ESSENDON champion and co-captain Georgia Nanscawen completed her remarkable rebel VFL season by claiming the inaugural rebel VFLW Coaches Player of the Year award at the Lambert-Pearce Medal night on September 12.

Nanscawen, who later entered herself into the history books by winning her second consecutive Lambert-Pearce Medal for the competition’s best-and-fairest player, polled 69 votes to take out the coaches award by just six votes from Southern Saints star Hannah Stuart.

Unfortunately Nanscawen’s perfect season, which included the Bombers’ undefeated premiership win over the Saints in July’s Grand Final, was soured by her serious knee injury which cost her a chance to take part in Essendon’s debut NAB AFLW season.

Here, AFL.com.au reveals how the coaches saw the final three rounds of the rebel VFLW season after voting went behind closed doors in Round 12.

Heading into Round 12, Nanscawen was leading a thrilling count by one vote from Stuart, with Geelong ball magnet Laura Gardiner in third ahead of Hawthorn captain Tamara Luke and another Cat (and now AFLW Swan) in Paige Sheppard.

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

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

Georgia Nanscawen of the Bombers is tackled by Olivia Robinson of the Southern Saints during the 2022 VFLW Grand Final between Essendon and the Southern Saints at ETU Stadium on July 03, 2022. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

ROUND 11 LEADERBOARD
55 Georgia Nanscawen (Ess)
54 Hannah Stuart (SS)
50 Laura Gardiner (Gee)
43 Tamara Luke (Haw)
43 Paige Sheppard (Gee)
38 Aimee Whelan (Wil)
37 Angelica Gogos (Dar)
36 Nicole Callinan (Dar)
36 Amelia Radford (Ess)
34 Tahlia Fellows (Cas)

ROUND 12

SEVEN players attracted the coaches’ attention for the first time in Round 12, making it a total of 219 who had polled votes to that point of the season.

At the top of the leaderboard, Nanscawen (29 disposals, five marks, six tackles) polled five votes in Essendon’s draw with Hawthorn, with Luke (11 disposals, five marks, 12 hitouts) failing to add to her tally.

GEELONG, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Hannah Stuart of the Saints kicks the ball under pressure during the round five AFLW match between the Geelong Cats and the St Kilda Saints at GMHBA Stadium on September 22, 2022 in Geelong, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

The Bomber extended her lead to three with Stuart (24, four tackles) winning three votes in an easy win over Carlton, while Sheppard (23, five marks, seven tackles) got six votes in Geelong’s thrashing of Darebin and Gardiner’s season was over after being wrapped in cotton wool for the AFLW campaign.

Cat Chloe Scheer (27, five marks) was the only player to poll a perfect 10 votes, while Hawthorn’s Isabelle Porter (29, nine marks, six tackles) earned nine votes against the Bombers.

rebel VFLW COACHES PLAYER OF THE YEAR VOTES

Collingwood 5.6 (36) def Western Bulldogs 4.2 (26)
5 Eliza Vale (WB)
5 Matilda Zander (Col)
4 Mikayla Barnes (WB)
4 Amanda Ling (WB)
4 Lucy Schneider (WB)
3 Mali McLeod (WB)
2 Monique DeMatteo (Col)
2 Britney Gutknecht (WB)
1 Demi Hallett (Col)

Darebin 1.2 (8) lost to Geelong 9.6 (60)
10 Chloe Scheer (Gee)
7 Paige Scott (Gee)
6 Paige Sheppard (Gee)
5 Carly Remmos (Gee)
1 Nicole Callinan (Dar)
1 Tannah Hurst (Dar)

GEELONG, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Hannah Stuart of the Saints kicks the ball under pressure during the round five AFLW match between the Geelong Cats and the St Kilda Saints at GMHBA Stadium on September 22, 2022 in Geelong, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

Williamstown 7.5 (47) lost to North Melbourne 7.7 (49)
7 Brittany Gibson (NM)
7 Jasmine Kawa (Wil)
7 Elizabeth McGrath (NM)
7 Ruby Tripodi (Wil)
2 Reni Hicks (NM)

Port Melbourne 1.4 (10) lost to Casey Demons 9.12 (66)
6 Sammie Johnson (Cas)
5 Eloise O’Connor (Cas)
4 Georgia Campbell (Cas)
4 Claire Dyett (PM)
3 Olivia Barton (PM)
3 Beth Wilson (PM)
2 Maeve Chaplin (Cas)
2 Isabella Simmons (Cas)
1 Mel Hogg (Cas)

Hawthorn 4.7 (31) drew Essendon 4.7 (31)
9 Isabelle Porter (Haw)
5 Abbey Holmes (Haw)
5 Georgia Nanscawen (Ess)
4 Joanne Doonan (Ess)
3 Bella Ayre (Ess)
3 Ainslie Kemp (Haw)
1 Amelia Radford (Ess)

Southern Saints 8.6 (54) def Carlton 3.5 (23)
7 Kayla Ripari (SS)
7 Alana Woodward (SS)
4 Tayla Kearns (SS)
4 Rebecca Neaves (SS)
3 Vanessa Murphy (Car)
3 Hannah Stuart (SS)
2 Madeleine Di Cosmo (Car)

ROUND 12 LEADERBOARD
60 Georgia Nanscawen (Ess) 5
57 Hannah Stuart (SS) 3
50 Laura Gardiner (Gee) dnp
49 Paige Sheppard (Gee) 6
43 Tamara Luke (Haw) 0
38 Aimee Whelan (Wil) dnp
37 Nicole Callinan (Dar) 1
37 Angelica Gogos (Dar) dnp
37 Amelia Radford (Ess) 1
37 Matilda Zander (Col) 5

ROUND 13

EIGHT players polled coaches’ votes for the first time in Round 13, making it a total of 227 who had polled votes to that point of the season.

In a head-to-head showdown that could have decided the award, Nanscawen (21 disposals, nine tackles) won six votes to again get the better of Stuart (23, six tackles), who got four votes as the Bombers beat the Saints by 10 points.

Sheppard (22, eight marks, seven tackles) moved into third spot with another four votes, but the big mover was Collingwood’s  Matilda Zander (24, five marks), who charged into fifth spot with a perfect 10 in the Magpies defeat of Port Melbourne.

Adelaide AFLW premiership player Scheer (27, eight tackles) polled her second consecutive 10, while Essendon’s Marianna Anthony (19, seven tackles), Hawthorn’s Jordan Mifsud (18, nine tackles, one goal v Darebin) and Casey Demon Eliza West (30, six tackles v Carlton) all grabbed nine votes.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 04: Paige Sheppard of the Swans handballs during the round two AFLW match between the Collingwood Magpies and the Sydney Swans at Victoria Park on September 04, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

rebel VFLW COACHES PLAYER OF THE YEAR VOTES

Southern Saints 4.2 (26) lost to Essendon 5.6 (36)
9 Marianna Anthony (Ess)
6 Georgia Nanscawen (Ess)
4 Hannah Stuart (SS)
4 Alana Woodward (SS)
3 Alana Barba (Ess)
3 Jordan Zanchetta (Ess)
1 Federica Frew (Ess)

Hawthorn 9.11 (65) def Darebin 2.0 (12)
9 Jordan Mifsud (Haw)
6 Kristy Stratton (Haw)
5 Grace McRae (Haw)
3 Ellie McLinden (Haw)
3 Jessie Williams (Haw)
2 Abbey Holmes (Haw)
1 Gena Lawson-Tavan (Dar)
1 Isabelle Porter (Haw)

Carlton 5.1 (31) lost to Casey Demons 9.12 (66)
9 Eliza West (Cas)
5 Lily Goss (Car)
5 Lucy Wales (Cas)
4 Megan Fitzsimon (Cas)
3 Jennifer Lew (Car)
2 Sammie Johnson (Cas)
1 Jorja Borg (Car)
1 Caitlin Conroy (Cas)

North Melbourne 8.2 (50) def Western Bulldogs 2.3 (15)
6 Annabel Scott (NM)
5 Elizabeth McGrath (NM)
5 Brooke Slaney (NM)
4 Eliza Vale (WB)
4 Nikita Wright (WB)
3 Reni Hicks (NM)
3 Emily Paterno (NM)

Matilda Zander of the Magpies is tackled by Victoria Blackwood of the Falcons during the round 10 VFLW match between Darebin Falcons and Collingwood Magpies at Preston City Oval on April 30, 2022. Picture: Kelly Defina/AFL Photos

Port Melbourne 5.2 (32) lost to Collingwood 6.5 (41)
10 Matilda Zander (Col)
6 Kate Adams (PM)
5 Elisabeth Jackson (Col)
4 Claire Dyett (PM)
3 Akayla Peterson (PM)
1 Courteney Bromage (PM)
1 Sarah King (Col)

Williamstown 2.5 (17) lost to Geelong 8.4 (52)
10 Chloe Scheer (Gee)
7 Mia Skinner (Gee)
4 Breanna Beckley (Gee)
4 Paige Sheppard (Gee)
4 Tamara Smith (Gee)
1 Cassie McWilliam (Wil)

ROUND 13 LEADERBOARD
66 Georgia Nanscawen (Ess) 6
61 Hannah Stuart (SS) 4
53 Paige Sheppard (Gee) 4
50 Laura Gardiner (Gee) dnp
47 Matilda Zander (Col) 10
43 Tamara Luke (Haw) 0
38 Aimee Whelan (Wil) dnp
37 Nicole Callinan (Dar) 0
37 Angelica Gogos (Dar) dnp
37 Amelia Radford (Ess) 0

ROUND 14

NANSCAWEN’s three votes for a low-possession but physical 14 disposals and 13 tackles against Casey Demons was enough to seal the award, with Stuart only able to add two votes for 19 possessions and six tackles in the Saints’ win over North Melbourne.

The top two when votes went behind closed doors maintained their positions, but only just, with the fast-finishing Sheppard ending up just one vote behind Stuart after snagging nine votes for 26 disposals and five marks in Geelong’s victory against Collingwood.

Magpie Zander’s roaring finish secured fourth spot when she added seven votes for 23 touches, seven marks and goal with veteran Darebin star Nicole Callinan (22, five marks, one goal, six votes) completing a great year and North Melbourne’s Annabel Scott (26, five marks, eight votes v Saints), Williamstown’s Ruby Tripodi (24, five tackles, nine votes v Hawthorn) and Casey captain Sammie Johnson (27, six tackles, nine votes v Essendon) all securing top 10 finishes with huge last-round performances.

Port Melbourne star Claire Dyett (28, seven marks, nine votes v Darebin) was the other star of the final round.

Seven players polled coaches’ votes for the first time in Round 14, making it a total of 234 to pick up votes for the 2022 seasons.

Ruby Tripodi of Williamstown kicks the ball during the round six VFLW match between Williamstown and Port Melbourne at Trevor Barker Beach Oval on March 26, 2022. Picture: Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos

rebel VFLW COACHES PLAYER OF THE YEAR VOTES

Hawthorn 5.7 (37) def Williamstown 3.5 (23)
9 Ruby Tripodi (Wil)
5 Emma Humphries (Haw)
5 Ainslie Kemp (Haw)
3 Jordan Mifsud (Haw)
3 Kristy Stratton (Haw)
2 Katelyn Cox (Haw)
2 Sophia McCarthy (Wil)
1 Mietta Kendall (Haw)

Essendon 4.3 (27) def Casey Demons 2.9 (21)
9 Samantha Johnson (Cas)
9 Eliza West (Cas)
4 Renee Tierney (Ess)
3 Georgia Nanscawen (Ess)
3 Steph Wales (Cas)
1 Mia-Rae Clifford (Ess)
1 Megan Fitzsimon (Cas)

Carlton 13.7 (85) def Western Bulldogs 0.2 (2)
8 Madeleine Di Cosmo (Car)
7 Amelia Klingbeil (Car)
6 Lily Goss (Car)
5 Steph Lawrence (Car)
2 Jamie-Lee Speakman (WB)
1 Melanie Freeman (WB)
1 Lucy Schneider (WB)

Collingwood 4.2 (26) lost to Geelong 6.9 (45)
9 Paige Sheppard (Gee)
7 Nicole Hales (Col)
7 Matilda Zander (Col)
5 Emily Ramsay (Gee)
1 Hannah Bowey (Col)
1 Mia Van Dyke (Gee)

Port Melbourne 3.6 (24) def Darebin 3.4 (22)
9 Claire Dyett (PM)
9 Kaitlyn O’Keefe (PM)
6 Nicole Callinan (Dar)
2 Nayely Borg (PM)
2 Gena Lawson-Tavan (Dar)
1 Lulu Beatty (Dar)
1 Jorja Livingstone (PM)

Southern Saints 6.11 (47) def North Melbourne 3.3 (21)
8 Annabel Scott (NM)
5 Ciara Fitzgerald (NM)
5 Chloe Saultry (SS)
4 Reni Hicks (NM)
4 Rebecca Neaves (SS)
2 Grace Buchan (SS)
2 Hannah Stuart (SS)

Claire Dyett of Port Melbourne in action during the VFLW First Elimination Final between the Port Melbourne and the Southern Saints at ETU Stadium on July 04, 2021. Picture: Graham Denholm/AFL Photos

rebel VFLW COACHES PLAYER OF THE YEAR
FINAL LEADERBOARD

69 Georgia Nanscawen (Essendon) 3 – WINNER
63 Hannah Stuart (Southern Saints) 2
62 Paige Sheppard (Geelong) 9
54 Matilda Zander (Collingwood) 7
50 Laura Gardiner (Geelong) dnp
43 Nicole Callinan (Darebin) 6
43 Tamara Luke (Hawthorn) dnp
43 Annabel Scott (North Melbourne) 8
43 Ruby Tripodi (Williamstown) 9
40 Samantha Johnson (Casey Demons) 9

Then followed:
38 Aimee Whelan (Wil)
37 Angelica Gogos (Dar); Amelia Radford (Ess)
34 Tahlia Fellows (Cas)
32 Amelia Klingbeil (Car)
31 Dom Carbone (Haw)
30 Lily Goss (Car); Elizabeth McGrath (NM)
29 Eliza Vale (WB)
28 Tamara Smith (Gee)
27 G Buchan, W Laing (SS)
26 F Frew (Ess)
24 K Stratton (Haw)
23 M Di Cosmo (Car); E Jackson (Col); J Mifsud (Haw); C Scheer (Gee)
22 N Hales (Col) ; J Zanchetta (Ess) ; A Woodward (SS); J Kawa (Wil)
21 D Marshall (Ess); R Caris (Gee); C Dyett (PM)
20 C Bunker (Col)
19 M Clifford, J Doonan (Ess); J Duffin (NM); S Locke (PM)
18 M Hogg, E West (Cas); R Tierney (Ess) ; J Williams (Haw); O Barton (PM)
17 B Tarrant (Cas); T Cunningham, J Richardson (Haw); R Hicks (NM); K O’Keefe (PM); S Whiting (Wil)
15 M Fitzsimon, L Wales (Cas); E Ashley-Cooper (Ess); M Skinner (Gee); N Garner (Haw)
14 H Bowey, K Lee (Col); T Kearns (SS); E Meade (Wil)
13 J Parry (Cas); M Anthony (Ess); K Cox, I Porter (Haw); E Morrison, L Schneider (WB)
12 G Campbell (Cas) ; L Szigeti (Haw); T Craven (NM); C Bromage (PM); G De Angelis (SS)
11 S Lawrence (Car); A Mifsud (Dar); B Deed, A Kemp (Haw); B Kennedy (Wil)
10 M Chaplin (Cas); S Frederick (Col); O Barber, C Leonard (Gee); M Macdonald (PM); B Gutknecht (WB); G Biedenweg-Webster, S McCarthy (Wil)
9 A Brown, M Caris (Cas); A Barba (Ess); C Fitzgerald, B Gibson, A Hamilton (NM); S Ford (PM); M Barnes (WB)
8 T Nicolaou (Car); N Celebre, G Lawson-Tavan, E Mackay (Dar); B Ayre (Ess); M Boyd, M Bragg, G Rankin (Gee); A Holmes, N von Bertouch (Haw); M Eastman (NM); L Cutting, R Neaves (SS)
7 L Magee, K Petrevski, S Wales (Cas); M DeMatteo, E O’Dea (Col); C McIntosh (Ess); B Beckley, P Scott (Gee); J Guy, J Mourney (NM); E Nixon, K Ripari, R Saulitis (SS); A Ling, N Wright (WB)
6 J Lew, P Schaap, A Thorneycroft (Car); E O’Connor (Cas); N Dojiok, O Meagher, M Neal (Col); V Blackwood, S Lynch (Dar); B Slaney, A Smith, E Paterno (NM); K Adams, A Peterson (PM); E Eaves (Wil)
5 A Lee, V Murphy (Car); M Gay (Cas); D Hallett (Col); E Coventry, M Cowan, E Ramsay, C Remmos (Gee); E Humphries, G McRae (Haw); G Nicholas, S Skinner (NM); A Burke, C Greiser, C Saultry, I Shannon (SS); M Purcell (WB)
4 A Bild, L Brazzale (Car); T Gillard (Cas); I Barnett, M Emond, J Lin (Col); M Meyer (Dar); I Hill (Gee); K Hay (Haw); D Bateman, E Maurer (NM); N Borg, S Molan (PM); A Hynes, G McLean (SS); T Delgado (WB); A Price (Wil)
3 M Guerin, B Gurr (Car); R Grant (Cas); A Morcom, C Ugle (Ess); S Di Giacomi (Gee); E McLinden, E Shannon (Haw); E Harley, ; B Wilson (PM); S Black (SS); M Freeman, M McLeod (WB)
2 J Borg, N Moore, E Wood (Car); A Dowler, E Horne, C McCrossan, I Simmons, B Woodcock (Cas); K McNiece, S Simpson (Dar); K Heil, N Julian, S Nalder (Ess); G Clarke (Gee); S Cameron, M Kendall (Haw); E Macdonald, A Melnikas, A O’Loughlin (NM); O Flanagan, D Jolliffe (SS); L Condon, B Hards, J Speakman (WB); E Baxter, E Cleland, S Long, E Straford (Wil)
1 I Milford (Car); B Borchard, C Conroy (Cas); S Camelleri, S King (Col); L Beatty, T Hurst (Dar); M Van Dyke, S Williams (Gee); J Anthony (Haw); H Ibrahim, J Jones (NM); S Dargan, L Davies, J Livingstone (PM); N Cormack, J Vogt (SS); I Barker, T Meier, H Scott, J Woods (WB); C McWilliam, A Sarec (Wil)

CLUB BY CLUB

CARLTON
32 Amelia Klingbeil
30 Lily Goss
23 Madeleine Di Cosmo
11 Steph Lawrence
8 Thomay Nicolaou
Votes 158; Players 19

CASEY DEMONS
40 Samantha Johnson
34 Tahlia Fellows
18 Melanie Hogg
18 Eliza West
17 Brenna Tarrant
Votes 261; Players 26

COLLINGWOOD
54 Matilda Zander
23 Elisabeth Jackson
22 Nicole Hales
20 Caitlin Bunker
14 Hannah Bowey
14 Katie Lee
Votes 208; Players 18

DAREBIN
43 Nicole Callinan
37 Angelica Gogos
11 Alyssa Mifsud
8 Naomi Celebre
8 Gena Lawson-Tavan
8 Emma Mackay
Votes 137; Players 13

ESSENDON
69 Georgia Nanscawen
37 Amelia Radford
26 Federica Frew
22 Jordan Zanchetta
21 Danielle Marshall
Votes 298; Players 19

GEELONG
62 Paige Sheppard
50 Laura Gardiner
28 Tamara Smith
23 Chloe Scheer
21 Rene Caris
Votes 285; Players 21

HAWTHORN
43 Tamara Luke
31 Dom Carbone
24 Kristy Stratton
23 Jordan Mifsud
18 Jessie Williams
Votes 289; Players 23

NORTH MELBOURNE
43 Annabel Scott
30 Elizabeth McGrath
19 Jess Duffin
17 Reni Hicks
12 Tess Craven
Votes 214; Players 23

PORT MELBOURNE
21 Claire Dyett
19 Sophie Locke
18 Olivia Barton
17 Kaitlyn O’Keefe
12 Courteney Bromage
Votes 125; Players 16

SOUTHERN SAINTS
63 Hannah Stuart
27 Grace Buchan
27 Winnie Laing
22 Alana Woodward
14 Tayla Kearns
Votes 239; Players 22

WESTERN BULLDOGS
29 Eliza Vale
13 Eliza Morrison
13 Lucy Schneider
10 Britney Gutknecht
9 Mikayla Barnes
Votes 113; Players 18

WILLIAMSTOWN
43 Ruby Tripodi
38 Aimee Whelan
22 Jasmine Kawa
17 Sharnie Whiting
14 Erin Meade
Votes 185; Players 16