THE Best and Fairest is by far one of the most coveted awards in the Victorian Football League (VFL) Women’s. They say that personal awards should not matter in a team sport, but credit is due to the fantastic individuals who can lead their teams to finals or just show unmatched skill on the field. In the Round 11 edition of Number Crunching, we will try to predict the 2018 VFL Women’s Best and Fairest winner. This was done by tallying the amount of times a player was named either the first or second best by their coaches in each match.
Leading the table is Darebin player, Nat Exon. Exon has made it into the top two six times out of the seven games she has played in. The midfielder has shown to be strong for Darebin, with an average of five tackles per game. Exon’s ability to command her midfield has led to four wins out of the seven games she has played.
Second to Exon is AFLW Best and Fairest winner, Emma Kearney. Despite only have played five games this season, Kearney’s style of play has proven her to be just as great as a player in the VFLW as she in the AFLW. With an average of 23 disposals per game, her ability to move the ball around does not go unnoticed. The Melbourne Uni star continues to make a statement on the field, with the drive to win Best and Fairest twice this year.
The third most likely to win the VFLW Best and Fairest is Collingwood’s Jaimee Lambert. With six goals already this season, Lambert is Collingwood’s second highest goal kicker. The midfielder’s skill doesn’t stop there with an average of five tackles per game. Lambert’s attacking style of play has proven to be very successful for Collingwood with six wins out of the eight games she has played for the Pies. Lambert is a quieter personality, but with Collingwood’s great season so far, she shouldn’t be overlooked for the Best and Fairest.
With the season only just over half completed, there is still plenty of chances for the list to change. In saying that, these players have shown great individual merit and therefore deserve to be acknowledged for that.
Top Prospects for VFLW Best and Fairest
|
Player |
Team |
Number of times in top two club bests |
|
Nat Exon |
Darebin Falcons |
6 |
|
Emma Kearney |
Melbourne Uni |
5 |
|
Jaimee Lambert |
Collingwood |
4 |
|
Lauren Pearce |
Darebin Falcons |
3 |
|
Sarah D’Arcy |
Collingwood |
3 |
|
Jessica Duffin |
Williamstown |
3 |
|
Richelle Cranston |
Geelong |
3 |
|
Katherine Smith |
Casey Demons |
3 |
|
Maighan Fogas |
Geelong |
3 |
|
Kristi Harvey |
Carlton |
3 |
|
Courtney Ugle |
Essendon |
3 |
|
Kate Gillespie-Jones |
Carlton |
3 |
|
Jasmyn Hewett |
NT Thunder |
3 |
|
Naomi Ferres |
Western Bulldogs |
3 |
|
Kayla Ripari |
Southern Saints |
3 |
|
Maddy Collier |
Essendon |
3 |
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