League Preview | IS this the year the historical dominance of the BFNL’s Betty Thompson Medal by midcourters and defenders ends?

Only time will tell as the league prepares to honour its fairest and best A-grade netballer this Sunday night at its annual awards night at the Bendigo Club.

Amid a quality crop of class midcourters, led by Kangaroo Flat’s two-time winner Chelsea Sartori, her Roos teammate Ash Ryan and Sandhurst’s young gun Shae Clifford, and brilliant defenders, Kangaroo Flat’s former Melbourne Vixens sharpshooter Ruby Barkmeyer and South Bendigo powerhouse Gabe Richards will start among the favourites.

But history will be against Barkmeyer and Richards, and the likes of Sandhurst’s four-time premiership star Bec Smith (the only goaler in the top 10 of last year’s voting) and young guns Torie Skrijel (Gisborne), Chloe Langley (Eaglehawk) and Mia McCrann-Peters (Golden Square), all proven vote getters in this and other competitions.

It has been 19 years since a permanent goal shooter last won the BFNL’s top individual netball award.

The last one was Kangaroo Flat’s Joanne Brown, who won the medal in 2006.

Back-to-back wins in 2023 and ’24 by Sartori continued a long tradition of midcourters claiming the prize.

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