The AFLW MVP Awards can’t go ahead as they normally would, but the AFL Players’ Association is pushing ahead and will still name winners on Monday.
The full list of nominees for the AFLPA MVP Award, best first year player, most courageous player and best captain have all been revealed (see below).
We’re guaranteed to have a first-time winner of the MVP award, with previous winners Erin Phillips and Courtney Gum not nominated.
North Melbourne champion midfielder Jasmine Garner took home the AFL Coaches Association award and is also the favourite for the league B&F, but doesn’t necessarily fit the definition of most valuable player.
Garner is part of a quartet of incredible Kangaroos midfielders and is therefore slightly less valuable to her team’s on-field success than someone like Kate Lutkins at Brisbane, Maddy Prespakis at Carlton or Karen Paxman at Melbourne.
Paxman winning the award would be warranted recognition for her as one of the competition’s most consistently performing stars across all four seasons.
The veteran midfielder led the league for clearances with 5.6 per game, while averaging 21.3 disposals per game and ranking fifth for metres gained.
This season might be the toughest to award a best first year player, but St Kilda midfielder Georgia Patrikios had an outstanding season and immediately put herself on the map as a star of the future.
Stepping into a young midfield, Patrikios quickly emerged as one of the Saints’ most important players and will only get better as she gains experience and fitness.
Adelaide skipper Chelsea Randall meanwhile has won all three previous most courageous awards, but given she missed the season with a torn ACL it will have to go to someone else.
Carlton captain Katie Loynes perfectly encapsulates courage, going in hard at every stoppage and playing through huge hits – including Round 2 against Collingwood where she copped a huge knock to her knee early in the game and limped on.
Judging the best captain is close to impossible from the outside. Daisy Pearce, a two-time winner of the award, returned to the Demons this year while Brianna Davey, last year’s winner, defected to Collingwood after being voted best captain at Carlton.
Loynes and Kerryn Harrington stepped in to replace Davey as skippers and did a superb job as veteran leaders of very young midfield and defensive groups respectively.
Brisbane’s Emma Zielke, Collingwood’s Steph Chiocci and Fremantle’s Kara Antonio will also likely be heavily considered.
Predictions
MVP: Karen Paxman (Melbourne)
Best First Year Player: Georgia Patrikios (St Kilda)
__Most Courageous: Katie Loynes (Carlton)
Best captain: Katie Loynes & Kerryn Harrington (Carlton)
Full nominees
ADELAIDE
MVP: Anne Hatchard, Sarah Allan, Ebony Marinoff
Best First Year Player: Najwa Allen
Most Courageous: Dayna Cox
Best Captain: Erin Phillips / Chelsea Randall
BRISBANE
MVP: Emily Bates, Kate Lutkins, Natalie Grider
Best First Year Player: Catherine Svarc
Most Courageous: Shannon Campbell
Best Captain: Emma Zielke
CARLTON
MVP: Madison Prespakis, Chloe Dalton, Kerryn Harrington
Best First Year Player: Grace Egan
Most Courageous: Katie Loynes
Best Captain: Kerryn Harrington / Katie Loynes
COLLINGWOOD
MVP: Jaimee Lambert, Brittany Bonnici, Sharni Layton
Best First Year Player: Aishling Sheridan
Most Courageous: Brittany Bonnici
Best Captain: Steph Chiocci
FREMANTLE
MVP: Kiara Bowers, Ebony Antonio, Angelique Stannett
Best First Year Player: Mim Strom
Most Courageous: Kiara Bowers
Best Captain: Kara Antonio
GEELONG
MVP: Olivia Purcell, Maddy McMahon, Julia Crockett-Grills
Best First Year Player: Amy McDonald
Most Courageous: Madeline Keryk
Best Captain: Melissa Hickey
GWS GIANTS
MVP: Eleanor Bennetts, Jess Dal Pos, Alyce Parker
Best First Year Player: Annalyse Lister
Most Courageous: Brittany Tully
Best Captain: Alicia Eva
GOLD COAST SUNS
MVP: Jade Pregelj, Kalinda Howarth, Jamie Stanton
Best First Year Player: Kate Surman
Most Courageous: Jade Pregelj
Best Captain: Leah Kaslar / Sam Virgo
MELBOURNE
MVP: Karen Paxman, Daisy Pearce, Libby Birch
Best First Year Player: Sinead Goldrick
Most Courageous: Libby Birch
Best Captain: Daisy Pearce
NORTH MELBOURNE
MVP: Jenna Bruton, Jasmine Garner, Emma Kearney
Best First Year Player: Aileen Gilroy
Most Courageous: Emma Kearney
Best Captain: Emma Kearney
RICHMOND
MVP: Monique Conti, Phoebe Monahan, Courtney Wakefield
Best First Year Player: Laura McClelland
Most Courageous: Grace Campbell
Best Captain: Katie Brennan
ST KILDA
MVP: Rosie Dillon, Georgia Patrikios, Olivia Vesley
Best First Year Player: Georgia Patrikios
Most Courageous: Nat Exon
Best Captain: Rhiannon Watt / Kate Shierlaw / Cat Phillips
WEST COAST EAGLES
MVP: Dana Hooker, Emma Swanson, Parris Laurie
Best First Year Player: Chantelle Perera
Most Courageous: Dana Hooker
Best Captain: Emma Swanson
WESTERN BULLDOGS
MVP: Ellie Blackburn, Izzy Huntington, Aisling McCarthy
Best First Year Player: Gabrielle Newton
Most Courageous: Izzy Huntington
Best Captain: Ellie Blackburn