Three-time Adelaide Premiership midfielder Anne Hatchard has made history, becoming the first women’s player to claim the AFLW Club Champion award three times.
Hatchard capped another incredible season by being awarded Adelaide’s highest individual honour for a second season in a row at the Club’s AFLW awards at the Hilton on Thursday night.
The 24-year-old, who also won the award after stellar campaigns in Season Four and Six, polled 343 votes, ahead of second-placed Ebony Marinoff (339 votes) and defender Chelsea Biddell (336).
This past season, Hatchard, who notched her 50th-game milestone in Round One, averaged 23.5 touches, 5.5 tackles and 4.5 clearances per game.
Marinoff led the count after the Crows’ semi-final against Collingwood, before a strong performance by Hatchard in the prelim lifted her into first place.
Adelaide’s No.10, meanwhile, averaged a career-best 25.6 disposals per match, along with 9.5 tackles and 5.1 clearances.
Marinoff, who claimed the award in 2021, has finished in the top three of the Club Champion count every year since the Crows’ team entered the AFLW competition in 2017.
Biddell’s top-three finish in the Club Champion award count came after she recorded career-best numbers in disposals (12.9), marks (2.8) and rebound 50s (5.8).
The 24-year-old has cemented herself as one of the best backs in the competition and received a maiden All Australian guernsey after being selected in Season Seven’s team.
Adelaide’s AFLW Club Champion award is calculated by the senior coach and four line coaches who grade every player’s performance on a 0-8 scale following each round for a maximum collective vote of 40.
Talented forward Ashleigh Woodland claimed the Leading Goal Kicker award for the second season in a row.
The 24-year-old booted 14 goals across 13 games, while young forward Danielle Ponter kicked 11.
Biddell also scooped up two more gongs, taking home the Players’ Player and the Best Defensive Player awards.
The AFLW Players Player Award goes to the highest polling player from team votes.
Players issue 3,2,1 votes each game.
Season Seven Major Award Winners
Club Champion – Anne Hatchard
Runner-up – Ebony Marinoff
Third place – Chelsea Biddell
Leading Goalkicker – Ashleigh Woodland
Players’ Player – Chelsea Biddell
Best Defensive Player – Chelsea Biddell
FINAL LEADERBOARD - Top 10
1. Anne Hatchard 343
2. Ebony Marinoff 339
3. Chelsea Biddell 336
4. Sarah Allan 286
5. Stevie-Lee Thompson 274
6. Caitlin Gould 273
7. Chelsea Randall 266
8. Teah Charlton 261
9. Madison Newman 193
10. Ashleigh Woodland 187
