Coutas captain goes back-to-back in best and fairest

THE Bellarine Netball League (BNL) A Grade best and fairest award is heading back to Queenscliff in consecutive years.

Queenscliff A Grade skipper and goaler Kaitlin Gladman has been awarded her second-straight A Grade best and fairest medal after a stellar year individually and collectively with her side under head coach Katrina Daws.

Gladman polled a whopping 35 votes on her way to comfortably claim the count, seven votes ahead of Newcomb defender Jessica Duke’s 28 votes.

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) rounded out the count’s top six.

Gladman did not waste any time obtaining votes, with two best-on-court displays in Round 1 against Modewarre and against Torquay in Round 2.

She continued her stellar start to the campaign with two votes in Round 3 against Drysdale, and then a further two votes in Round 4 against Newcomb, taking her voting tally to 10 inside the first month of action.

Gladman polled again in Round 5 (two votes), Round 6 (one vote), Round 7 (three votes), Round 8 (three votes), and Round 9 (three votes) to finish the first half of the year on 22 total votes.

She polled consistently in second half of the season, with votes in Round 11 (two votes), Round 12 (three votes), Round 15 (one vote), Round 16 (one vote), Round 17 (three votes) and then finally in Round 18 (three votes) against Ocean Grove.

Gladman ended the season with eight best-on-court performances.

Geelong Amateur’s Ruby Watson received the side’s Hot Shots Award following her historic goal total, wrapping up the season with 1,064 goals in 18 rounds.

Watson was also selected in the 2023 Team of the Year alongside team-mates captain Ashlea Creasey and defender Keisha Guilmartin.

New Geelong Amateur head coach Melanie Savage was selected as Coach of the Year.

Here is the full 2023 Team of the Year:

The B Grade best and fairest count ended in a tie with Geelong Amateur’s Kayla Donnellon and Modewarre’s Monique Sefton each securing 24 votes.

Ocean Grove’s Claudia Britt fell one vote short of the best and fairest award being split three ways.