Star Fremantle midfielder Kiara Bowers will go into the 2021 AFL Women’s Best and Fairest count as one of the favourites.
The award, which is the equivalent to the Brownlow Medal in the AFL competition, will be held around the country on the evening of Tuesday 20 April.
The official vote count will start at 6:30pm WST and will be broadcast live on Fox Footy and streamed on the AFL Womens app.
Similar to the 2020 Brownlow Medal presentation, Fremantle and West Coast players will attend the virtual event from Optus Stadium.
After finishing runner-up to Carlton’s Maddy Prespakis in 2020, Bowers is looking to become the first female Fremantle player to win the award and join Nat Fyfe as the only Freo Dockers players to win a league best and fairest.
She once again had a dominant season, winning the 2021 AFLCA Champion Player of the Year award and finishing runner-up to Collingwood’s Brianna Davey in the AFL Players’ MVP award.
She was also awarded two best on ground medals from Freo’s RAC Derby clashes against West Coast.
Her average of 6.5 clearances per game was one clearance per game more than the next best in the league in North Melbourne’s Jasmine Garner (5.5 per game)
As expected, Bowers dominated the tackle count with an average of 11 per game, more than four tackles per game than the next best player.
She was the only player to average more than 100 AFL Fantasy points with an average of 108.7 points per game. The next closest was Adelaide’s Ebony Marinoff (97.2) and Collingwood’s Davey (94.8).
Bowers also ranked in the top 10 for disposals (21.1 per game), metres gained (319) and contested possessions (12.4).
Davey, who finished fifth in the AFLCA voting, looms as Bowers’ main threat to the crown, especially with Prespakis ineligible due to a mid-season suspension.
Britt Bonnici (Collingwood), Ebony Marinoff (Adelaide), Alyce Parker (GWS), Ellie Blackburn (Western Bulldogs), Monique Conti (Richmond), Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne), Georgia Patrikios (St Kilda), Tyla Hanks (Melbourne) and Erin Phillips (Adelaide) are also expected to be in the running.
WHEN IS BOWERS EXPECTED TO POLL?
Round 1 v GWS
Bowers racked up 21 disposals and 10 tackles in round one against the Giants, which might be enough to get her in the votes. Gemma Houghton (20 disposals, three goals) or Giants young gun Alyce Parker (28 disposals) are most likely to also pick up votes.
Round 2 v West Coast
With the best on ground medal and 10 coaches’ votes, you could pencil in three votes for Bowers here. She had 23 disposals, 14 tackles and a goal in the wet at a locked-out Fremantle Oval.
Round 3 v Adelaide
Bowers was Fremantle’s best in a dominant performance against one of the strongest sides in the competition. Bowers had 23 disposals and 13 tackles for the game in another likely three-vote performance.
Round 4 v Gold Coast
Bowers didn’t light up the stats sheet as much as she usually does with 17 disposals, but she did enough to receive the maximum 10 votes from the coaches. Freo could sweep the votes in a 49-point win with Gabby O’Sullivan (16 disposals, two goals) and Hayley Miller (17 disposals, one goal) also likely to poll.
Round 5 v Brisbane
Brisbane’s Emily Bates should get the three votes here with 26 disposals in the Lions’ 11-point win. Bowers was Freo’s best with 24 disposals and eight tackles, making her a chance to get at least one vote.
Round 6 v West Coast
Despite winning the best on ground medal, Bowers could miss out on the votes due to some impressive performances from her teammates in Fremantle’s 67-point win. Bowers was again brilliant with 24 disposals but Gemma Houghton (five goals), Sabreena Duffy (three goals) and Ebony Antonio (23 disposals) are also likely to get votes.
Round 7 v Carlton
You can almost lock in three votes here as Bowers was instrumental in Fremantle’s remarkable comeback win. She had 28 disposals and 10 tackles on the way to earning the maximum 10 coaches’ votes.
Round 8 v Melbourne
This is the only game where you can definitively rule out Bowers from the voting. She had 12 disposals - the second lowest of her career - with Melbourne running out five-point winners.
Round 9 v North Melbourne
Bowers may be a chance for one vote with 19 disposals and a goal during a one-point loss to North Melbourne. Ashleigh Riddell (33 disposals), Jasmine Garner (25 disposals, one goal) and Emma Kearney (24 disposals) are a chance to sweep the votes for the Kangaroos and leave Bowers out of the voting for the final round.
