Defenders reign in Strikers’ championship and 23-and-under best and fairests
BY KIERAN ILES
BENDIGO TIMES
YOUNG gun defender Charlotte Sexton capped a massive week by taking out the Bendigo Strikers’ championship best and fairest for the second year in a row.
Presented on Saturday night at the La Trobe University Bendigo Campus LSU Gallery, former Sandhurst star Sexton claimed the club’s top individual award by polling votes 42 votes.
It was two out for two the defenders in the upper-echelon of the VNL, with Eliza Mooney upstaging league MVP Shae Clifford to win the 23-and-under best and fairest award in her debut season for the Strikers.
Sexton - the club’s inaugural championship best and fairest in 2024 - finished five votes clear of vice-captain Zoe Davies and goal attack Teal Hocking, who tied as joint runners-up.
Davies and Hocking play BFNL netball with Gisborne and Kangaroo Flat respectively.
Goal shooter Gabe Richards (South Bendigo) - who shared the best player in finals award with goaling partner Hocking - Milly Wicks (Kangaroo Flat) and Ruby Turner (Sandhurst) rounded out the top six.
Her second Strikers best and fairest award was the third of three major honours during the week for Sexton, a training partner with Suncorp Super Netball premier Melbourne Vixens this season.
On Wednesday night, she was among six of the club’s players named in VNL teams of the year.
Less than 24 hours later, Sexton was selected in the 12-player Australian team for the Netball World Youth Cup in Gibraltar this September.
Accepting her second Strikers best and fairest, the 21-year-old praised the support of her teammates and coaches, the Strikers board and her parents.
“We had an amazing season this year; we really pushed ourselves,” she said.
“It was amazing to see what we can put out there on the court.”
Sexton said back-to-back Strikers best and fairests was an achievement of which she was immensely proud.
“I wasn’t expecting it at all, but I am very grateful,” she said.
“It was definitely a stronger team this year than the first season, with all the recruits we had.
“The inclusion of Gabe was amazing; she was so solid for us in attack and always an option.
“And Zoe really brought that intensity in defence. I really loved working with her.
“We built a good connection in defence and we were really able to convert a lot of balls and turn over a lot of goals.
“And Emma Walters, she’s got so much experience. She was a level-head in attack and you can always rely on her.
“I really like where the club is heading.”
A share of the runner-up award gave Hocking, also named in the VNL team of the year, consecutive top two finishes in the championship best and fairest.
Captain Chelsea Sartori and fellow midcourter Ash Ryan (both Kangaroo Flat)shared the players’ player award.
Named during the week in the VNL 23-and-under team of the year, Mooney polled 44 votes to win the club best and fairest award.
The 23-and-under vote count also produced joint runners-up, with league MVP Clifford (Sandhurst) and goal attack Mia McCrann-Peters (Golden Square) tying on 32 votes.
The same two players finished first and second in last year’s best and fairest count, won by Clifford.
A big season for Mooney, who travels each week from Wodonga to train in Bendigo and play in Melbourne, included representing Victoria at 19-and-under level at the national championships in Sydney during April.
This season was her first in the VNL.
After making a successful leap from a development player in 2024 to a 23-and-under standout this season, Jorja Clode was voted best in finals for her 42-goal (at 95.45 per cent) performance in the team’s first final against Geelong Cougars.
Vice-captain Elsie Boyer and Mackenzie O’Dwyer (third last year) were voted joint winners of the players’ player award, and along with Clode, rounded out the top six in the best and fairest.
A new initiative for the Strikers this season, the VNL Reserves team’s most valuable player award was won by goal shooter Claire McGee.
Recently selected in the top 50 players in contention for a spot in next year’s Victorian state 19-and-under team, Sandhurst’s McGee was rewarded for her consistency with a 23-and-under debut against Gippsland Stars in round eight.
Keira Lawry (Golden Square) was the runner-up ahead of fellow defender Alice Kain, from Ballarat league club Sebastopol.
Harriett Whiteacre (Sandhurst), who played a handful of VNL Reserves games and a full season in the 23-and-unders, Kaleisha Pell and Daisy Stringer (Golden Square) completed the top six.
The huge contribution of physiotherapist and primary carer Tia Shaw was acknowledged with the Strikers club award.
2025 HONOUR ROLL
CHAMPIONSHIP
Best and fairest: Charlotte Sexton
Runner-up: Zoe Davies and Teal Hocking
Best in finals: Teal Hocking and Gabe Richards
Players’ player award: Chelsea Sartori and Ash Ryan
23-AND UNDER
Best and fairest: Eliza Mooney
Runner-up: Shae Clifford and Mia McCrann-Peters
Best in finals: Jorja Clode
Players’ player award: Elsie Boyer and Mackenzie O’Dwyer
VNL RESERVES
MVP: Claire McGee
Runner-up: Keira Lawry
Players’ player award: Alice Kain
Strikers club award: Tia Shaw
VNL TEAM OF THE YEAR
Championship: Zoe Davies, Teal Hocking, Charlotte Sexton, Emma Walters.
23-and-under: Shae Clifford (league MVP), Eliza Mooney
GAMES MILESTONES
150 VNL games - Bridgette Vos (Furphy) and Zoe Davies
100 VNL games - Chloe Langley
50 VNL games - Charlotte Sexton, Mia McCrann-Peters, Emma Walters, Heather Oliver, Ruby Turner
Photo credit: Spinkscapes
