DAISY Pearce has gone back-to-back, winning Melbourne’s 2018 best and fairest award.
Pearce claimed the trophy with 175 votes, ahead of runner-up Elise O’Dea (169), who finished third last year.
Karen Paxman (159 votes) finished third, while Shelley Scott and Katherine Smith (149 each) finished equal fourth. Kate Hore (135 votes) came sixth, with Richelle Cranston (123), Meg Downie (119), Tegan Cunningham (118) and Ashleigh Guest (110) rounded out the top 10.
The Melbourne captain and superstar player has now won both club best and fairest awards, having claimed it after the inaugural AFLW season in 2017.
Pearce backed up her outstanding 2017 season with another first-class year.
Earlier in the week she was voted the AFLW Players’ best captain and was also named All-Australian vice-captain.
She was also the first winner of Melbourne’s best female player, during the exhibition series, prior to the AFLW competition starting.
Four other awards were handed out on the night. Paxman was named Melbourne’s best midfielder, while Guest received the club’s best defender award and Scott gained the best forward trophy.
Paxman had an outstanding season, having been named All-Australian for the second consecutive season, while Scott remained one of Melbourne’s most important players in 2018. Guest had a fine first-up season with the Demons, after crossing from the Giants.
Mel Hickey, who injured her knee in the second last round of the season, received the 2018 trademark player award.
2018 Melbourne AFLW best and fairest leader board
1 – Daisy Pearce (175 votes)
2 – Elise O’Dea (169)
3 – Karen Paxman (159)
4 – Shelley Scott, Katherine Smith (149)
6 – Kate Hore (135)
7 – Richelle Cranston (123)
8 – Meg Downie (119)
9 – Tegan Cunningham (118)
10 – Ashleigh Guest (110)
11 – Mel Hickey (106)
12 – Lily Mithen (104)
13 – Lauren Pearce (101)
14 – Aliesha Newman (94)
15 – Bianca Jakobsson (93)
16 – Harriet Cordner (87)
17 – Anna Teague (85)
18 – Brooke Patterson, Catherine Phillips (71)
20 – Jasmine Grierson, Erin Hoare (60)
22 – Laura Duryea (59)
21 – Emma Humphries (33)
22 – Eden Zanker (32)
23 – Claudia Whitfort (31)
24 – Alyssa Mifsud (20)
25 – Madeleine Guerin (6)
26 – Sarah Lampard, Maddie Shevlin, Ainslie Kemp (0)
2018 Melbourne AFLW players: award winners
2018 best and fairest award: Daisy Pearce
2018 best and fairest award – runner-up: Elise O'Dea
2018 best midfielder: Karen Paxman
2018 best defender: Ashleigh Guest
2018 best forward: Shelley Scott
2018 trademark player: Melissa Hickey
