On Friday, September 10, a decision was made to call off the remainder of the Mininera and District Netball Association season due to COVID-19 restrictions on community sport.
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As a result, the MDNA best and fairest awards were held through Zoom on Sunday, September 19.
The league announced the best and fairest and leading goal scorers from A Grade through to the under 15s age group.
A Grade best and fairest winner Taylah Fisher won her first Mininera league best and fairest award.
It was her second best and fairest award, winning the 2012 B Grade Central Highlands League best and fairest while playing for the Springbank Tigers.
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Fisher was "shocked" she won the award, with the high calibre of players in the league.
"I was completely shocked to be honest, I had completely forgotten about the vote count," she said.
"I was watching a movie and my good friend Angela (Brain) who plays at SMW Rovers, who is also the netball coordinator, messaged me and said you better jump on your in the lead.
"I didn't expect it at all, it does mean a lot, we have a lot of strong and talented players in the league with the likes of Kelly Sommerville. It does mean a lot, there a lot of other girls who are at the top who also deserve to win.
"I am very proud of my achievements, I did work hard and I guess my hard work paid off."
Fisher was raised in Stratham and has played the majority of her netball at SMW Rovers since she was seven years old.
"I did go away for a couple of years and play for Springbank in the Central Highlands League in Ballarat, won a premiership in that league as well which was a good achievement," she said.
"I am now back at the Rovers and I just love these girls.
"It's good to have that bunch of girls which I grew up with, they are like my family out there, because I've been out there for so long."
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Despite the season being cut short, Fisher is grateful she was able to get back on the court and a feel a slight sense of normality.
"It was obviously really hard with the stop start this season and coming off a season where we didn't play last year, it didn't help with motivation at all," she said.
"You have to switch your mind to how lucky we are to actually be out there on the court and playing, makes it a lot more fun.
The motivation of being able to spend more time with the girls, socialise and get out there and just play really helped."
Fisher believes the Rovers have a lot of improvement left in them and will continue to rise up the ladder in season 2022.
"We are definitely improving, I think this is just the beginning for us to start climbing our way up the ladder," she said.
"Hopefully it's just the beginning of our little comeback.
We have a young team, up and coming that's definitely going to strive and we are only going to work our way up the ladder."
A Grade:
Best and fairest winner: 20 votes Taylah Fisher (SMW Rovers)
Top scorer: 422 goals Eve Duckmanton (Glenthompson Dunkeld FNL)
Top 5:
1st 20 votes: Taylah Fisher (SMW Rovers FNC)
2nd 18 votes: Kellie Sommerville (Glenthompson Dunkeld FNL)
3rd 14 votes: Maggie Astbury (Tatyoon FNL)
4th 13 votes: Eve Duckmanton (Glenthompson Dunkeld FNL)
4th 13 votes: Amy Jackson (Wickliffe Lake Bolac FNC)
B Grade:
Best and fairest winner: 23 votes Melanie Robertson (Penshurst FNC)
Top scorer: 311 goals Casey Rooke (Penshurst FNL)
Top 5:
1st 23 votes: Melanie Robertson (Penshurst FNC)
2nd 19 votes: Leah Drendell (Hawkesdale Macarthur FNC)
2nd 19 votes: Ally Gordon (Glenthompson Dunkeld FNL)
3rd 13 votes: Shona McGuigan (Woorndoo Mortlake FNC)
4th 11 votes: Brodie Humphrey (Woorndoo Mortlake FNC)
C Grade:
Best and fairest winner: 20 votes
Sarah Gordon (Glenthompson Dunkheld FNL)
Erin McGuigan (Worndoo Mortlake FNL)
Top scorer: 206 goals Hannah Maxwell (Ararat Eagles FNL)
Top 5:
1st 20 votes: Sarah Gordon (Glenthompson Dunkheld FNL)
1st 20 votes: Erin McGuigan (Worndoo Mortlake FNL)
2nd 18 votes: Kate Keilar (Moyston Willaura FNC)
3rd 17 votes: Kylie Habel (Hawkesdale Macarthur FNC)
4th 16 votes: Hannah Maxwell (Ararat Eagles FNL)
Under 18s:
Best and fairest winner: 19 votes Georgia Richardson (Tatyoon FNL)
Top scorer: 183 goals Josephine Gubbins (Carmut FNL)
Top 5:
1st: 19 votes Georgia Richardson (Tatyoon FNC)
2nd: 17 votes Jessica Field (Glenthompson Dunkeld FNL)
3rd: 12 votes Olivia Anagnostou (Glenthompson Dunkeld FNL)
3rd: 12 votes: Laine Kelly (Penshurst FNC)
3rd: 12 votes: Maddison Sharrock (Hawkesdale Macarthur FNC)
Under 15s:
Best and fairest winner: 23 votes Elise Killen (Worndoo Mortlake FNL)
Top scorer: 180 goals Elise Killen (Worndoo Mortlake FNL)
Top 5:
1st: 23 votes Elise Kilen (Worndoo Mortlake FNL)
2nd: 17 votes Choe Frost (Glenthompson Dunkeld FNL)
2nd: 17 votes Emily Kelly (Great Western FNC)
3rd: 15 votes: Amelia Fleming (Great Western FNC)
3rd: 15 votes: Stella Horspoll (Lismore Derrinallum NC)
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