All the results from the 2021 Mirvac Women’s Football Awards.
Shae Audley claimed the Mirvac Division 1 Women’s best and fairest and Coaches MVP double – emulating the feats of North Melbourne AFLW player Sarah Wright, who also won both awards in 2018 while playing for Keilor.
After playing 16 AFLW games for Carlton, Audley was dominant in her to return to Diamond Creek Women’s this season. Her standout efforts steered the Creekers to an undefeated season to claim the minor premiership by three games from their nearest rivals.
Audley polled 18 votes to win the best and fairest by three votes from Eltham’s Claudia Williver. Lower Plenty captain Molly McCormack was third on 14 votes.
Audley made history by becoming the first Diamond Creek Women’s player to win a best and fairest in the NFNL senior women’s football competition.
However, it was not the first time she has claimed a best and fairest award in the NFNL, after winning netball best and fairest awards in 2012 and 2014 while playing for Hurstbridge.
Audley also took out the Coaches MVP Award, polling 57 votes to win from Greensborough’s Lauren Collis, who finished runner-up after winning the award in Division 3 in 2019.
Audley polled coaches votes in all but one game, to just edge out a fast-finishing Collis – who polled more votes than any other player in the final four rounds. Heidelberg’s Mia Tascone and Eltham’s Claudia Williver tied for third place on 45 votes.
Wallan young star Maree Stephenson produced a remarkable triumph to claim the Mirvac Division 2 Women’s best and fairest.
Stephenson was just 16 throughout the home and away season, having previously represented the NFNL at under-15 and under-14 level during the 2019 and 2018 seasons.
Despite her side finishing the season at the bottom of the ladder, Stephenson produced an outstanding individual campaign – receiving umpire votes in eight of the ten matches she played.
The Calder Cannons-listed midfielder is certainly one to keep an eye on in the future and represented the Cannons in five matches during the 2021 NAB League Girls season.
Stephenson polled 18 votes to finish two ahead of 2019 Division 3 best and fairest Belinda Harris of Hurstbridge. St Mary’s midfielder Elyssa Rees was third on 13 votes.
While Rees narrowly missed out on the best and fairest, she was crowned the Coaches MVP award ahead of teammate Brigid McEntee and Darebin’s Jessica Marks.
Rees was incredibly consistent throughout the 2021 season, polling votes from the coaches in nine of the 10 matches she played. She polled nine votes or more on five occasions.
Mernda captain Natalie Todaro capped an outstanding season to win both the Mirvac Division 3 Women’s best and fairest and Coaches MVP.
The star midfielder claimed the best and fairest with 16 votes, finishing four ahead of the Fitzroy Stars’ Valiecia Kelly-Briggs. Banyule goal kicker Rebekah Di Paola finished third on 11 votes.
Todaro featured in the umpires’ votes in seven matches during the home and away season, which included polling the maximum three votes in three separate games.
She was a comfortable winner of the Coaches MVP, polling 61 votes after featuring in the voting in nine of 11 matches. Laurimar’s Kiera Hunter was runner-up with 49 votes, while Valiecia Kelly-Briggs was third on 41 votes.
Diamond Creek Women’s forward Linda Thorp scored the Mirvac Division 1 Women’s leading goal kicker award after finishing the season with 33 majors.
Hurstbridge’s Rebecca Harris claimed the award in Mirvac Division 2 Women’s with 16 goals, while Banyule’s Rebekah Di Paola was the leading goal kicker in Mirvac Division 3 Women’s after booting 31 majors.
Below is the full list of award winners from the 2021 Women’s Football Awards.
BEST AND FAIREST
Mirvac Division 1 Women’s
1st – Shae Audley (Diamond Creek Women’s) – 18 votes
2nd – Claudia Williver (Eltham) – 15 votes
3rd – Molly McCormack (Lower Plenty) – 14 votes
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Mirvac Division 2 Women’s
1st – Maree Stephenson (Wallan) – 18 votes
2nd – Belinda Harris (Hurstbridge) – 16 votes
3rd – Elyssa Rees (St Mary’s) – 13 votes
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Mirvac Division 3 Women’s
1st – Natalie Todaro (Mernda) – 16 votes
2nd – Valiecia Kelly-Briggs (Fitzroy Stars) – 12 votes
3rd – Rebekah Di Paola (Banyule) – 11 votes
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COACHES MVP
Mirvac Division 1 Women’s
1st – Shae Audley (Diamond Creek Women’s) – 57 votes
2nd – Lauren Collis (Greensborough) – 51 votes
3rd – Mia Tascone (Heidelberg) and Claudia Williver (Eltham) – 45 votes
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Mirvac Division 2 Women’s
1st – Elyssa Rees (St Mary’s) – 57 votes
2nd – Brigid McEntee (St Mary’s) – 50 votes
3rd – Jessica Marks (Darebin) – 40 votes
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Mirvac Division 3 Women’s
1st – Natalie Todaro (Mernda) – 61 votes
2nd – Kiera Hunter (Laurimar) – 49 votes
3rd – Valiecia Kelly-Briggs (Fitzroy Stars) – 41 votes
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LEADING GOAL KICKER
Mirvac Division 1 Women’s
Linda Thorp (Diamond Creek Women’s) – 33 goals
Mirvac Division 2 Women’s
Rebecca Hayes (Hurstbridge) – 16 goals
Mirvac Division 3 Women’s
Rebekah Di Paola (Banyule) – 31 goals
