THE VFLW Best and Fairest couldn’t be split as both Maddie Di Cosmo and Ashlee Thorneycroft take home the first-place trophy.
Friday’s awards night concluded the 2023 season, recognising the talent and skill shown by the VFLW side through their most successful season so far.
Finishing on 114 votes each, Di Cosmo and Thorneycroft polled in every game they played during the home and away season, ultimately leading to their success.
Di Cosmo finished third in last year’s count and Thorneycroft was awarded ‘Bagger of the Year’, so undoubtedly the pair have continued to work hard to take the honours.
After missing Round 12, Di Cosmo made a late charge to catch up to Thornycroft. In Round 14, Di Cosmo’s stats show us why she deserves a spot on the winner’s list. It wasn’t until the final round that she polled 16 votes to tie things up, collecting a massive 30 disposals, 11 kicks, and 19 handballs.
In her debut season with the Blues, Gen Lawson-Tavan has narrowly clinched the second spot in the Best and Fairest awards, finishing with 83 votes, followed by last year’s winner Amelia Klingbeil, who had a final tally of 77 votes.
Other awards given on the night saw Libby Hosking awarded with the Coaches Award, Amy Malander with ‘Bagger of the Year, and Isabelle Khoury who took out the Rising Star Award after a breakthrough first season with the Blues.
Head of AFLW Ash Naulty said is important to recognise and reward the players individual efforts work both on-and-off the field.
“All the award recipients have continually showcased their incredible on-field skills, as demonstrated by the successful season,” Naulty said.
“The awards are a great way to not only acknowledge players on their season, but also to drive and motivate others to continually strive for high performance and improvement.
“The season ending in a one-point loss is a testament to the continual fight and drive of our players to always play contested football right to the siren.
“The Club is proud of everyone involved in the VFLW program. We will continue to develop and support our players to give them the best chance at growth and success.”
2023 Best and Fairest awards:
Rising Star: Isabelle Khoury
Coaches Award: Libby Hosking
Bagger of the Year: Amy Malander
VFLW Best and Fairest: Maddie Di Cosmo, Ashlee Thorneycroft
VFLW Runner-Up Best and Fairest: Gen Lawson-Tavan
VFLW Third Best and Fairest: Amelia Klingbeil
