THERE is a new leader in the VFLW Coaches Player of the Year award after Geelong star Paige Sheppard moved to the top of the leaderboard with a perfect game in the Cats’ 51-point thrashing of Port Melbourne at Deakin University on Saturday.
Sheppard earned the full 10 votes from coaches Andrew Bruce and Sean Buncle for her 26-disposals, 12 tackles, six clearances and eight inside-50s as the Cats maintained their undefeated record in style, taking her to 18 and a three-vote lead over reigning Lambert-Pearce medallist Georgia Nanscawen, who polled one vote against Carlton to move into outright second spot on 15.
Three other players also picked up the full 10 votes from the coaches in their team’s victories.
Collingwood’s Caitlin Bunker was judged best-on-ground for her 23 disposals, nine tackles and 10 clearances against Williamstown at Victoria Park, taking her to a share of third spot on 14 votes.
Megan Fitzsimon (19 disposals, five clearances, one goal) polled her first 10 votes in Casey Demons’ 20-point win over North Melbourne at Casey Fields and Essendon’s Federica Frew was recognised after kicking six goals in the Bombers’ 52-point thrashing of Carlton.
Bomber Amelia Radford (25 disposals, five marks), Cat Melissa Bragg (four goals, five marks), Southern Saint Leah Cutting (25 disposals, 24 hitouts) and Hawthorn’s Aimee Whelan (26 disposals, six clearances) all polled eight votes in their teams’ big wins, while Whelan’s fellow Hawk Kristy Stratton (three goals) picked up seven votes.
Similar to the AFL Coaches Association Player of the Year, the VFLW award is voted on by the coaches of each club after every game in both competitions.
The coaches are awarding 5-4-3-2-1 to their best players in the game from either team, with those votes collated and revealed each week on vfl.com.au.
Another 21 players polled their first votes in Round 3, making it 108 to have polled votes across the first three rounds.
Twitter: @BRhodesVFL
ROUND 3 VOTES
Darebin v Hawthorn
8 Aimee Whelan (Haw) 8
7 Kristy Stratton (Haw) 7
5 Jessie Williams (Haw) 5
4 Kristen Hay (Haw) 4
2 Nic Garner (Haw) 2
2 Gena Lawson-Tavan (Dar) 5
2 Lauren Szigeti (Haw) 8
Geelong v Port Melbourne
10 Paige Shepherd (Gee) 18
8 Melissa Bragg (Gee) 8
6 Chloe Leonard (Gee) 6
3 Sophie Locke (PM) 5
2 Nayley Borg (PM) 2
1 Renee Caris (Gee) 1
Casey Demons v North Melbourne
10 Megan Fitzsimon (Cas) 10
4 Daisy Bateman (NM) 4
4 Jennifer Guy (NM) 7
4 Alexia Hamilton (NM) 4
3 Brenna Tarrant (Cas) 3
3 Tahlia Fellows (Cas) 13
1 Melanie Hogg (Cas) 1
1 Annabel Scott (NM) 5
Western Bulldogs v Southern Saints
8 Leah Cutting (SS) 8
5 Isabella Shannon (SS) 5
4 Winnie Laing (SS) 13
4 Georgia McLean (SS) 4
3 Ebony Nixon (SS) 7
2 Gabriella De Angelis (SS) 5
2 Amanda Ling (WB) 3
1 Hannah Scott (WB) 1
1 Eliza Vale (WB) 3
Collingwood v Williamstown
10 Caitlin Bunker (Col) 14
6 Sharnie Whiting (Wil) 9
4 Imogen Barnett (Col) 4
3 Katie Lee (Col) 7
3 Matilda Zander (Col) 3
2 Erin Meade (Wil) 6
1 Ebony O’Dea (Col) 1
1 Eliza Straford (Wil) 2
Carlton v Essendon
10 Federica Frew (Ess) 10
8 Amelia Radford (Ess) 11
3 Eloise Ashley-Cooper (Ess) 6
3 Millie Klingbeil (Car) 4
2 Lily Goss (Car) 7
2 Jordan Zanchetta (Ess) 9
1 Imogen Milford (Car) 1
1 Georgia Nanscawen (Ess) 15
LEADERBOARD
18 Paige Shepherd (Gee)
15 Georgia Nanscawen (Ess)
14 Grace Buchan (SS)
14 Caitlin Bunker (Col)
13 Tahlia Fellows (Cas)
13 Winnie Laing (SS)
11 Tegan Cunningham (Haw)
11 Amelia Radford (Ess)
10 Olivia Barber (Gee)
10 Megan Fitzsimon (Cas)
10 Sabrina Frederick (Col)
10 Federica Frew (Ess)
10 Angelica Gogos (Dar)
10 Bridie Kennedy (Wil)
In a first for the rebel VFLW, all matches in 2022 will be live streamed free. One VFLW feature match per week can be watched live via afl.com.au and the AFL Live Official App. All remaining games will be streamed live and available on demand via the VFL/W YouTube channel (youtube.com/AFLVictoria).
To access live scores, results, ladder, stats and to link to live streams/replays, download the VFL/W Official App from the Apple or Google Play app stores.
