The AFL Women's best and fairest is awarded to the best and fairest player in the AFL Women's (AFLW) during the home-and-away season, as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game. It is the most prestigious award for individual players in the AFL Women's. It is also widely acknowledged as the highest individual honour in women's Australian rules football.
The award has been awarded every year since 2017. Erin Phillips of the Adelaide Football Club was the inaugural winner of the award. [1]
The voting system for the award has remained the same since its inception in 2017, and is the same as that which has been used for the Australian Football League (AFL)'s Brownlow Medal from 1931–1975 and 1978–present. In this system, the three field umpires confer after each home-and-away match and award three votes, two votes and one vote to the players they regard as the best, second-best and third-best in the match, respectively. [10]
Emily Bates is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Hawthorn Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She previously played for the Brisbane Lions from 2017 to season 7. Bates was selected by the Western Bulldogs in the inaugural national women's draft in 2013, and represented them in the first three years of the exhibition games staged prior to the creation of the league. She represented Brisbane in 2016, the last year that the games were held, and was drafted by the club with the second selection in the 2016 AFL Women's draft prior to the inaugural AFL Women's season.
Brianna Iris Davey is an Australian footballer in both the Association football (soccer) and Australian rules football codes. In soccer, she was a goalkeeper for the national women's team the Matildas and played in the W-League for Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City. In 2016, she transitioned from soccer to Australian rules football, and was one of two initial marquee recruits for the Carlton Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She won the inaugural Carlton best and fairest award and was named in the 2017 AFL Women's All-Australian team. Davey served as Carlton captain from 2018 to 2019 before being traded to the Collingwood Football Club. She was appointed Collingwood co-captain alongside Steph Chiocci in 2021, and won the league best and fairest award for the 2021 season.
AFL Women's (AFLW) is Australia's national semi-professional Australian rules football league for female players. The first season of the league in February and March 2017 had eight teams; the league expanded to 10 teams in the 2019 season, 14 teams in 2020 and 18 teams in 2022. The league is run by the Australian Football League (AFL) and is contested by each of the clubs from that competition. The reigning premiers are Brisbane.
Monique Conti is an Australian rules footballer and basketballer. Conti currently plays for the Richmond Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW), having previously played for the Western Bulldogs from 2018 to 2019, and plays for the Melbourne Boomers in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL), having also played for the Southside Flyers from 2020 to 2023.
Ellie Blackburn is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Western Bulldogs in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She served as Western Bulldogs co-captain in 2019, and has served as the sole captain since the 2020 season. Blackburn is the Western Bulldogs games record holder with 68 games.
Tayla Harris is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Melbourne Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW) and professional boxer. She previously played football for Carlton and Brisbane.
Jaimee Lambert is an Australian rules footballer playing for St Kilda in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She has previously played for Western Bulldogs and Collingwood
The 2017 AFL Women's season was the inaugural season of the AFL Women's competition, the new highest-level senior Australian rules football competition in Australia. The season featured eight clubs, ran from 3 February until 25 March, and comprised a 7-game home-and-away season followed by a grand final featuring the top two clubs.
Ebony Marinoff is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Adelaide Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). Marinoff is a three-time AFL Women's premiership player, six-time AFL Women's All-Australian and dual Adelaide Club Champion winner. In 2017, she won the inaugural AFL Women's Rising Star award, played in a premiership with Darebin in the VFL Women's (VFLW) and represented The Allies in the inaugural AFL Women's State of Origin match. Marinoff is the AFL Women's equal games record holder and Adelaide games record holder with 79 games.
Emma Michelle Kearney is an Australian rules footballer and former cricketer. A decorated midfielder in the AFL Women's (AFLW) competition, Kearney won the league's best and fairest award while playing for the Western Bulldogs in 2018 and has captained North Melbourne since 2019. She previously played cricket for the Melbourne Stars in the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) and for Victoria in the Women's National Cricket League (WNCL).
Jessica Dal Pos is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Carlton Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She previously played for the Greater Western Sydney Giants from 2017 to 2021, having been one of their four priority selections prior to the 2016 AFL Women's draft.
Dana Hooker is an Australian rules footballer playing for the West Coast Eagles in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She previously played for the Fremantle Football Club from 2017 to 2019. Hooker is a dual AFL Women's All-Australian, and was the inaugural Fremantle fairest and best winner in 2017 and inaugural West Coast Club Champion in 2020.
Alexandra Anderson is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Brisbane Lions in the AFL Women's (AFLW). Anderson won the 2022 AFL Women's season 7 best and fairest award, and is a dual AFL Women's premiership player, dual AFL Women's All-Australian and three-time Brisbane best and fairest winner. She is the AFL Women's equal games record holder and Brisbane games record holder with 79 games.
The AFL Women's Rising Star award is presented annually to the best young player in the AFL Women's (AFLW) during the home-and-away season. The first award was awarded in 2017. The award has been sponsored by National Australia Bank (NAB) since 2017.
Chloe Molloy is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Sydney Swans in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She previously played for the Collingwood Football Club from 2018 to season 7. Molloy is a three-time AFL Women's All-Australian, and won the AFL Women's Rising Star and Collingwood best and fairest awards in 2018. She also led Collingwood's goalkicking in 2021 and season 6, and Sydney's goalkicking in 2023. Molloy has served as Sydney co-captain since the 2023 season.
The 2019 AFL Women's season was the third season of the AFL Women's competition, the highest-level senior Australian rules football competition in Australia.
Kiara Bowers is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Fremantle Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW).
Madison Prespakis is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Essendon Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She previously played for the Carlton Football Club from 2019 to season 6. A midfielder who won multiple accolades at junior level and played in the VFL Women's (VFLW) as a teenager, Prespakis won the 2019 AFL Women's Rising Star award in her debut season and the 2020 AFL Women's best and fairest award in her second season. She is a three-time AFL Women's All-Australian, three-time Carlton best and fairest winner and was the inaugural Essendon best and fairest winner in season 7, and is Essendon's equal games record holder with 21 games.
Georgia Patrikios is an Australian rules footballer playing for the St Kilda Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). Patrikios received a nomination for the 2020 AFL Women's Rising Star award in round 1 of the 2020 season, her debut match, and went on to be named the AFL Players Association (AFLPA) AFLW best first-year player that year. She won the inaugural two St Kilda best and fairest awards and was selected in the 2021 AFL Women's All-Australian team.
Georgie Prepasakis is an Australian rules footballer playing for Geelong Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW).