THE AFL Players' Association has revealed the Blues' MVP Award nominees for season seven.
Abbie McKay, Breann Moody and Mimi Hill have been named as the Club’s nominees for the AFLW Most Valuable Player Award, while Keeley Skepper, Mua Laloifi and Kerryn Peterson have been nominated in the Best First-Year Player, Most Courageous and Best Captain categories respectively.
Voting for the awards is a two-stage process, with players nominating their teammates in stage one before selecting from a competition-wide field in stage two.
Players cannot vote for a player from their own club during stage two of the voting process.
One of the competition’s most improved players, McKay averaged 20.7 disposals, 11.6 contested possessions, 4.8 clearances and 7.4 tackles in season seven.
She was one of four Navy Blue inclusions in the AFLPA 22under22 squad (with the final team to be announced tomorrow) and one of Carlton’s most consistent performers, tallying AFLCA votes in six games as the highest-polling Blue.
Hill was her side’s highest ball winner across the season, averaging 23.2 disposals per game (10.8 contested), four clearances and 2.3 score involvements.
She polled AFLCA votes across six games, finishing just two votes shy of midfield partner McKay in the final count, and also earned selection in the AFLPA 22under22 squad.
Rounding out Carlton’s nominations, All-Australian squad member Moody put together another outstanding season, sitting third overall in the league for hitouts per game (averaging 22.8), while claiming the highest average contested possessions (3.5), contested marks (1.3) and metres gained (217.5) across the competition’s rucks.
At season's end she sat first on the Blues’ goal-kicking table (with six goals), and finished equal-highest for score involvements (averaging 2.3) alongside Hill.
Nominated for Best First-Year Player, Skepper pieced together a campaign beyond her years in her debut season, averaging 10.9 disposals, 2.2 marks, 2.3 score involvements and 234.9 metres gained.
She made her mark in Round 4, receiving a Rising Star nomination when she picked up 14 disposals, three tackles and contributed a team-high 384 metres gained in just her third game for the Blues.
Laloifi’s courage was on display week in and week out, with the defender putting her body on the line throughout season seven to earn Carlton’s nomination for Most Courageous Player.
She was a rock in defence for the Blues as she led her side for intercept possessions (averaging 7.4 per game), clearing her own career-best in Round 5 and setting a Carlton AFLW record in the process, with 14.
In her second season as sole captain and fourth overall as skipper, Peterson led from the front as she took on a new challenge in season seven, straying from her customary position marshalling the backline and playing further up the ground.
The award winners will recognised at an AFLPA event on Wednesday 23 November and announced across the AFLPA’s social media channels.
Carlton
MVP: Abbie McKay, Breann Moody, Mimi Hill
Best First-Year Player: Keeley Skepper
Most Courageous: Mua Laloifi
Best Captain: Kerryn Peterson
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