GLENELG ball magnet Jessica Bates has been crowned the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) Women’s League Best and Fairest for 2022. The consistent midfielder averaged 25.3 disposals, 3,0 marks, 10.6 tackles, 5.3 clearances, 3.8 inside 50s and 3.0 rebound 50s per game to lead the league in kicks, disposals, tackles and clearances.
The brilliant Bays star was also named in Team of the Year and polled a massive 86 votes to win the Coaches Award as well in what was a successful year. Bates finished ahead of Central District’s Shelby Smith and North Adelaide’s Jessica Edwards, who went toe-for-toe in the final four rounds.
All three could have won heading into the last round, with Bates on 21 votes, Edwards on 19 and Smith on 18. After Smith polled two votes to fall short, Edwards did not poll against the Bays and Bates had the one vote to settle on 22 overall, two clear of Smith and three clear of Edwards.
It was a feat of going one-better for Bates who finished equal-runner up last year behind West Adelaide’s Lauren Young. For Smith however, it was another case of so close, yet so far, finishing second in back-to-back seasons.
Edwards’ North Adelaide teammate Hannah Ewings (14 votes) and South Adelaide’s Nicole Campbell (13) rounded out the top five, with a trio of Sturt players in Alisha Gepp, Isobel Kuiper and Georgia Bevan not far behind.
Earlier in the night, Woodville-West Torrens young gun Shineah Goody won the Breakthrough Player of the Year Award to add to her trophy cabinet of AFLW Under 18s MVP and All-Australian. Norwood had a couple of award winners with Alana Lishmund slotting 18 goals to take out the Leading Goalkicker award, while captain Alison Ferrall earned the Leadership Award.
The 2022 SANFLW Team of the Year was also announced with Bays’ skipper Ellie Kellock named captain and West Adelaide leader Madison Russell the vice-captain. The full SANFLW Team of the Year and all the award winners are below.
SANFLW BEST AND FAIREST FINAL LEADERBOARD:
1 – Jessica Bates (Glenelg) 22 votes
2 – Shelby Smith (Central District) 20 votes
3 – Jess Edwards (North Adelaide) 19 votes
4 – Hannah Ewings (North Adelaide) 14 votes
5 – Nicole Campbell (South Adelaide) 13 votes
AWARD WINNERS:
Breakthrough Player – Shineah Goody (WWT Eagles)
Leading Goalkicker – Alana Lishmund (Norwood)
Coaches Award – Jess Bates (Glenelg)
Leadership Award – Alison Ferrall (Norwood)
2022 SANFLW TEAM OF THE YEAR:
B: Kiera Mueller (Sturt) – Madi Russell (West Adelaide) (vc)
HB: Sarah Goodwin (Glenelg) – Amelie Borg (North Adelaide) – Ellie Kellock (Glenelg) (c)
C: Shineah Goody (WWT Eagles) – Jess Bates (Glenelg) – Nicole Campbell (South Adelaide)
HF: Jess Waterhouse (South Adelaide) – McKenzie Dowrick (WWT Eagles) – Georgia Bevan (Sturt)
F: Hannah Ewings (NA) – Alana Lishmund (NW)
R: Isabelle Starmer (Central District) – Jess Edwards (North Adelaide) – Shelby Smith (Central District)
INT: Isabel Kuiper (Sturt) – Katelyn Pope (North Adelaide) – Jade Halfpenny (Norwood) – Sachi Syme (Norwood) – Keeley Kustermann (West Adelaide)
Coach: Michael O’Connor (Sturt)
2024 AFLW Draft: Club-by-Club reviews
ANOTHER AFL Women’s Draft is in the books and over the past week, we have reviewed each of the 18 clubs to give an idea for fans into what to expect for next year. In this final article, we recap those articles, along with our overall draft recap, to close another chapter prior to focusing […]
2024 AFLW Draft review: West Coast
WEST Coast capitalised on a truly National AFLW Draft by picking up four players outside of Western Australia. Two Victorians and two South Australians made their way to the blue and gold, with strength and pressure key elements for the Eagles at this year’s AFLW Draft. >> EVERY PICK: National Draft | Recap DRAFT HAUL […]
2024 AFLW Draft review: Sydney
WITH a large gap between its first and second selections, Sydney opted for a trio of familiar faces with its last three picks after grabbing one of the fastest players in the AFLW Draft at Pick 5. >> EVERY PICK: National Draft | Recap DRAFT HAUL National Draft: 5. Zippy Fish55. Amelia Martin58. Caitlin Reid59. […]
2024 AFLW Draft review: St Kilda
AFTER trading out its first round selection on AFLW Trade Deadline Day, St Kilda headed into the AFLW Draft with the three selections, and just one inside the Top 50. They secured an athletic tall out of the Dandenong Stingrays, as well as an ultimate utility, and and ex-Gold Coast Suns top 20 pick. >> […]
2024 AFLW Draft review: Richmond
BEEFING up its power and inside midfield, Richmond added some serious talent to its young brigade with two first round picks, before drafting the player it failed to secure during the AFLW Trade Period, with the selection it likely offered up to begin with anyway. >> EVERY PICK: National Draft | Recap DRAFT HAUL National […]
2024 AFLW Draft review: Port Adelaide
IT WAS another active AFLW Draft for Port Adelaide, with the South Australian side adding five top-age players across four states to its list. By doing so, the Power filled a variety of positional needs and look to continue their rise up the ladder in 2025. >> EVERY PICK: National Draft | Recap DRAFT HAUL […]
2024 AFLW Draft review: North Melbourne
NORTH Melbourne traded out of the first round in the 2024 AFL Women’s Draft but somehow still grabbed a top talent with Pick 36, before turning its attention to an Irishwoman to add to the Roos’ strong Gaelic flavour at the club. >> EVERY PICK: National Draft | Recap DRAFT HAUL National Draft: 36. Claire […]
Howley hopping up the seaboard to chase dream
LIKE dozens of her peers, this week saw the realisation of a dream for young star Sara Howley, who was drafted to the GWS Giants in Monday night’s AFL Women’s Draft. But, the realisation of that dream has meant having another kind of realisation – a big move away from home. But, the Geelong Falcon […]
2024 AFLW Draft review: Melbourne
AN EXPLOSIVE and versatile top-end tall along with a competitive small highlighted Melbourne’s early AFLW Draft selections, followed by taking a punt on an indoor hockey player with the last pick in the draft. >> EVERY PICK: National Draft | Recap DRAFT HAUL National Draft: 3. Molly O’Hehir21. Maggie Mahony60. Amelia Dethridge Coming into the […]
