NORTH Melbourne ball-magnet Ash Riddell has capped an outstanding season by winning her first Sharp EIT Solutions AFLCA AFLW Champion Player of the Year award.

Riddell took the lead in round four and was never headed by her rivals, polling eight votes in round 11 to open an unassailable lead over teammate Jasmine Garner, and then polled a further seven votes in the final round to win by 15 votes.

Garner finished second on 85 votes, while superstar Geelong midfielder Georgie Prespakis polled successive 10 vote games in the last two rounds to surge into third.

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Riddell, 29, twice broke the record for most disposals in a NAB AFLW game in 2025, racking up 44 against Carlton in round six and then 45 against Sydney in round eight.

She averaged a career-high 37 disposals per game in 2025, as well as 5.5 clearances and 4.3 tackles, helping to lead North Melbourne to an undefeated home and away season and extending the club's winning streak to an AFL/AFLW record 24 successive games.

North Melbourne AFLW senior coach Darren Crocker said Riddell's award was testament to her efforts across the season and recognised her contribution to North's success. 

“Ash is such a professional. She is relentless in how she drives the standards of the playing group and epitomises what it means to improve and get better every day.

“The amount of respect she has from us all at North is obvious, and it’s clear that this respect translates to opposition teams and coaches as well.”

Riddell joins her teammate and three-time champion Jasmine Garner on the AFLCA AFLW Champion Player of the Year leaderboard. Others to feature include Ebony Marinoff (Adelaide, 2024), Emily Bates (Brisbane, 2022), Kiara Bowers (2021, Fremantle), Emma Kearney (2018, Western Bulldogs) and Adelaide duo Erin Phillips (2019) and Chelsea Randall (2018).

Every week, the two senior coaches for each game give votes on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis, meaning 10 votes is the maximum a player can get in each round.

2025 Sharp EIT Solutions AFLCA AFLW Champion Player of the Year leaderboard 

100 – Ash Riddell (NM)
85 – Jasmine Garner (NM)
84 – Georgie Prespakis (Geel)
73 – Ella Roberts (WC)
63 – Laura Gardiner (Syd) 
59 – Tyla Hanks (Melb)
56 – Kate Hore (Melb)
53 – Ebony Marinoff (Adel)
52 – Isabel Dawes (BL)
52 – Matilda Scholz (PA) 

AFLCA AFLW Champion Player of the Year winners

2025 – Ash Riddell (NM)
2024 – Ebony Marinoff (Adel)
2023 – Jasmine Garner (NM)
2022 – Emily Bates (BL)
2021 – Kiara Bowers (Frem)
2020 – Jasmine Garner (NM)
2019 – Erin Phillips (Adel)
2018 – Emma Kearney (WB), Chelsea Randall (Adel)