Keon Park young gun Nikita Magriplis was the joint winner of the 2013 Darebin Sports Participant of the Year.
Nikita, who plays in Keon Park’s under-19 youth girls team, tied for the award with Darebin Falcons footballer Daisy Pearce.
The award is a way for Darebin City Council to formally recognise and acknowledge its community sports people who continually demonstrate integrity, respect, fairness, leadership and success in sport.
Nikita has long been a standout for Keon Park, and 2013 proved to be no exception.
She claimed the Keon Park under-19 girls best and fairest and led the team to the finals after kicking 47 goals during the season.
She was also a valuable member of the NFL’s Youth Girls representative team that competed at the 2013 AFL Victoria Metropolitan Junior Championships, where she was named in the best in all three of the team’s matches.
It was a superb honour for Nikita to win the Darebin City Council award alongside Daisy Pearce, who was this year selected as the No.1 draft choice in the inaugural AFL women’s draft.
Pearce was selected by Melbourne for the exhibition match that took place between the Demons and Western Bulldogs at the MCG in June – the first time AFL clubs have competed in an AFL sanctioned women’s match.
The girls were presented the award at the City of Darebin’s annual Presidents Breakfast at Preston City Oval last Friday.
The NFL congratulates Nikita and Daisy on their efforts.
