It was a thrilling last couple of rounds that saw the opposing captains from yesterday’s TIO NTFL Women’s Premier League Grand Final, Lucy Adam and Lisa Roberts tie for the season’s top honour.
It was the first Gwynne Medal for both Adam and Roberts, who are considered generals in their respective teams' defence.
For their effort, they each receive return airfares for two to Melbourne and two tickets to the 2018 Toyota AFL Grand Final thanks to Virgin Australia and the AFL.
At 28-years-of-age Adam played all 16 home and away games for the Buffs and polled in 10 of them, including four best on ground performances.
Roberts, who has been a standout throughout numerous successful Waratah campaigns, had 15 games to her name this season and the 39-year-old picked up votes in 10 of them, also polling a maximum of three votes on four occasions.
Surprisingly, neither player polled when their two teams met one another throughout the season.
Watch their highlights here
Adam jumped out of the blocks quickly, polling five votes in the opening two rounds, an effort matched only by Palmerston captain, Natasha Medbury and Wanderers leader, Lauren Motlop.
By Round 6 St Mary’s ruck rover Jennie Attrill sat on nine votes, a lead she shared with Waratah forward, Sue Nalder after both players were rewarded for three best on ground performances each.
At the same point in the season, Adam had six votes to her name and Roberts sat on five.
Attrill continued to lead, but at Round 9 Nalder had been ousted from second place by Women’s Premier League Rising Star winner, Janet Baird. The Palmerston young gun would go on to finish the night in equal fourth place amassing 16 votes in her breakout season in the seniors.
It wasn’t until Round 12 when Adam and Roberts replaced Attrll at the top of the leaderboard, and by the conclusion of Round 13, Adam was the outright leader on 18 votes.
She would go on to poll three votes in the next two rounds to accumulate her night’s total of 21, while Roberts picked up five votes in Round 14 and 15 to move to second place with 20 votes.
There was no change to the top three in Round 16, but in Round 17 Roberts was awarded one vote to also move to 21, and Attrill picked up two votes to take her to a total of 19.
It all came down to the final round. With Waratah having the bye there would be no further movement for Roberts, while Adam and Attrill were both part of convincing wins.
And when neither player polled it was decided, for the first time in the history of the women’s best and fairest the award would be shared.
Last season’s Gwynne medallist, PINT captain Samantha Barnett, had another strong showing finishing on 11 votes and in the top nine performers (sixth place overall).
Gwynne Medal leading vote-getters:
1st – Lucy Adam – Darwin Buffaloes – 21 votes
1st – Lisa Roberts – Waratah – 21 votes
2nd – Jenny Attrill – St Mary’s – 19 votes
3rd – Janet Baird – Palmerston – 16 votes
3rd – Natasha Medbury – Palmerston – 16 votes
4th – Michaelia Roberts – Darwin Buffaloes – 13 votes
Darwin Buffaloes top 4
67 total votes
1st – Lucy Adam – 21 votes
2nd – Michaelia Roberts – 13 votes
3rd – Jasmine Anderson – 7 votes
3rd – Kylie Duggan – 7 votes
Nightcliff top 3
16 total votes
1st – Amanda Ka Mei Lam – 8 votes
2nd – Brianna Shaw – 2 votes
2nd – Tahlia Taylor-Kickett – 2 votes
Palmerston top 3
52 total votes
1st – Janet Baird – 16 votes
1st – Natasha Medbury – 16 votes
2nd – Tabitha May – 5 votes
PINT top 3
41 total votes
1st – Samantha Barnett – 11 votes
2nd – Madeline Keeble – 8 votes
3rd – Ellie Ryan – 7 votes
Southern Districts top 3
32 total votes
1st – Tahlia Holtze – 8 votes
2nd – Ebony Miller – 6 votes
3rd – Carli-Anne Tielen – 4 votes
St Mary’s top 3
54 total votes
1st – Jennie Attrill – 19 votes
2nd – Danielle Ponter – 12 votes
3rd – Laelia Dunn – 8 votes
Tracy Village top 3
40 total votes
1st – Kristy Irvine – 12 votes
2nd – Bonnie McDougall – 6 votes
3rd – Debra Bonde – 4 votes
Waratah top 4
68 total votes
1st – Lisa Roberts – 21 votes
2nd – Sue Nalder – 9 votes
2nd – Rebecca Pryer – 9 votes
3rd – Lauren O’Shea – 8 votes
Wanderers top 4
34 total votes
1st – Sophia Mauboy – 9 votes
2nd – Lauren Motlop – 5 votes
3rd – Calista Boyd – 4 votes
3rd – Shekeine De Satge – 4 votes
