Sport
16 September, 2025
Taylor, Grace claim WFNL best and fairest
Ararat’s Ben Taylor and Horsham Saints’ Ashlee Grace were awarded the highest honour in the Wimmera Football Netball League’s vote count and presentation night on Monday.
Ararat’s Ben Taylor and Horsham Saints’ Ashlee Grace were awarded the highest honour in the Wimmera Football Netball League’s vote count and presentation night on Monday.
Taylor took out the 2025 Toohey medal, awarded to senior football’s best and fairest player, while Grace took out her second straight Hatcher Medal as the best and fairest player in A grade netball.
Taylor, a key midfielder in Ararat’s 2025 minor premiership season, secured 20 votes in Monday night’s awards count, just beating out runner-up Billy Lloyd (Southern Mallee Thunder) by one vote.
Minyip Murtoa’s Luke Fisher and Stawell’s Paul Summers finished equal third with 17 votes.
Taylor was stunned at being awarded the league’s highest honour.
“It’s a pretty surreal feeling,” Taylor said.
“I kind of feel a little bit shocked, but at the same time, I know I just work my arse off.
“But I’m also extremely humbled and grateful.”
The Toohey medallist acknowledged that his side is keen to amend their semifinal loss in this week’s grand final against the Thunder.
“I’m pretty excited, pretty pumped,” Taylor said.
“What happened at Minyip the other week lit a massive fire under the team, so we’re really keen to get out there this weekend.”
Summers was awarded the leading goal kicker award, while Ararat’s Sonny Kettle was awarded best under-21 player.
In the A grade netball count, Grace was a runaway winner, compiling 33 votes, nine clear of Ararat’s Maggie Astbury, while the Thunder’s Steph Thomson was third with 20 votes.
The Saints captain admits she was counting the votes throughout, having just missed out on multiple occasions.
“I keep track when I am here,” Grace said.
“I knew we had the bye last round, and I had enough votes there with the last two rounds, so that was a bit of a bumper for me after the previous years of coming runner up by just a vote.
“It was comforting to know with two rounds to go, I had it in the bag.”
As well as praising her talented Saints teammates for their undefeated season ahead of their grand final against the Demons on Saturday, Grace credited coach Vernetta Taylor for helping her fall in love with the game again this year.
“I’ve played A grade for 10 years this year, but I think sometimes I just got into a lull, and I was playing good netball still, but not necessarily thinking I was, and then Vernetta set really high expectations of me, and that's what I thrive off,” Grace said.
“So it was fantastic to be able to have Vernetta as a coach, I've always looked up to her.
“She's got amazing attributes to her coaching, and I'm so lucky to have her as my coach.”
Saints’ Maddison Bethune took out the best under-21 A grade player for the second consecutive season, while teammate Jorja Clode was the leading goal shooter for 2025.
In the women’s football vote count, Laharum’s Emalie Iredell took out the best and fairest with nine votes in the nine-round season, with teammate Ruby Manson awarded the runner-up award with seven votes.
Ararat’s Alan Batchelor created history in winning the reserves' best and fairest award.
Batchelor won with 28 votes, with Nhill’s Timothy Bone taking runner-up with 23 votes, while Ararat’s Corey Taylor was the reserves’ leading goal kicker.
The award makes Batchelor the first player in Wimmera League history to win best and fairest in each of under-17s, senior and reserves football, having claimed the 2008 seniors best and fairest, and the under-17s award in 2003.
Warrack Eagles’ Jordan Heller was B-grade netball’s best and fairest, finishing with 25 votes, three ahead of runner-up Tamira Cullinan from Minyip Murtoa. Stawell’s Samantha Cook was the competition’s leading goal shooter.
C grade saw Horsham Saints’ Lottie Sordello comprehensively take out best and fairest with 30 votes, while Stawell’s Breanna Garreffa was runner up with 22 votes, two ahead of Horsham’s Georgie Hobbs. The Saints’ Kristy Robertson was the leading goal shooter.
Stawell’s Alexandra Cameron and Warrack’s Madison Heller shared the best and fairest award for C reserve as both finished with 14 votes, while Monique Emmett (Horsham Saints) was runner-up with 13 votes. Avya Robertson from Horsham finished as the competition’s leading goal shooter.
Horsham’s Pauline Butler was inducted as a life member of the WFNL.
In addition to their flurry of individual awards, Horsham Saints took out the club championship for the 2025 season.
Horsham’s Dan Smith was named the league’s netball coach of the year, while Ararat’s Tom Mills and Tom Williamson were awarded football coaches of the year for their undefeated season in seniors football.Ararat’s Ben Taylor and Horsham Saints’ Ashlee Grace were awarded the highest honour in the Wimmera Football Netball League’s vote count and presentation night on Monday.
Taylor took out the 2025 Toohey medal, awarded to senior football’s best and fairest player, while Grace took out her second straight Hatcher Medal as the best and fairest player in A grade netball.
Taylor, a key midfielder in Ararat’s 2025 minor premiership season, secured 20 votes in Monday night’s awards count, just beating out runner-up Billy Lloyd (Southern Mallee Thunder) by one vote.
Minyip Murtoa’s Luke Fisher and Stawell’s Paul Summers finished equal third with 17 votes.
Taylor was stunned at being awarded the league’s highest honour.
“It’s a pretty surreal feeling,” Taylor said.
“I kind of feel a little bit shocked, but at the same time, I know I just work my arse off.
“But I’m also extremely humbled and grateful.”
The Toohey medallist acknowledged that his side is keen to amend their semifinal loss in this week’s grand final against the Thunder.
“I’m pretty excited, pretty pumped,” Taylor said.
“What happened at Minyip the other week lit a massive fire under the team, so we’re really keen to get out there this weekend.”
Summers was awarded the leading goal kicker award, while Ararat’s Sonny Kettle was awarded best under-21 player.
In the A grade netball count, Grace was a runaway winner, compiling 33 votes, nine clear of Ararat’s Maggie Astbury, while the Thunder’s Steph Thomson was third with 20 votes.
The Saints captain admits she was counting the votes throughout, having just missed out on multiple occasions.
“I keep track when I am here,” Grace said.
“I knew we had the bye last round, and I had enough votes there with the last two rounds, so that was a bit of a bumper for me after the previous years of coming runner up by just a vote.
“It was comforting to know with two rounds to go, I had it in the bag.”
As well as praising her talented Saints teammates for their undefeated season ahead of their grand final against the Demons on Saturday, Grace credited coach Vernetta Taylor for helping her fall in love with the game again this year.
“I’ve played A grade for 10 years this year, but I think sometimes I just got into a lull, and I was playing good netball still, but not necessarily thinking I was, and then Vernetta set really high expectations of me, and that's what I thrive off,” Grace said.
“So it was fantastic to be able to have Vernetta as a coach, I've always looked up to her.
“She's got amazing attributes to her coaching, and I'm so lucky to have her as my coach.”
Saints’ Maddison Bethune took out the best under-21 A grade player for the second consecutive season, while teammate Jorja Clode was the leading goal shooter for 2025.
In the women’s football vote count, Laharum’s Emalie Iredell took out the best and fairest with nine votes in the nine-round season, with teammate Ruby Manson awarded the runner-up award with seven votes.
Ararat’s Alan Batchelor created history in winning the reserves' best and fairest award.
Batchelor won with 28 votes, with Nhill’s Timothy Bone taking runner-up with 23 votes, while Ararat’s Corey Taylor was the reserves’ leading goal kicker.
The award makes Batchelor the first player in Wimmera League history to win best and fairest in each of under-17s, senior and reserves football, having claimed the 2008 seniors best and fairest, and the under-17s award in 2003.
Warrack Eagles’ Jordan Heller was B-grade netball’s best and fairest, finishing with 25 votes, three ahead of runner-up Tamira Cullinan from Minyip Murtoa. Stawell’s Samantha Cook was the competition’s leading goal shooter.
C grade saw Horsham Saints’ Lottie Sordello comprehensively take out best and fairest with 30 votes, while Stawell’s Breanna Garreffa was runner up with 22 votes, two ahead of Horsham’s Georgie Hobbs. The Saints’ Kristy Robertson was the leading goal shooter.
Stawell’s Alexandra Cameron and Warrack’s Madison Heller shared the best and fairest award for C reserve as both finished with 14 votes, while Monique Emmett (Horsham Saints) was runner-up with 13 votes. Avya Robertson from Horsham finished as the competition’s leading goal shooter.
Horsham’s Pauline Butler was inducted as a life member of the WFNL.
In addition to their flurry of individual awards, Horsham Saints took out the club championship for the 2025 season.
Horsham’s Dan Smith was named the league’s netball coach of the year, while Ararat’s Tom Mills and Tom Williamson were awarded football coaches of the year for their undefeated season in seniors football.Ararat’s Ben Taylor and Horsham Saints’ Ashlee Grace were awarded the highest honour in the Wimmera Football Netball League’s vote count and presentation night on Monday.
Taylor took out the 2025 Toohey medal, awarded to senior football’s best and fairest player, while Grace took out her second straight Hatcher Medal as the best and fairest player in A grade netball.
Taylor, a key midfielder in Ararat’s 2025 minor premiership season, secured 20 votes in Monday night’s awards count, just beating out runner-up Billy Lloyd (Southern Mallee Thunder) by one vote.
Minyip Murtoa’s Luke Fisher and Stawell’s Paul Summers finished equal third with 17 votes.
Taylor was stunned at being awarded the league’s highest honour.
“It’s a pretty surreal feeling,” Taylor said.
“I kind of feel a little bit shocked, but at the same time, I know I just work my arse off.
“But I’m also extremely humbled and grateful.”
The Toohey medallist acknowledged that his side is keen to amend their semifinal loss in this week’s grand final against the Thunder.
“I’m pretty excited, pretty pumped,” Taylor said.
“What happened at Minyip the other week lit a massive fire under the team, so we’re really keen to get out there this weekend.”
Summers was awarded the leading goal kicker award, while Ararat’s Sonny Kettle was awarded best under-21 player.
In the A grade netball count, Grace was a runaway winner, compiling 33 votes, nine clear of Ararat’s Maggie Astbury, while the Thunder’s Steph Thomson was third with 20 votes.
The Saints captain admits she was counting the votes throughout, having just missed out on multiple occasions.
“I keep track when I am here,” Grace said.
“I knew we had the bye last round, and I had enough votes there with the last two rounds, so that was a bit of a bumper for me after the previous years of coming runner up by just a vote.
“It was comforting to know with two rounds to go, I had it in the bag.”
As well as praising her talented Saints teammates for their undefeated season ahead of their grand final against the Demons on Saturday, Grace credited coach Vernetta Taylor for helping her fall in love with the game again this year.
“I’ve played A grade for 10 years this year, but I think sometimes I just got into a lull, and I was playing good netball still, but not necessarily thinking I was, and then Vernetta set really high expectations of me, and that's what I thrive off,” Grace said.
“So it was fantastic to be able to have Vernetta as a coach, I've always looked up to her.
“She's got amazing attributes to her coaching, and I'm so lucky to have her as my coach.”
Saints’ Maddison Bethune took out the best under-21 A grade player for the second consecutive season, while teammate Jorja Clode was the leading goal shooter for 2025.
In the women’s football vote count, Laharum’s Emalie Iredell took out the best and fairest with nine votes in the nine-round season, with teammate Ruby Manson awarded the runner-up award with seven votes.
Ararat’s Alan Batchelor created history in winning the reserves' best and fairest award.
Batchelor won with 28 votes, with Nhill’s Timothy Bone taking runner-up with 23 votes, while Ararat’s Corey Taylor was the reserves’ leading goal kicker.
The award makes Batchelor the first player in Wimmera League history to win best and fairest in each of under-17s, senior and reserves football, having claimed the 2008 seniors best and fairest, and the under-17s award in 2003.
Warrack Eagles’ Jordan Heller was B-grade netball’s best and fairest, finishing with 25 votes, three ahead of runner-up Tamira Cullinan from Minyip Murtoa. Stawell’s Samantha Cook was the competition’s leading goal shooter.
C grade saw Horsham Saints’ Lottie Sordello comprehensively take out best and fairest with 30 votes, while Stawell’s Breanna Garreffa was runner up with 22 votes, two ahead of Horsham’s Georgie Hobbs. The Saints’ Kristy Robertson was the leading goal shooter.
Stawell’s Alexandra Cameron and Warrack’s Madison Heller shared the best and fairest award for C reserve as both finished with 14 votes, while Monique Emmett (Horsham Saints) was runner-up with 13 votes. Avya Robertson from Horsham finished as the competition’s leading goal shooter.
Horsham’s Pauline Butler was inducted as a life member of the WFNL.
In addition to their flurry of individual awards, Horsham Saints took out the club championship for the 2025 season.
Horsham’s Dan Smith was named the league’s netball coach of the year, while Ararat’s Tom Mills and Tom Williamson were awarded football coaches of the year for their undefeated season in seniors football.
