Couta speaks on historic back-to-back B&Fs

IT WAS one of Queenscliff’s own last night that achieved a first in Bellarine Football Netball League (BNL) history: back-to-back A Grade best and fairests.

21-year-old Queenscliff Coutas goaler Kaitlin Gladman said she did not expect to secure the league’s best and fairest medal for a second-straight year, let alone poll the second-highest number of votes in BNL history with 35, one vote behind Ash Creasey’s 36 in 2019.

“Last year when I attended the awards night, I just thought I was attending as a volunteer of the club. This year, it was sort of the same, or I thought it was just a past winner’s invite,” Gladman said.

“But yeah, I’m super-stoked, and super-surprised.”

Gladman’s 35 votes secured her second A Grade best and fairest and third best and fairest in three seasons, following her Under 19s win in 2021.

The Coutas captain finished seven votes ahead of Newcomb defender Jessica Duke, while Geelong Amateur’s Darcy McFarlane (24 votes), Torquay’s Rhian Moresi (21 votes), Ocean Grove’s Emily Moroney (18 votes) and Geelong Amateur’s Ruby Watson (18 votes) were the next closest to the top of the leaderboard.

Gladman credited a large portion of her success to head coach Katrina Daws, who took over the A Grade reins in 2022.

Daws and her side finished 2022 in eighth position with four wins from 18 games, spurring the side to make several changes ahead of this year’s season.

Queenscliff had much more success in 2023, notching up 13 wins during the home-and-way season and competing in a Preliminary Final against Ocean Grove.

“We had Charli Nicol stay on from the side last year, bringing with her Fionnuala McKeagney-Stubbs, who she plays with at City West Falcons,” Gladman said.

“We brought on two girls from St Mary’s Keely Kinsey and Tess Campigli.

“Tess, who I shoot with, was just incredible and I would not have got anywhere close to being best and fairest without her. She’s a dream to work with and just an awesome girl.

“Then we’ve also had some girls come up through juniors this season, namely Amelia Bakker; she’s smashed it this year.”

Gladman had nothing but good things to say about the Coutas community and has called the borough home since her earliest days in netball.

“Queenscliff is just a massive family, I’ve grown up there with mum, dad, both my grandparents both playing at the Coutas,” she said.

“Ali Waight has been awesome as well, she’s stepped up this year as president and just nailed it, she has really focused on bringing everyone together in football and netball and becoming a united club.

“This was evident at our netball finals, we only had one netball team playing per day, and the amount of people rocking up for games was just insane.”

Both Gladman and Nicol were selected in the 2023 Team of the Season.