Eliza Hand crowned 2022 AFL North West women's best and fairest

The Tamworth Swans ruckman was on Monday night crowned the AFL North West women's competition's best and fairest.

Injured for the latter third of the season the 21-year old held off last year's winner Gab Mooney, the 21 points she polled from the first 10 rounds proving enough.

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Mooney (Inverell) finished on 18 points with young gun Lauren Appleby (Moree Suns/Tamworth Kangaroos) third on 11.

Joining the Swans this season after moving to Tamworth on a work placement, it was all still sinking in for Hand when she spoke with the Leader late on Tuesday afternoon.

"I was so surprised to get it," she said.

Watching the livestream of the B&F count at home, she couldn't believe what she was seeing as there her name appeared at the top of the leaderboard after the first five rounds with 14 points.

And then when it was still there after 10 rounds.

Seven ahead of Mooney, she said she was "just happy to have been on top for 10 rounds."

Missing the last five courtesy of a broken arm, she thought there was "no way I could end up finishing on top".

The second Swan to win the coveted accolade - Billie Mitchell won it in 2020 - that this is only Hand's first year of AFL makes the achievement all the more remarkable.

"I have been really working hard so it was nice to get that reward back from it," she said.

It is also testament to what a supreme athlete she is.

Swans coach Andrew Donohue believes she can go far.

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"I think she's got the potential to play AFLW," he said.

Asked what has most impressed him about Hand, he spoke about her drive and willingness to learn.

"She just takes on board everything that you tell her," he said.

"And she's got a full blown competitive nature."

"She played a pretty high standard of netball and had plenty of drive, and brought that with her."

It was that drive that saw her still training with a cast on her arm - she'd just catch the ball one-handed - and play both the minor semi-final against the Kangaroos and preliminary final on the weekend, in it.

Donohue also remarked at her ability to win the ball and clear the centre, and her ground work, which he said is "just unbelievable".

For Hand the award capped off a season she loved every minute of, or almost every minute of.

"It was a bit devastating at the start," she said of the broken arm.

"No-one likes sitting on the sidelines when you're itching to play."

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It will depend on where she can find physiotherapy work as to where she ends up next year, but she plans to be kicking the Sherrin around again.

"I played a lot of netball before so this was a whole different game, having to kick and tackle, but I absolutely loved it. I can't wait to keep playing," she said.

In other awards Appleby was named the Rising Star, New England Nomads' Molly Martin won the coaches award while Gunnedah's Gyarn Waugh was a runaway leading goalkicker with 35 for the regular season. Mooney was the next best on 20.

AFL NORTH WEST WOMEN'S BEST AND FAIREST TOP 5

21 - Eliza Hand (Tamworth Swans)

18 - Gab Mooney (Inverell Saints)

11 - Lauren Appleby (Moree Suns/Tamworth Kangaroos)

10 Rhiani Grant (Gunnedah Bulldogs)

9 Alice Mitchell (Gunnedah Bulldogs)

PREVIOUS WINNERS

2017 - Eleanore Ford (Inverell Saints)

2018 - Katherine Penberthy (Inverell Saints) and Lisa Raymond (New England Nomads)

2019 - Gabrielle Mooney (Inverell Saints)

2020 - Billie Mitchell (Tamworth Swans)

2021 - Gabrielle Mooney (Inverell Saints)

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