Western Bulldogs premiership star Emma Kearney has capped a memorable AFLW season by taking out the league’s best and fairest award.
Kearney polled three votes in the final round of the season to seal the women’s equivalent of the Brownlow Medal at Tuesday night’s awards ceremony in Melbourne.
“I think for me this individual award isn’t necessarily won by me, but by the team as a whole,” Kearney said.
“I think my improvement has been a result of the improvement of our team.
“The contributions from our other midfielders has actually helped my performance, so although it’s an individual award I think it’s based on the team’s performance as well.”
Polling votes in all seven matches of the home and away season, Kearney finished with two best on grounds, three two-vote performances and a further two single-vote games.
She finished ahead of Collingwood’s Chloe Molloy, Fremantle’s Dana Hooker and Greater Western Sydney’s Courtney Gum who all polled nine votes.
The prolific ball winner averaged the most disposals per game, gained the most metres, was second in clearances and fifth in contested possessions in a brilliant season.
She was also named in the All Australian team and was a key player in the Dogs’ grand final win over the Brisbane Lions.
In other major awards, Carlton’s Tayla Harris won the mark of the year, Melbourne’s Aliesha Newman kicked the goal of the year, the Western Bulldogs’ Brooke Lochland was the leading goalkicker and Collingwood’s Molloy was the rising star.
THE W AWARDS
AFLW Best and Fairest: Emma Kearney (WB)
Voting
14 – Kearney (WB)
9 – Molloy (Coll), Hooker (Fre), Gum (GWS)
Rising Star: Molloy (Coll)
Goal of the year: Aliesha Newman (Melb)
Mark of the year: Tayla Harris (Carl)
Leading goalkicker: Brooke Lochland (WB)
2018 AFLW All-Australian team
B: Chloe Molloy (Coll), Kate Lutkins (Bris)
HB: Hannah Scott (WB), Chelsea Randall (Adel, capt), Ebony Antonio (Fre)
C: Dana Hooker (Fre), Emma Kearney (WB), Alicia Eva (GWS)
HF: Elise O’Dea (Mel), Sabrina Frederick-Traub (Bris), Brooke Lochland (WB)
F: Jessica Wuetschner (Bris), Christina Bernardi (Coll)
R: Erin McKinnon (GWS), Courtney Gum (GWS), Daisy Pearce (Melb, vice-capt)
Int: Emily Bates (Bris), Tayla Harris (Carl), Karen Paxman (Melb), Ellie Blackburn (WB), Meg Downie (Melb).
