Eliza proves a dab hand at footy
Eliza Hand from the Tamworth Swans won the 2022 AFL North West Best & Fairest award. Photo: Brad Greenshields
CONSIDERING it was her first year of playing footy, Eliza Hand had a debut season to remember.
The Tamworth Swans ruck claimed the Women’s Best & Fairest award having polled 21 votes from the umpires in just nine matches.
The 22 year-old didn’t play in any of the last five home and away matches of the season courtesy of a broken arm.
At the time she was injured, Hand held a seven vote lead over two-time winner Gabby Mooney from Inverell.
Gunnedah’s Alice Mitchell was in third place after 10 rounds having been named as the best player on the ground in all three matches she played prior to moving to Sydney to be one of the inaugural squad members of the Sydney Swans AFLW team.
Just two rounds later Mooney had polled another four votes to close the gap on Hand to just three votes but the Saints played just one match in the final three rounds which diminished the midfielder’s chances of grabbing a third award in the space of four years.
Young gun Lauren Appleby who played for Moree and the Tamworth Kangaroos in 2022 claimed three votes over the course of the final five rounds to take her tally for the year to 11 votes to not just finish the count in third position but also win the Rising Star award.
FINAL LEADER BOARD
21 – Eliza Hand (Tamworth Swans)
18 – Gabby Mooney (Inverell)
11 – Lauren Appleby (Moree/New England/Tamworth Kangaroos)
10 – Rani Grant (Gunnedah)
9 – Alice Mitchell (Gunnedah)
8 – Khobi Devine (Gunnedah)
7 – Katrina Rekunow (Gunnedah)
7 – Carissa Baldwin (Inverell)
7 – Kaitlyn Read (New England Nomads)
6 – Molly Martin (New England Nomads)
6 – Ruby Spark (Tamworth Kangaroos)
OTHER 2022 AWARD WINNERS
Leading goal kicker: Gyarn Waugh – 35 goals (Gunnedah)
Rising Star: Lauren Appleby (Moree/New England/Tamworth Kangaroos)
Coaches Award: Molly Martin (New England Nomads)
PREVIOUS BEST & FAIREST WINNERS
2017 – Eleanore Ford (Inverell Saints)
2018 – Katherine Penberthy (Inverell Saints) and Lisa Raymond (New England Nomads)
2019 – Gabby Mooney (Inverell Saints)
2020 – Billie Mitchell (Tamworth Swans)
2021 – Gabby Mooney (Inverell Saints)
