Ally Anderson has been awarded the AFLW’s highest honour, presented with the AFLW Best and Fairest Award at Tuesday night’s W Awards.
Anderson, a proud Ghangalu woman, becomes the second Brisbane Lions AFLW player to receive the prestigious W medal and the 12th player in the merged Club’s history, AFL or AFLW, to win the Best and Fairest medal.
It’s the first time a club has won the Award in two consecutive seasons, with teammate Emily Bates awarded the honour earlier in the year in Season Six.
Anderson polled 21 votes across ten rounds to finish on top of the leader board, ahead of Monique Conti on 19 and Ebony Marinof on 18.
In her humble way, Anderson, a foundation Brisbane Lions AFLW player, said she was shocked to receive the accolade and dedicated it to her team.
“Thank you to my team, you make me a better player and together we make each other better players. I absolutely love playing with you all,” she said.
“To all of the coaching and high-performance staff, you have done so much for me and the whole team. Having Emily and I both win this award in the same year is a testament to that, so thank you.
“To the trainers, physios and all of the support staff, thank you, and to my parents and family, I wouldn’t be here without you. And finally a thank you to the Club.”
The award comes off the back of a career-best season for the prolific midfielder, who gathered an average 21.8 disposals, 5.1 tackles and 5.1 clearances per game, including a career-high 31 disposals and 10 clearances in the Lions’ Round 9 54-point win over Hawthorn.
Anderson began her football journey at the Zillmere Eagles on Brisbane’s northside, where she says she first fell in love with the game.
“I started playing in Year 12 for the Eagles and I’ve never looked back,” she said.
“Footy for me has been such an incredible journey, it brought me to the Brisbane Lions and has taken me to places that I never expected, like winning this award.”
Anderson’s success is another milestone in a stunning season for the Minor Premiers as they approach this Sunday’s NAB AFLW Grand Final where they will take on the Melbourne Demons at Brighton Homes Arena, Springfield Central.
Final Brisbane Lions Votes:
Ally Anderson - 21 votes
Emily Bates - 7 votes
Tahlia Hickie - 5 votes
Cathy Svarc - 5 votes
Belle Dawes - 3 votes
Jesse Wardlaw - 3 votes
Orla O'Dwyer - 1 vote
Sophie Conway - 1 vote
Nat Grider - 1 vote
Courtney Hodder - 1 vote
