GRAND FINAL
DAVEY JOINS PIE GREATS
TOP HONOURS: Magpie co-captain Brianna Davey and Tiger youngster Ellie McKenzie (below) were recognised by their peers.
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ollingwood co-captain Brianna Davey joined an elite cohort of Magpies, winning the AFLW Players Most Valuable Player Award for her outstanding 2021 campaign. In a close result, the 26-year-old was voted the MVP by her peers with 319 votes, edging out Fremantle hard-nut Kiara Bowers (313) and the Western Bulldogs’ Ellie Blackburn (214). Davey became only the third Magpie to claim an MVP trophy, joining Collingwood champions Darren Millane (1990) and Dane Swan (2010). After starting her AFLW career as a defender with Carlton, Davey, a foundation player who earned the Best Captain Award in 2019 before crossing to the Magpies for the 2020 season, spent time as a midfielder with stints inside forward 50 in 2021. Davey led the competition in disposals, averaging 23.8 a game, and was in the top 10 for metres gained, contested possessions, clearances, marks, tackles, score involvements and inside 50s. Heart-and-soul Adelaide skipper Chelsea Randall won the Most Courageous Award – her fourth title in five years after winning three consecutive awards from 2017-19 – polling 117 votes ahead of the Western Bulldogs’ Kirsty Lamb (69). Bulldogs skipper Ellie Blackburn claimed the Best Captain Award with 86 votes, ahead of three-time winner Daisy Pearce (62). The players also crowned another newcomer, with Richmond’s Ellie McKenzie
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AFL RECORD
taking out the Best First-Year Player Award. McKenzie, pick No. 1 in last year’s draft, polled 137 votes, beating Bulldogs youngster Jess Fitzgerald (63). The 2021 W Awards will be held on Tuesday night, hosted by Fox Footy’s Sarah Jones and featuring Fox Footy’s Katherine Loughnan. The W Awards will recognise the AFLW Best and Fairest, NAB AFLW Rising Star, All-Australian Team, Four’N Twenty Mark of the Year and Rebel Goal of the Year. The live vote count will be broadcast from five locations around Australia – the SCG, the Gabba, Adelaide Oval, Crown Palladium and Optus Stadium.
WINNERS AND TOP POLLING PLAYERS MOST VALUABLE PLAYER 1. Brianna Davey (Coll) 2. Kiara Bowers (Frem) 3. Ellie Blackburn (WB) MOST COURAGEOUS 1. Chelsea Randall (Adel) 2. Kirsty Lamb (WB) 3. Nicola Stevens (Carl) BEST CAPTAIN 1. Ellie Blackburn (WB) 2. Daisy Pearce (Melb) 3. Brianna Davey (Coll) BEST FIRST-YEAR PLAYER 1. Ellie McKenzie (Rich) 2. Jess Fitzgerald (WB) 3. Courtney Hodder (BL)
319 313 214 117 69 27 86 62 44 137 63 56
womens.AFL
AFLW GF p24-25 Awards-Retirees.indd 24
16/4/21 12:31 pm
