THE rebel VFLW Coaches Player of the Year award is building towards a thrilling conclusion after last weekend’s games created a logjam at the top of the leaderboard.

With Darebin star Angelica Gogos being sidelined by a hand injury, the challengers are coming thick and fast, with no fewer than 11 players now sitting within six votes of the lead with five games remaining in the season.

Southern Saints star Hannah Stuart joined Gogos on 37 votes after picking up eight for her 20 disposals, eight tackles and a goal in her team’s big win over Darebin, which also has Nicole Callinan (32) chasing Gogos after polling five votes.

Reigning Lambert-Pearce medallist Georgia Nanscawen continues to bubble along beneath the surface, polling five votes to sit within one of the lead, while her Essendon teammate Amelia Radford and Geelong’s Paige Sheppard are another solitary vote further back.

Casey Demons forward Tahlia Fellows (14 disposals, four marks, five inside-50s, two goals) climbed to 34 with one of only two perfect 10s in Round 9, with her game judged to be more influential than Cat Laura Gardiner (39 disposals, 10 clearances), who polled five votes in the same game to also move to 34 and a share of sixth.

Casey Demons' Tahlia Fellows runs with the ball during the Round 9 VFLW match against Geelong Cats at Casey Fields on April 23, 2022. Picture: Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos

Williamstown’s Aimee Whelan (33) and Hawthorn pair Tamara Luke (32) and Dom Carbone (31) are also within one stellar performance of taking the lead.

North Melbourne’s Tess Craven (23 disposals) was the other player to earn the full 10 votes in the Kangaroos’ victory over Port Melbourne on Saturday.

As with the AFL Coaches Association Player of the Year, the VFLW award is voted on by the coaches of each club after every game in both competitions.

The coaches are awarding 5-4-3-2-1 to their best players in the game from either team, with those votes collated and revealed each week on vfl.com.au.

Another 14 new players attracted the coaches’ attention for the first time in Round 9, making it 198 who have polled votes across the first nine rounds.

Twitter: @BRhodesVFL

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 08: Tess Craven of the North Melbourne Kangaroos in action during the round one AFLW match between the North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos and the Geelong Cats at Arden Street Ground on January 08, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Jonathan DiMaggio/AFL Photos)

ROUND 9 VOTES

Casey Demons 8.4 (52) def Geelong 1.3 (9)
10 Tahlia Fellows (Cas)
6 Lucy Wales (Cas)
5 Laura Gardiner (Gee)
4 Steph Wales (Cas)
2 Emma Horne (Cas)
2 Tamara Smith (Gee)
1 Paige Sheppard (Gee)

Port Melbourne 3.4 (22) lost to North Melbourne 4.11 (35)
10 Tess Craven (NM)
8 Olivia Barton (PM)
3 Reni Hicks (NM)
3 Emily Paterno (NM)
2 Molly Eastman (NM)
2 Ellie MacDonald (NM)
1 Kaitlyn O’Keefe (PM)
1 Brooke Slaney (NM)

Essendon 14.10 (94) def Collingwood 3.3 (21)
8 Federica Frew (Ess)
8 Renee Tierney (Ess)
5 Georgia Nanscawen (Ess)
4 Matilda Zander (Col)
2 Danielle Marshall (Ess)
2 Jordan Zanchetta (Ess)
1 Amelia Radford (Ess)

Williamstown 2.1 (13) lost to Hawthorn 9.8 (62)
9 Dom Carbone (Haw)
5 Tamara Luke (Haw)
5 Jessie Williams (Haw)
4 Ruby Tripodi (Wil)
3 Katelyn Cox (Haw)
2 Gabrielle Biedenweg-Webster (Wil)
2 Bridget Deed (Haw)

Western Bulldogs 1.5 (11) lost to Carlton 5.9 (39)
5 Mia Cowan (Car)
5 Thomay Nicolaou (Car)
4 Ally Bild (Car)
4 Lily Goss (Car)
3 Britney Gutknecht (WB)
3 Nikita Wright (WB)
2 Jennifer Lew (Car)
2 Vanessa Murphy (Car)
1 Tahlia Meier (WB)
1 Jemima Woods (WB)

Southern Saints 9.4 (52) def Darebin 1.3 (9)
8 Hannah Stuart (SS)
5 Alice Burke (SS)
5 Nicole Callinan (Dar)
5 Winnie Laing (SS)
3 Alana Woodward (SS)
2 Grace Buchan (SS)
1 Alexandra Hynes (SS)
1 Karly McNiece (Dar)

Hawthorn Hawks' Dominique Carbone is tackled by Collingwood Magpies' Katelyn Lee during their Round 4 VFLW match at Victoria Park on March 05, 2022. Picture: Jonathan DiMaggio/AFL Photos

rebel VFLW COACHES PLAYER OF THE YEAR LEADERBOARD

37 Angelica Gogos (Dar) 0
37 Hannah Stuart (SS) 8
36 Georgia Nanscawen (Ess) 5
35 Amelia Radford (Ess) 1
35 Paige Shepherd (Gee) 1
34 Tahlia Fellows (Cas) 10
34 Laura Gardiner (Gee) 5
33 Aimee Whelan (Wil) 0
32 Nicole Callinan (Dar) 5
32 Tamara Luke (Haw) 5

ROHENNA YOUNG MEDAL LEADING GOALKICKER

25 Federica Frew (Ess) 4
15 Cecilia McIntosh (Ess) 2
14 Mia-Rae Clifford (Ess) 2
13 Renee Tierney (Ess) 3
13 Jessie Williams (Haw) 3
12 Mia Skinner (Gee) 0
11 Tahlia Fellows (Cas) 2
11 Kristy Stratton (Haw) 0
9 Grace Dicker (Ess) 2
9 Alison Dowler (Cas) 0

Southern Saints' Grace Buchan gathers the ball during the Round 5 VFLW match against Essendon Bombers at The Hangar on March 13, 2022. Picture: Quinn Rooney/AFL Photos

REBEL VFLW CLUB MILESTONES

  • Carlton defeated Western Bulldogs at Whitten Oval for the first time (1-1)
  • Casey Demons defeated Geelong at Casey Fields for the first time (1-2)
  • Essendon defeated Collingwood at Windy Hill for the first time (1-1)
  • Hawthorn won its fifth consecutive match v Williamstown (5-0)
  • North Melbourne defeated Port Melbourne for the first time (1-2)
  • Port Melbourne squared its overall record (12-12) and its home record (5-5)

REBEL VFLW INDIVIDUAL MILESTONES

  • Grace Buchan (Southern Saints) 50 VFLW matches/2 goals
  • Katie Lee (Collingwood) 50 VFLW matches/6 goals
  • Simone Nalder (Essendon) 50 VFLW matches/2 goals
Southern Saints' Alexandra Hynes and Essendon Bombers' Simone Nalder compete in the ruck during their Round 5 VFLW match at The Hangar on March 13, 2022. Picture: Quinn Rooney/AFL Photos

REBEL VFLW ROUND 9 RECORDS

(Figures in brackets are the previous record)

  • 5.9 39 Carlton's highest score v Western Bulldogs at Whitten Oval (3.6 24, 2021)
  • 8.4 52 Casey Demons' highest score v Geelong (5.15 45 all venues, 2022; 4.6 30 Casey, 2021)
  • 43 Casey Demons' biggest win v Geelong (11, 2022)
  • 3.3 21 Collingwood's lowest score v Essendon at The Hangar (5.8 38, 2021)
  • 14.10 94 Collingwood's highest VFLW score conceded (8.9 57, Kardinia, 2022)
  • 58 Collingwood's biggest VFLW loss (35, 2019 & 2022; 27 v Essendon, 2019)
  • 14.10 94 Essendon's highest score v Collingwood (7.7 49 all venues, 2019; 4.4 28 The Hangar, 2021)
  • 1.3 9 Geelong's lowest score v Casey Demons (5.2 32, 2021)
  • 9.8 62 Hawthorn's highest score v Williamstown (6.7 43, 2021)
  • 49 Hawthorn's biggest win v Williamstown (22, 2021)
  • 4.11 35 North Melbourne's highest score v Port Melbourne (3.4 22 all venues, 2021; 2.0 12 North Port, 2021)
  • 3.4 22 Port Melbourne's lowest score v North Melbourne (8.7 55 x2, 2021)
  • 1.5 11 Western Bulldogs' lowest score v Carlton at Whitten Oval (4.14 38, 2021)
  • 2.1 13 Williamstown's lowest score v Hawthorn (2.8 20 all venues, 2021; 2.9 21 WCG, 2021)

REBEL VFLW DEBUTS

  • Darebin: Mia Haas
  • Essendon: Scarlett Orritt
  • Geelong: Rosie Cox, Keeley Hardingham, Analea McKee, Kara Stacey, Mia Van Dyke
  • Hawthorn: Jade Hutchinson
  • Port Melbourne: Dom Carruthers, Olivia Cicolini, Jorja Livingstone
  • Southern Saints: Katie Prendergast
  • Western Bulldogs: Paige Ryan
  • Williamstown: Emily Eaves

REBEL VFLW FIRST GOALS

  • Carlton: Laura Robertson (5th match)
  • Casey Demons: Caitlin Conroy (12th), Jennifer Macdonald (2nd)
  • Essendon: Gloria Elarmaly (2nd)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 11: Caitlin Conroy of the Demons runs with the ball during the Melbourne Demons AFLW intra club trial match at Casey Fields on December 11, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

In a first for the rebel VFLW, all matches in 2022 will be live streamed free. One VFLW feature match per week can be watched live via afl.com.au and the AFL Live Official App. All remaining games will be streamed live and available on demand via the VFL/W YouTube channel (youtube.com/AFLVictoria).
To access live scores, results, ladder, stats and to link to live streams/replays, download the VFL/W Official App from the Apple or Google Play app stores.