STAR Mildura shooter Jess McNamara was rewarded for a season of consistently strong SFNL performances when she was named the A-grade netball’s best-and-fairest player of the year.
The Dees’ playing co-coach won the coveted Jackie Horkings Medal with 25 votes, edging Wentworth playing coach Amanda Edwards and Ouyen United defensive rock Catherine Brown by two votes.
Most of the unbeaten Roos’ starting side polled strongly, which took votes away from Edwards, the league’s dominant goal scorer.
Star Roos defender Natalie Vercher finished with 19 votes and teammate Lizzy Rowe snared 12.
Merbein ace Stephanie White and Imperials’ Meg McManus also polled well, finishing with 17 votes.
McNamara set up her medal win with a blistering opening to the season.
In the first seven rounds, she secured five three-vote games. She then had another two best-on-court games in the run home to finals to seal the Horkings Medal.
McNamara’s co-coach, Sharon Watson, picked up 15 votes and Dees’ young gun Ava Zadow netted 14.
The Dees were knocked out in last weekend’s preliminary final by defending premiers Ouyen United, whose next-best vote winner after Brown was Ellen Morrish (11).
The Kangas will face an uphill battle on Saturday when they come up against the unbeaten Roos in the grand final from noon at Mildura Sporting Precinct.
