THE AFLW's inaugural Rising Star, Ebony Marinoff had a full-circle moment on Monday evening, being named the League's Best and Fairest player for 2024.
Her tally of 23 votes is the equal-most polled in a single season, joining Richmond's Monique Conti in 2023, while North Melbourne's Ash Riddell wasn't far behind with a career-best 20 votes.
>> VIEW THE FULL ROUND-BY-ROUND VOTES
Three clubs polled 50 or more votes this year, while four different clubs enjoyed nine vote-getters on the evening.
So, how did your team poll?
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Total votes: 49
Ebony Marinoff – 23
Anne Hatchard – 6
Jess Allan – 4
Niamh Kelly –
Danielle Ponter – 4
Chelsea Biddell – 3
Caitlin Gould – 2
Madison Newman – 2
Chelsea Randall – 1
Ebony Marinoff broke through for her first AFLW Best and Fairest award, recording five best-on-ground performances across Adelaide's 11 home and away games. A quieter season from Anne Hatchard still saw her finish in second place with six votes – three twos for the year – while Niamh Kelly, Danielle Ponter and Chelsea Biddell, all earned themselves a best-on-ground across the season.
Total votes: 52
Sophie Conway – 14
Taylor Smith – 9
Ally Anderson – 8
Belle Dawes – 8
Cathy Svarc – 7
Dakota Davidson – 2
Jade Ellenger – 2
Tahlia Hickie – 1
Breanna Koenen – 1
In a swing for Brisbane, two-time All-Australian Sophie Conway was the club's leading vote-getter thanks to four best-on-ground performances, including both matches in the Lions' mid-week footy fixture. Taylor Smith's surge toward the equal-leading goalkicker came with a career-best nine votes, while midfield duo Ally Anderson and Belle Dawes each finished with eight votes.
Total votes: 16
Keeley Sherar – 7
Breann Moody – 3
Darcy Vescio – 3
Madeleine Guerin – 2
Mimi Hill – 1
Keeley Sherar's seven votes weren't just the most for Carlton on Monday night, but her career-best return across her four seasons, solidifying her rise up the Blues' ranks. Ruck Breann Moody polled three quick ones early in the season, while Darcy Vescio claimed the three in the club's come-from-behind win over Fremantle in week seven.
Total votes: 12
Brittany Bonnici – 8
Sabrina Frederick – 3
Ruby Schleicher – 1
In a lean year for Collingwood when it came to wins, that was also reflected in the club's votes at the W Awards. Bullocking ruck Sabrina Frederick earned all of her votes in the season opener, in which she recorded 21 disposals, 25 hitouts, and seven clearances, while Brit Bonnici's relentlessness resulted in threes in the club's win over Gold Coast in week five, and its narrow loss to Carlton in week nine.
Total votes: 41
Madison Prespakis – 18
Georgia Nanscawen – 17
Steph Cain – 3
Sophie Alexander – 1
Daria Bannister – 1
Kodi Jacques – 1
Essendon's dynamic duo of Madison Prespakis and Georgia Nanscawen combined for 25 votes, regularly taking home the three and two for the side. Throughout the Bombers' mid-week footy stretch of four games, the pair recorded 20 of a possible 24 votes in an impressive display. Both players bettered their 2023 return by eight votes.
Total votes: 43
Mim Strom – 11
Aisling McCarthy – 10
Gabby O'Sullivan – 8
Hayley Miller – 7
Emma O'Driscoll – 3
Aine Tighe – 3
Gabby Newton – 1
Mim Strom's first All-Australian blazer also came with a career-best 11 votes in the best and fairest award, bettering her previous career-high votes of just three last year. The return came thanks to best-on-grounds against West Coast in week eight, matching her Derby medal on the day, and in week 10 in which she recorded 29 hitouts and 30 disposals against the Western Bulldogs. Midfielder Aisling McCarthy also enjoyed a career-best tally of 10, to match her own inaugural All-Australian selection.
Total votes: 27
Aishling Moloney – 9
Nina Morrison – 6
Georgie Prespakis – 6
Amy McDonald – 4
Gabbi Featherston – 1
Jackie Parry – 1
Along with her equal-leading goalkicker award, and All-Australian selection, Aishling Moloney also earned triple the votes she did in 2023. With six goals in week nine against West Coast, she was deemed the clear standout, while her role in Geelong's big win over Gold Coast in week four was also worthy of the three votes. Midfield trio Nina Morrison, Georgie Prespakis, and Amy McDonald each earned their own best-on-ground votes throughout the season, while Gabbi Featherston and Jackie Parry nabbed the very first of their careers.
Total votes: 20
Charlie Rowbottom – 9
Lucy Single – 5
Niamh McLaughlin – 4
Claudia Whitfort – 2
The physicality of midfielders Charlie Rowbottom and Lucy Single caught the eye of umpires throughout the season, with the pair combining for three best-on-ground votes, to lead the Suns in an otherwise tough season. Meanwhile, dashing Irishwoman Niamh McLaughlin followed up her equal-second place in Gold Coast's best and fairest award, with four votes of her own.
Total votes: 22
Zarlie Goldsworthy – 6
Alyce Parker – 6
Rebecca Beeson – 4
Eilish O'Dowd – 4
Tarni Evans – 1
Haneen Zreika – 1
Unsurprisingly, it was Zarlie Goldsworthy and Alyce Parker topping the votes for the Giants once again. Each polled across three different games, including the three and two in the club's week one thrashing of the Western Bulldogs. Irishwoman Eilish O'Dowd earned four votes in her very first season, while new captain Bec Beeson polled her first votes since 2022 (season six).
Total votes: 56
Emily Bates – 17
Eliza West – 12
Aileen Gilroy – 7
Jasmine Fleming – 6
Greta Bodey – 4
Mattea Breed – 3
Tilly Lucas-Rodd – 3
Aine McDonagh – 2
Lucy Wales – 2
As part of Hawthorn's surge up the ladder, new captain Emily Bates enjoyed her highest vote count since she won the AFLW best and fairest award back in 2022 (season six) at Brisbane. This included votes in eight of a possible 11 games, and three best-on-ground performances. Meanwhile, fresh midfield addition Eliza West also polled well, with a career-best return of 12 votes, which included three of her own best-on-ground performances in weeks six, seven, and 10.
Total votes: 32
Kate Hore – 12
Tyla Hanks – 8
Blaithin Mackin – 4
Alyssa Bannan – 3
Olivia Purcell – 2
Eliza McNamara – 1
Paxy Paxman – 1
Eden Zanker – 1
Although Melbourne experienced a horror-run of injuries throughout the 2024 season, ultimately missing finals for the first time since 2019, it still enjoyed some impressive individual performances. Kate Hore continued to lead from the front, with her 12 votes including three best-on-ground performances, while Tyla Hanks' purple patch between weeks six and eight was rightly rewarded by the umpires.
Total votes: 58
Ash Riddell – 20
Jasmine Garner – 12
Emma Kearney – 6
Kate Shierlaw – 6
Alice O'Loughlin – 6
Mia King – 4
Jenna Bruton – 2
Bella Eddey – 1
Taylah Gatt – 1
Unsurprisingly, it is the undefeated minor premier in North Melbourne that was awarded the most votes on Monday evening. Tough ball winner Ash Riddell led the count for the club for the second season running, this time with a career-best 20 votes, and polling in all but three games. Unfortunately for her partner in crime Jasmine Garner, she was once again largely overlooked by the umpires in the early part of the season. It took until week five for Garner to earn her first for the year, but finished well, with 12 votes from a possible 18 in the home stretch.
Total votes: 34
Abbey Dowrick – 13
Maria Moloney – 7
Gemma Houghton – 6
Matilda Scholz – 3
Julia Teakle – 3
Kirsty Lamb – 1
Justine Mules-Robinson – 1
Powerful midfielder Abbey Dowrick bettered her three votes of last season by 10, to lead her side in the count once again. She gathered the best-on-ground three votes four times throughout the season, against Fremantle, Carlton, St Kilda and Gold Coast, proving her value to the side. Meanwhile, Gemma Houghton's stunning season was rewarded with six votes, her best since the 2021 season, and highest return since converting to the teal guernsey.
Total votes: 39
Monique Conti – 17
Ellie McKenzie – 10
Grace Egan – 5
Katie Brennan – 2
Emelia Yassir – 2
Libby Graham – 1
Caitlin Greiser – 1
Poppy Kelly – 1
Monique Conti worked her way to second place on the all-time vote getting leaderboard, with her 17 votes on Monday taking her to a career total of 96, trailing only Adelaide's Ebony Marinoff. The tally included three best-on-grounds, and votes in four other games. Ellie McKenzie's return from injury helped her to a strong patch through weeks three to six, in which she earned all 10 of her votes, while Grace Egan finished with five for the second consecutive season.
Total votes: 27
Jaimee Lambert – 11
Jesse Wardlaw – 7
Ashleigh Richards – 3
Tyanna Smith – 3
Paige Trudgeon – 2
Nicola Xenos – 1
Although the Saints polled more votes than they did in 2023, fewer players earned the nod from the umpires this year. The club's star duo of Jaimee Lambert and Jesse Wardlaw led the way for St Kilda this year, after impressive seasons through the midfield and forward lines respectively. Meanwhile new recruit Paige Trudgeon's solid first season patrolling St Kilda's backline saw her earn the first votes of her career.
Total votes: 21
Laura Gardiner – 8
Tanya Kennedy – 3
Bella Smith – 3
Cynthia Hamilton – 2
Ally Morphett – 2
Sofia Hurley – 1
Lucy McEvoy – 1
Rebecca Privitelli – 1
Sydney's tough season, in which it was hit heavily by injury, meant a drop in best and fairest votes this season. Ball-winning midfielder Laura Gardiner polled the best with eight votes – born through two best-on-ground performances – while Tanya Kennedy was the only other Swan to poll in more than one game. The remainder of Sydney's vote-getters did so in a sporadic fashion, and Bella Smith was the only other player rewarded with a best-on-ground three votes, for her five goals against West Coast in week 10.
Total votes: 21
Ella Roberts – 12
Jess Hosking – 4
Alison Drennan – 2
Bella Lewis – 2
Kellie Gibson – 1
The rise of Ella Roberts continued in Monday's count, with her 12 votes for the season including three best-on-ground performances. Her return is also the highest ever awarded to a West Coast player in the AFLW, wrapping up her All-Australian season in style. Meanwhile, delisted free agent Jess Hosking got the best revenge, being named best-on-ground in the club's week one win over her former side, Richmond.
Total votes: 24
Isabelle Pritchard – 10
Rylie Wilcox – 5
Deanna Berry – 3
Jess Fitzgerald – 3
Ellie Blackburn – 1
Alice Edmonds – 1
Analea McKee – 1
For the first time since 2019, Ellie Blackburn failed to top the Western Bulldogs' best and fairest tally, due to a season-ending foot injury suffered in week three. But it was bullocking midfielder Isabelle Pritchard who stood up, claiming two best-on-ground performances, and polling across four different games. Neat winger Rylie Wilcox also claimed a career-best return of five votes for her consistent season.
