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.  

In the second article of the series, we take a look at the season of Giants’ stalwart Rebecca Beeson.

Much like Gold Coast Sun Charlie Rowbottom, Beeson has also come away from 2024 with a second club best and fairest award, winning her second Gabrielle Trainor Medal last week.

She finished on 41 votes, just head of Zarlie Goldsworthy, with Katherine Smith, Alyce Parker and Eilish O’Dowd rounding out the top five.

It was not the only award on the night for Beeson, who also won the Jacinda Barclay Fearless Award, which recognises a player that lives up to the team’s values and plays in aa selfless and fearless fashion.

It was another strong season from Beeson, who has really become an irreplaceable part of GWS’ midfield.

Although not one of the biggest names either at her club or of the season one stalwarts still in the competition, Beeson has really found her footing at the Giants and things just would not be the same for those in charcoal without her.

Beeson also had a new challenge this year, taking over the captaincy from fellow stalwart Alicia Eva, and the new responsibilities do not seem to have slowed her down.

It has also been a more consistent season for Beeson. Plagued by an ankle problem then concussion issues in the past few years, Beeson managed to get on the park more this season and did not miss a game for the first time since 2021.

This, combined with her average time on ground per match growing in 2024 compared to the rest of her AFLW career has seen her raise other crucial personal averages, including disposals per match, clearances per match, metres gained per match and tackles per match.

However, to really capitalise on this growth, the Giants need to reposition some things in their midfield.

Among the top four Giants players for many key stats, including disposals, clearances and metres gained is two full time mids (Parker and Beeson), a ruck (O’Dowd) and a midfielder/forward who needs to not have to play midfield because she is so needed in that forward line (Goldsworthy).

Ideally GWS need more top-level inside midfielders so that Goldsworthy can stay as a full-time forward, and so O’Dowd can play like a bonus midfielder, like Lauren Pearce does at Melbourne, instead of filling the role of a midfielder.