Hawthorn AFLW captain Tilly Lucas-Rodd has won the club’s inaugural AFLW best and fairest award, capping off a remarkable debut season in the brown and gold.
The tenacious midfielder played all 10 games for the Hawks this season and polled in every outing.
The 26-year-old finished the season with strong averages of 17.6 disposals, 8.4 tackles and 4.2 clearances, impressing with her leadership and football smarts.
Lucas-Rodd also finished fourth in the league for tackles, laying 84 for the season.
In a thrilling count from start to finish, Lucas-Rodd (83) polled nine votes ahead of runner-up Aileen Gilroy (74) and third-placed Jasmine Fleming (71).
Backing up her Gold Standards Award, star utility Gilroy added another prize to her cabinet, finishing second in her debut Hawthorn best and fairest count.
The 29-year-old enjoyed successful stints across all three lines in the brown and gold this season, averaging 12.3 disposals, 5.3 tackles and 2.5 clearances.
Gilroy also ranked in the league’s top 20 for inside 50s, with an average of 3.5.
Like Gilroy, Fleming also added two awards to her cabinet, capping off her Hawks Rising Star win with a third-place finish in her first AFLW best and fairest count.
The 18-year-old immediately established herself as one of the competition’s elite young midfielders with her bursts from stoppages, pinpoint kicking and poise with ball in hand.
Despite missing Hawthorn’s Round 10 clash with Fremantle, Fleming still finished on the podium in her first season in brown and gold.
She finished the season with averages of 14.4 disposals, 4.3 tackles and 3.2 clearances.
The midfielder was also named in the AFL Players’ Association 22under22 44-player squad and was nominated for the NAB AFLW Rising Star award following Hawthorn’s inaugural AFLW win over Sydney in Round 5.
Rounding out the top five vote-getters was exciting winger Kaitlyn Ashmore (56) and emerging ruck Lucy Wales (55).
Of Hawthorn’s top 10 vote-getters, four players are aged 22 and under, highlighting the bright future ahead of the Hawks’ AFLW team.
Joining Gilroy (Gold Standards Award) and Fleming (Rising Star) in winning club awards were Tahlia Fellows (Most Improved), Tamara Smith (Most Courageous), Tamara Luke (AFLW Club Person of the Year), Akec Makur Chuot (Goal of the Year) and Ainslie Kemp (Mark of the Year).
2022 Hawthorn AFLW best and fairest Top 10
1. Tilly Lucas-Rodd (83)
2. Aileen Gilroy (740
3. Jasmine Fleming (71)
4. Kaitlyn Ashmore (56)
5. Lucy Wales (55)
6. Tamara Smith (47)
7. Charlotte Baskaran (46)
8. Akec Makur Chuot (38)
9. Catherine Brown (32)
10. Jess Duffin (31)
10. Tahlia Fellows (31)
2022 Hawthorn AFLW best and fairest club award winners
Rising Star: Jasmine Fleming
Most Improved: Tahlia Fellows
Most Courageous: Tamara Smith
AFLW Club Person of the Year: Tamara Luke
Gold Standards Award: Aileen Gilroy
Goal of the Year: Akec Makur Chuot
Mark of the Year: Ainslie Kemp
Votes for the 2022 Hawthorn AFLW best and fairest were awarded by three groups after each home-and-away match; Senior Coach Bec Goddard, one card between Strategy & Opposition Coach Keegan Brooksby and Game Development & Line Support Coach Cherie O’Neill and one card between Line Coaches David Mackay, Lou Wotton and Brady Grey.
A maximum of 12 votes can be accumulated by a player after the four voting cards are submitted using the following grading system: three votes to the best player/s, two votes for a significant influence on the game, one vote to player/s who played their role or beat their opponent. On rare occasions a player/s may receive four votes for an exceptional game.
