AFLW star Garner ties Kangas record with latest honour

AFLW premiership star Jasmine Garner has taken out her fifth best-and-fairest at the Kangaroos. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)

North Melbourne star Jasmine Garner has completed another outstanding individual campaign by claiming the AFLW premiers' best-and-fairest award.

In one of football's great mysteries, Garner has regularly failed to poll high tallies of votes from umpires in the league's best-and-fairest award.

The trend continued this year, when the seven-time All-Australian finished equal-ninth in voting behind Adelaide's Ebony Marinoff.

But Garner is widely regarded as one of the best players of the women's competition's formative years and has now been named North Melbourne's best player five times.

The 30-year-old's latest nod comes after she was voted best afield in the Kangaroos' 30-point demolition of Brisbane in last Saturday night's grand final.

Garner tallied 35 disposals, 22 contested possessions, 13 tackles and 10 clearances in a monster performance as North Melbourne hoisted the premiership cup for the first time.

Afterwards, coach Darren Crocker paid tribute to his star midfielder, who is also a three-time AFL Coaches Association champion player, two-time AFL Players Association MVP and two-time All-Australian captain.

"She's a generational player," Crocker said.

"We'll look back in 50 years' time on this period of AFLW and Jas Garner will be right at the very top of the tree as one of the best players in the AFLW's infancy.

"She just continues to keep getting better, and I just love her as a player but also as a person."

Garner averaged 26.7 disposals, 7.6 tackles, 6.3 clearances and one goal across her 14 games in 2024 as North Melbourne won the flag undefeated.

Jasmine Garner (centre).
Jasmine Garner (centre) was voted best on ground in the Kangaroos' grand final win over Brisbane.

She polled 211 votes in Thursday night's best-and-fairest count, ahead of fellow midfielder Ash Riddell (191) and defender Sarah Wright (160).

Riddell also finished second behind Marinoff in the league's best-and-fairest.

Garner joins retired AFL games record-holder Brent Harvey as the only North Melbourne players to have won five club best-and-fairest awards.

License this article

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

What is AAPNews?
The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

AAPNews Morning Wire
AAPNews Breaking News
Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.


Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

AAPNews Focussed Content
Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

AAPNews Full Access Plan
Full Access
AU$10
  • Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
  • Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
  • Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics
Join Now
AAPNews Student Access Plan
Student Access
AU$5
  • Gain access via a verified student email account
  • Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
  • Subscription renews each month
Join Now
AAPNews Annual Access Plan
Annual Access
AU$99
  • All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
  • Subscription automatically renews after 12 months
Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE
Download the app
Download AAPNews on the App StoreDownload AAPNews on the Google Play Store