Midfielder Charlie Rowbottom has capped off a remarkable second AFLW season, winning her inaugural Gold Coast SUNS AFLW Club Champion.
After finishing second in Season Six by a single vote to Alison Drennan, Rowbottom clinched the Season Seven award with 279 votes ahead of Drennan (240) and first-time place-getter Claudia Whitfort (237).
The 19-year-old played all 10 matches for the SUNS and led the club for disposals (22.5 per game), clearances (6.2 per game), tackles (6.9 per game) whilst also finishing fifth in the league for contested possessions (13.7 per game).
Yet to miss a match since debuting in Round 1 last season and admired as a player striving to continually improve, Rowbottom showed experience beyond her years with several dominant performances in the midfield for the SUNS.
She recorded at least eight contested possessions in every match whilst also earning a reputation as a prolific ball winner, including a 30-disposal game in Round 4 against St Kilda – a performance that also included 17 contested possessions and nine tackles.
Rowbottom’s achievement comes after the 19-year-old also finished a career-high seventh in the AFL Coaches’ Association AFLW Champion Player of the Year award earlier this week.
The Club Champion Award was voted on by the AFLW coaching panel, with the Head Coach and three Assistant Coaches assigning players a score from one to 10 based on their efforts during each particular game. The maximum votes a player can receive from any one match is 40 votes.
Season 7 Award Winners:
Club Champion: Charlie Rowbottom
Club Champion Runner-Up: Alison Drennan
Club Champion Third Place: Claudia Whitfort
Players’ Player – Presented by Mackay Regional Council: Georgia Clayden
Most Professional – Presented by KKTC: Bess Keaney
Coach’s Award – Presented by TFH Hire Services: Jac Dupuy
Leading Goalkickers – Presented by Hivita: Tara Bohanna & Courtney Jones
2022 AFLW Club Champion Top 10:
- Charlie Rowbottom (279)
2. Alison Drennan (240)
3. Claudia Whitfort (237)
4. Vivien Saad (214)
5. Lauren Bella (212)
=6. Lauren Ahrens (210)
=6. Daisy D’Arcy (210)
8. Jac Dupuy (208)
9. Bess Keaney (185)
10. Tara Bohanna (182)
