RUCK Matilda Scholz has capped a break-out second season in the NAB AFLW competition by winning Port Adelaide’s Best and Fairest Medal.
Scholz finished six votes clear of 2023 medallist Abbey Dowrick in the count at SkyCity Adelaide, with forward Ashleigh Woodland finishing in third place, six votes further adrift.
In a remarkable sign of the exciting future of the club, first-year players Shineah Goody (fourth-placed), Piper Window (eighth) and Molly Brooksby (tenth) each finished inside the top ten vote getters.
Winning the club Best and Fairest caps a huge couple of weeks for Scholz. The 19-year-old was last month named the AFLW’s Telstra Rising Star and won the 2024 Virgin Mark of the Year.
Already highly rated after her debut season, the teenager became one of the more damaging rucks in the competition in 2024, averaging 22 hit-outs to go with 13.4 disposals and 4.6 clearances per game.
Her ability to follow up her ruck work separated her from other talls, ranking inside the top ten in the AFLW for both hit-outs and centre clearances.
In 2023, Scholz came in third in the club’s best and fairest count and finished fourth in the league Rising Star voting.
“It’s been such a fun season. I’ve enjoyed every second of it with these girls in this room. I’ve just loved it,” said Scholz in her acceptance speech.
“The coaching group and the staff, you are amazing. You support us day in, day out, and I just love you for that so thank you for that.
“To the girls, you’re the reason I love coming to the club every day. I’m so sad we’re not there together every day but I’m looking forward to the off-season, and pre-season and hopefully we do bigger and better things next year.”
Midfielder Goody was named Best First Year Player, as voted by senior coach Lauren Arnell and her coaching panel, as well as head of AFLW Shane Grimm, adding the award to the AFL Players’ Association award in the same name that she won last month.
After her fifth placed finish in the Best and Fairest voting, defender Amelie Borg capped her best season yet by taking home the Coaches’ Award for the most improved player and the Players’ Player award as voted by her peers. Last month she was included for the first time in the All-Australian squad of 42.
AFLW award winners
Best and Fairest
Matilda Scholz
Best and Fairest – Runner-Up
Abbey Dowrick
Best and Fairest – Third Place
Ashleigh Woodland
Best First Year Player
Shineah Goody
Coaches’ Award (most improved)
Amelie Borg
Players’ Player
Amelie Borg
Best and Fairest top 10
Matilda Scholz – 121
Abbey Dowrick – 115
Ashleigh Woodland – 109
Shineah Goody – 108
Amelie Borg – 103
Ebony O’Dea – 98
Maria Moloney – 96
Piper Window – 91
Gemma Houghton – 90
Molly Brooksby – 89
Teagan Germech - 89
