AS the AFL Women’s season starts to wind down, clubs are starting to award their club best and fairest awards, recognising the stars of the season.

In this new series from Rookie Me Central, we take a look at the seasons of these club champions and what led them to have such stellar seasons.  

Next up in the series, we take a look at the season of the first year Hawk Eliza West.

The Hawthorn vice-captain made the most of her first crack in the brown and gold this season to sure up the Best and Fairest honours in what was a solid season for the club.

In her fourth season in the AFLW, West has further announced herself as one of the best midfielders with her maiden club award.

She played every game possible for the Hawks, resulting in her first All-Australian squad nomination this season.

She took the award after polling 68 votes, eight votes ahead of her skipper Emily Bates, with youngster Jasmine Fleming coming in third. Former captain Tilly Lucas-Rodd and defender Jenna Richardson rounded out the top five.

Her impressive debut season as a Hawk was typified early with the appointment of vice-captain after pre-season training. Her leadership within the group and her capabilities off-the-field were a feature of her season, while also performing to a career-best standard on field.

In 2024, she led the team in a number of statistics such as average disposals (21.9), contested possessions (14), ground ball gets (9.8), tackles (7.8) and clearances (5.6). Her statistics throughout the year have showcased her value to her side, being able to be a key part of their contested and physical style of game.

With Hawthorn impressing in 2024, West and her other midfielders will be an important part of getting so more improvement out of their squad to see them edge closer to a maiden flag.