Star Co-Skipper Ebony Marinoff has claimed her maiden AFLW Best and Fairest, polling 23 votes to claim the AFLW’s highest individual honour on Monday night.
On a significant night for the Crows, Marinoff was also one of four players to earn All-Australian selection alongside Caitlin Gould, Chelsea Biddell and Chelsea Randall.
The ultra-consistent Marinoff polled votes in eight of Adelaide’s 11 home and away games to finish at the top of the leaderboard ahead of North Melbourne’s Ash Riddell and Essendon’s Madison Prespakis.
The 27-year-old is the second Crow to win the award, with AFLW champion Erin Phillips claiming two best and fairests during her time at West Lakes.
In her first campaign as Co-Captain alongside Sarah Allan, Marinoff took her game to a new level, averaging a competition-high 30.4 disposals, 12.4 tackles, 26.4 pressure acts and 6.3 inside 50s during the minor rounds.
Adelaide Head of Women’s Football Phil Harper said Marinoff was a very worthy winner.
“To be named the AFLW Best and Fairest is a huge honour and one that Ebony should be extremely proud of,” Harper said.
“She works tirelessly to improve herself and her teammates and leads from the front every week.
“Not only is she an extremely talented player but she’s also a fantastic leader of our Club and we are very lucky to have her.”
Marinoff was also named Vice-Captain of the All-Australian team, alongside teammates Gould, Biddell and Randall, who were named in the final team of 21, announced earlier tonight.
Adelaide had four players selected in the final team, the equal most of any team in the competition alongside Brisbane.
Gould’s dominant season in the Crows’ forward line was rewarded with All-Australian selection for the first time. The tall lead the competition in both score involvements (75) and marks inside-50 (39), and made her presence felt on the scoreboard, booting career-high 20 majors.
A stalwart down back, Biddell’s strong 2024 campaign saw her earn a third All-Australian blazer, averaging a career-high 14 disposals and 2.1 intercept marks.
Former Captain Randall added a fifth All-Australian selection to her impressive career resume after the 33-year-old averaged a career-best 15.9 disposals, 297.9 metres gained and 4.3 tackles.
In other honours presented on the night, forward Hannah Munyard won the 2024 NAB Goal of the Year for her skilful checkside during the first quarter of the Crows’ Week Six win over St Kilda.
“Ebony, Caitlin, Chelsea Biddell and Chelsea Randall are well deserving of All-Australian honours as they all play very important roles in our team and as a Club, we are very proud of their efforts this season,” Harper said.
“To have four selections in in the team is testament to the depth of our squad and how hard they have worked on their own individual games.
“And Hannah really stepped up this season in the absence of Eloise Jones and provided that X-factor in our forward line so it’s great she’s been rewarded for what was a fantastic goal.”
