consistent Karen Paxman (right) has made all five All-Australian teams.Credit: Getty Images
Having narrowly missed making a maiden grand final, Collingwood were the best-represented club in the 21-woman squad anounced at the W awards. The Pies had four players in the team, including Davey, who capped a magnificent season in which she was named the AFL Players’ Association’s most valuable player by being selected as All-Australian captain, having been picked as ruck-rover.
Fellow Pies Ruby Schleicher (half-back flank), Chloe Molloy (forward) and Bonnici (interchange) were also included. Fremantle star Kiara Bowers was named in the centre and picked as vice-captain behind Davey.
Seven players kept their spots from the 2020 All-Australian team, including Brisbane Lions defender Kate Lutkins, who also won the medal for best afield in her side’s grand final win over Adelaide on Saturday.
Hanks, 21, was taken at pick No.6 in the 2018 national draft. She played all 11 of the Dees’ games in 2021, averaging 18.7 disposals per contest.
Leading goalkicker Darcy VescioCredit: Getty Images
The uber-consistent Paxman has played every match for Melbourne since the start of AFLW. Named on the interchange this year, she averaged 22.4 disposals per game.
Kearney, in her third season at Arden Street after starring for the Western Bulldogs in 2018 and 2019, averaged 21 disposals per game this year and was also named on the interchange.
Schleicher and Bonnici were among six first-time All-Australians named in the team. Fremantle defender Janelle Cuthbertson, St Kilda midfielder Georgia Patrikios, Richmond captain Katie Brennan, and Carlton ruck Breann Moody also earned selection for the first time.
Star Blues forward Darcy Vescio returned to the All-Australian team for the first time since 2017 following a season in which she topped the league’s goalkicking for the second year. Davey also made the team for the first time since 2017.
Adelaide’s Ebony Marinoff and Erin Phillips both made the team for the third time in five years, as did Blackburn.
Lutkins, Bowers and North’s Jasmine Garner also became three-time All-Australians, while Crow Sarah Allan, Geelong’s Meg McDonald, Richmond’s Monique Conti and Greater Western Sydney’s Alyce Parker joined Molloy and Vescio in becoming dual All-Australians.
Real Footy
Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up here to our Real Footy newsletter delivered to your inbox on Mondays and Fridays.