Coastal Titans teammates Kiara Bowers and Emma King were announced joint winners of the 2016 WA Women’s Football League Dhara Kerr Fairest and Best Award during a presentation dinner on Monday, August 22.
It was the fifth WAWFL Fairest and Best award for Kiara Bowers and Emma King's first, with both players polling 21 votes each.
East Fremantle’s Brianna Green finished runner-up with 20 votes followed by Kara Donnellan from Swan Districts with 19 votes.
Bowers and King were both recently selected as marquee players in the new AFL women’s league, Bowers going Fremantle Football Club and King to Collingwood on the back of their standout WAWFL seasons and performances in the AFL Women’s Exhibition Series.
They were among eight WA women who filled half of the 16 marquee player slots for AFL women’s teams that will commence competition in 2017.
The AFL clubs will fill the remainder of their 25-player squads via lottery-style state drafts in early October, with players from the strong WAWFL talent pool expected to feature prominently.
Dhara Kerr Fairest and Best Award
21 votes – Kiara Bowers (Coastal Titans)
21 votes – Emma King (Coastal Titans)
20 votes – Brianna Green (East Fremantle)
19 votes – Kara Donnellan (Swan Districts)
12 votes – Melissa Caulfield (East Fremantle)
12 votes – Renee Forth (Coastal Titans)
10 votes – Hayley Miller (Coastal Titans)
9 votes – Lara Filocamo (Coastal Titans)
9 votes – Courtney Ugle (Swan Districts)
Other award winners announced on Monday night included Jennifer Homes from Perth Angels who won the 2016 Reserves Fairest and Best Award and was also nominated as the Reserves Rising Star.
The 2016 Lynette Smith Volunteer of the Year Award was won by Sally Allomes from South Fremantle.
Jasmin Stewart from Claremont Women's Football Club won the Cath Boyce Rookie of the Year.
The 2016 Joanne Huggins Leading Goal Scorer Award went to Coastal Titans player Amy Lavell, while Joondalup Women's Football Club player Tyhara Garlett won the Reserves Leading Goal Scorer Award.
Photo: Kiara Bowers and Emma King accept the Dhara Kerr Fairest and Best Award.