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Ebony Antonio has been crowned Fremantle’s second winner of the club’s AFLW Fairest and Best Award in front of 250 guests at the Crown Ballroom on Friday night.
Antonio polled 89 votes, four ahead of runner-up Dana Hooker, while captain Kara Donnellan was third with 79 votes.
Senior coach Michelle Cowan and three other members of Fremantle’s coaching staff awarded votes from zero to five per game for each player. A player can receive a maximum of 20 votes for an outstanding performance.
The win caps off an outstanding season for Antonio, who was announced in the 2018 All Australian team last month alongside Hooker, the inaugural AFLW Fairest and Best winner in 2017.
The 26-year-old joins Hooker as well as the likes of Matthew Pavlich, Nat Fyfe, Aaron Sandilands and Peter Bell as club champions with Fremantle.
Antonio was also voted by her teammates as the Players’ Award winner, seeing the defender take home two of the three major awards on Friday night.
The Players’ Award acknowledges the player who best displays the values set by the playing group at the start of the season.
Despite playing a primarily defensive role, Antonio was one of Fremantle’s major ball winners in 2018, sitting behind only Hooker and Donnellan in disposals for the season while also impacting the scoreboard with three goals.
Cowan said Antonio stood out with her reliability while performing a variety of roles and delivering on the field.
“Ebony was really focused on having a consistent season and that's what we saw her do,” Cowan said.
“She really embraced the role down back and importantly, had the flexibility throughout the season to go forward for us.
“To have her put up such a strong and consistent season makes her a deserving winner tonight.”
Rookie recruit Lisa Webb was also acknowledged for her performances in 2018 after being announced as the Best Clubwoman.
The award is voted on by the playing group and various club departments to recognise the player that consistently puts the needs of the team first.
Playing in her first year of AFLW and only her second year of football, Webb played well beyond any expectations, finishing sixth despite missing the opening game of the season.
“Lisa debuted for us in round two at Optus Stadium and it was a fantastic game by her,” Cowan said.
“To see her acknowledged tonight, it goes to show the incredible person that she is and how she really grabbed her opportunity as a rookie to make a real mark in AFLW.”