The inaugural Shadforth Financial Group AFLCA AFLW Champion Player of the Year Award will be shared, with the Western Bulldogs’ Emma Kearney and Adelaide’s Chelsea Randall finishing atop the leaderboard after Round 7.
Sitting in third place heading into the final weekend of regular matches, Kearney was six votes behind leader Chelsea Randall but received maximum votes for her 20 disposals — 18 of which were contested — eight clearances and a goal as the Bulldogs surged into the AFLW Grand Final.
Randall recorded 14 disposals in the first half of the Crows’ do-or-die clash against Collingwood but spent the majority of the second half on the bench due to a head knock. She still did enough to warrant four votes in the eyes of the coaches, which tied the votes with Kearney.
Kearney collected the most disposals of any player during the AFLW home and away season, averaging more than 19 disposals, five tackles and five clearances in 2018, while Randall averaged 16 disposals, five tackles and continually set-up play from the Adelaide defence.
Fremantle’s Dana Hooker could stake a claim as the in-form player in the competition in the last two weeks of the season, receiving nine and 10 votes in Rounds 6 and 7 respectively to finish inside the top five of the final voting.
LEADERBOARD
42 — CHELSEA RANDALL (ADEL)
42 — EMMA KEARNEY (WB)
35 — ELLIE BLACKBURN (WB)
34 — KATE LUTKINS (BL)
32 — DANA HOOKER (FREM)
31 — DAISY PEARCE (MELB)
30 — COURTNEY GUM (GWS)
26 — KARA DONNELLAN (FREM)
26 — ELISE O’DEA (MELB)
24 — EBONY ANTONIO (FREM)
AFL Coaches’ Association votes for Round 7:
gws giants v brisbane lions
10 Frederick-Traub (BL), 4 Anderson (BL), 4 Exon (BL), 4 Lutkins (BL), 3 Randall (BL), 2 Wuetschner (BL), 2 Zielke (BL), Eva (GWS)
FREMANTLE V carlton
10 Hooker (Frem), 8 Harris (Carl), 4 Antonio (Frem), 4 Donnellan (Frem), 3 Mascall (Frem), 1 Hosking (Carl)
western bulldogs v melbourne
10 Keanrey (WB), 8 Paxman (Melb), 5 Bruton (WB), 4 Spark (WB), 3 Pearce (Melb)
COLLINGWOOD V adelaide
10 Lambert (Coll), 5 Garner (Coll), 5 Phillips (Adel), 4 Duffin (Coll), 4 Randall (Adel), 2 Hope (Coll)
AFL Coaches’ Association votes for Round 6:
adelaide v fremantle
9 Hooker (Frem), 6 Phillips (Adel), 4 Foley (Adel), 3 Antonio (Frem), 3 Donnellan (Frem), 3 Randall (Adel), 2 Janz (Adel)
brisbane v collingwood
10 Bernardi (Coll), 6 Barden (Coll), 6 Garner (Coll), 3 Edwards (Coll), 3 Molloy (Coll), 1 Bates (BL), 1 Lutkins (BL)
gws giants v western bulldogs
10 Gum (GWS), 5 Blackburn (WB), 4 Eva (GWS), 4 Kearney (WB), 3 Dal Pos (GWS), 3 Staunton (GWS), 1 McKinnon (GWS)
carlton v melbourne
10 O’Dea (Melb), 7 Pearce (Melb), 6 Scott (Melb), 5 Cunningham (Melb), 2 Hore (Melb)