THE MID-SEASON votes are in, and Fremantle superstar Kiara Bowers is leading womens.afl's player of the year award.

Ineligible for the AFLW best and fairest due to suspension, at this point of the season Bowers is one vote ahead of North Melbourne ball-magnet Ash Riddell.

At the conclusion of each match, the reporter assigned to the game awards their 3-2-1 to the players they judge to be best afield.

09:03

Mid-season review: How Roos become a contender, the teams under pressure

Sarah Black and Nat Edwards take a look at the 2022 NAB AFLW season so far

Bowers, who won last year's AFLW best and fairest in a tie with Brianna Davey, is averaging 22.6 disposals, 15.0 contested possessions, 12.4 tackles (an increase from 11.0 last year) and 6.8 clearances.

Two premiership players in Ebony Marinoff and Emily Bates sit in equal third, two votes behind second-placed Riddell, who is having a career-best season.

Carlton's Madison Prespakis and Abbie McKay compete for the ball with Adelaide's Ebony Marinoff in R5, 2022. Picture: AFL Photos

Womens.afl's AFLW player of the season (end of round five):
12 – Kiara Bowers (Fremantle)*
11 – Ash Riddell (North Melbourne)
9 – Ebony Marinoff (Adelaide), Emily Bates (Brisbane)
8 – Monique Conti (Richmond)
7 – Hayley Miller (Fremantle)
6 – Jaimee Lambert (Collingwood), Karen Paxman (Melbourne), Emma Swanson (West Coast)
5 – Anne Hatchard (Adelaide), Erin Phillips (Adelaide), Amy McDonald (Geelong), Alyce Parker (GWS), Eden Zanker (Melbourne)

* = ineligible for the AFLW best and fairest

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