Skipton’s Ella McLean has been deemed Central Highlands Netball League’s under-17 best and fairest after polling 32 votes at the awards on Tuesday night.
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While McLean had five best on ground performances, she polled votes in 15 of 17 games for the season to be close to the top of the leaderboard throughout the count.
But despite her consistently strong performances in goal defence, McLean said she was shocked to hear her named called.
“I didn’t think I had a chance at all because there are some amazing players in the league,” she said.
While Skipton has only won four games this season, McLean said her coach had been persistent with the team and knew how to get the best out of her.
Madison Selmon from Hepburn was awarded runner-up in the under-17 count, just two votes behind McLean on 30 votes.
Selmon said her vote-getting performances had been aided by a strong team around her. Hepburn is yet to lose a game this season.
In under-15 competition, Dunnstown’s Summah Givvens managed to slip past Bungaree’s Jemima Clarke to come away with the best and fairest award by a vote.
Givvens, who ended the close count with 29 votes, said it had been her first season in the role of goal defence after playing most of her netball in attack.
“I definitely feel like it has been one of my best seasons, I didn’t come this close last year,” she said.
“I just gave it my all.
“It was a new position because we had no defenders, so I said in the first week to my coach that I would go there.”
Givvens said one of the highlights of the season had been the team and that enjoyment had shone through in her netball.
“The girls are such a good bunch and Dunnstown, as a club, is just really good... it’s the best club I’ve ever been at,” she said.
Hepburn featured again in the under-13 competition with Carly Elderfield announced best and fairest winner, polling 38 votes.
Elderfield said it was a special moment with the award her first in netball.
She finished three votes ahead of Jessica Blackmore from Dunnstown, with the pair to face off in finals next weekend.
Blackmore said she was thankful to be crowned runner-up in her last year of under-13 competition.
UNDER-13 TOP FIVE
- Carly Elderfield (Hepburn) 38
- Jessica Blackmore (Dunnstown) 35
- Maddie Lewis (Carngham) 34
- Makayla Griffin (Creswick) 31
- Kailah Scott (Skipton) 31
UNDER-15 TOP FIVE
- Summah Givvens (Dunnstown) 29
- Jemima Clarke (Bungaree) 28
- Jessica Smith (Learmonth) 27
- Anais Clifford (Ballan) 25
- Makayla Anderson (Gordon) 25
UNDER-17 TOP FIVE
- Ella McLean (Skipton) 32
- Madison Selmon (Hepburn) 30
- Isabelle Rustman (Clunes) 29
- Sarah Campbell (Newlyn) 29
- Lillie Wrigley (Creswick) 29
AWARD WINNERS
- Under-17 best and fairest: Ella McLean (Skipton) – 32 votes
- Runner-up: Maddison Selmon (Hepburn) – 30 votes
- Under-15 best and fairest: Summah Givvens (Dunnstown) – 29 votes
- Runner-up: Jemima Clarke (Bungaree) – 28 votes
- Under-13 best and fairest: Carly Elderfield (Hepburn) – 38 votes
- Runner-up: Jessica Blackmore (Dunnstown) 35 votes
- Under-13 coach interleague 2017 Eleisha Phelps and Katelyn Sutton
- Under-15 coach interleague 2017 Rebecca McCahon
- Under-17 coach interleague 2017 Steph Blyth
