West Coast Fever’s Nat Medhurst has capped off a brilliant 2018 Suncorp Super Netball season, by taking out Netball Scoop’s Super Netball Player of the Year award.
It might have been a tough couple of years for Medhurst, but her stellar form this year has helped Fever to this weekend’s Super Netball Grand Final.
Many will point to the signing of Jhaniele Fowler as the major reason behind Fever’s surge up the ladder this year. And that is no doubt true. But the height, size and skill of their star recruit could have come to nought without Medhurst’s experience and playmaking ability.
During the regular season, Medhurst racked up 394 goal assists – 150 more than the next goal attack on the list. In Netball Scoop’s voting, she was voted best on court on five occasions.
Finishing just behind Medhurst was a group of players who all had strong seasons for their respective clubs.
Melbourne Vixens’ Liz Watson also received the maximum three votes on five occasions. With an incredible tally of 426 assists and 308 centre pass receives, Watson’s tireless efforts saw her poll 17 votes. In one hot streak of form from rounds 7 to 11, she picked up 12 votes.
Equal-second on 17 votes was Gretel Tippett, who was more prolific and accurate than previous seasons, featuring among the Firebirds’ best on a regular basis. She was voted best on court twice, but polled votes in nine of the 14 rounds – the most of any player in the competition.
Sunshine Coast Lightning’s Karla Pretorius finished fourth on 16 votes, polling votes in eight matches. Pretorius has been a menacing presence all year – her amazing speed and reflexes led to her topping the intercept count (40) for the home and away season.
Giants captain Kim Green was atop the leader board for much of the year, finishing fifth with 14 votes. Her sublime skills in attack produced 338 goal assists during the rounds. Her form, along with that of teammate Jo Harten (13 votes), was a major reason for the Giants once again being a force in this year’s competition.
Netball Scoop’s 2017 Player of the Year, Lightning captain Geva Mentor, had another good season and finished equal 11th with 9 votes.
Final Vote Count
19 votes: Nat Medhurst
17 votes: Gretel Tippett, Liz Watson
16 votes: Karla Pretorius
14 votes: Kim Green
13 votes: Jo Harten
11 votes: Kelsey Browne, Jhaniele Fowler, Jamie-Lee Price, Maddy Proud
9 votes: Ash Brazill, Courtney Bruce, Serena Guthrie, Sarah Klau, Geva Mentor, Steph Wood
8 votes: Helen Housby, Kate Shimmin, Gabi Simpson
7 votes: Laura Geitz, Mwai Kumwenda, Caitlyn Nevins
6 votes: Jess Anstiss, Kadie-Ann Dehaney, Caitlin Thwaites, Sam Wallace
5 votes: Mahalia Cassidy, Stacey Francis, Sophie Garbin, Tara Hinchliffe, Sharni Layton
4 votes: Bec Bulley, Kim Jenner
3 votes: Erin Bell, Shae Brown, Verity Charles, Emily Mannix, Maddy McAuliffe, Shimona Nelson, Susan Pettitt
2 votes: Caitlin Bassett, Paige Hadley, Kate Moloney, Madi Robinson
1 vote: Aril Brandley, Kristina Brice, Charlee Hodges, Renae Ingles, Tegan Philip, Chelsea Pitman, Laura Scherian, Maddy Turner
Top Votes By Team
West Coast Fever: Nat Medhurst (19 votes)
Queensland Firebirds: Gretel Tippett (17 votes)
Melbourne Vixens: Liz Watson (17 votes)
Sunshine Coast Lightning: Karla Pretorius (16 votes)
Giants: Kim Green (14 votes)
NSW Swifts: Maddy Proud (11 votes)
Collingwood Magpies: Ash Brazill (9 votes)
Adelaide Thunderbirds: Kate Shimmin (8 votes)
Round By Round Votes
ROUND 1
VIXENS v MAGPIES: 3 M.Kumwenda (Vix), 2 A.Brazill (Mag), 1 K.Moloney (Vix)
THUNDERBIRDS v FEVER: 3 J.Fowler (Fev), 2 S.Nelson (Thu), 1 C.Pitman (Thu)
GIANTS v LIGHTNING: 3 K.Green (Gia), 2 R.Bulley (Gia), 1 K.Pretorius (Lig)
SWIFTS v FIREBIRDS: 3 S.Garbin (Swi), 2 H.Housby (Swi), 1 L.Geitz (Fir)
Leaders: J.Fowler, S.Garbin, K.Green, M.Kumwenda (3 votes)
ROUND 2
THUNDERBIRDS v GIANTS: 3 J-L.Price (Gia), 2 S.Guthrie (Gia), 1 K.Brice (Gia)
FEVER v MAGPIES: 3 J.Fowler (Fev), 2 N.Medhurst (Fev), 1 S.Francis (Fev)
FIREBIRDS v LIGHTNING: 3 T.Hinchliffe (Fir), 2 K.Pretorius (Lig), 1 G.Tippett (Fir)
VIXENS v SWIFTS: 3 S.Klau (Swi), 2 L.Watson (Vix), 1 S.Wallace (Swi)
Leader: J.Fowler (6 votes)
ROUND 3
VIXENS v FIREBIRDS: 3 G.Simpson (Fir), 2 M.Cassidy (Fir), 1 T.Philip (Vix)
LIGHTNING v FEVER: 3 C.Bruce (Fev), 2 K.Pretorius (Lig), 1 G.Mentor (Lig)
MAGPIES v THUNDERBIRDS: 3 S.Brown (Mag), 2 C.Thwaites (Mag), 1 S.Layton (Mag)
SWIFTS v GIANTS: 3 H.Housby (Swi), 2 K.Green (Gia), 1 M.Proud (Swi)
Leader: J.Fowler (6 votes)
ROUND 4
GIANTS v FIREBIRDS: 3 K.Green (Gia), 2 G.Tippett (Fir), 1 L.Geitz (Fir)
THUNDERBIRDS v VIXENS: 3 L.Watson (Vix), 2 M.Kumwenda (Vix), 1 J.Weston (Vix)
MAGPIES v LIGHTNING: 3 K.Pretorius (Lig), 2 A.Brazill (Mag), 1 G.Mentor (Lig)
FEVER v SWIFTS: 3 C.Bruce (Fev), 2 S.Francis (Fev), 1 V.Charles (Fev)
Leaders: K.Green, K.Pretorius (8 votes)
ROUND 5
FIREBIRDS v FEVER: 3 G.Tippett (Fir), 2 T.Hinchliffe (Fir), 1 M.Cassidy (Fir)
SWIFTS v MAGPIES: 3 H.Housby (Swi), 2 P.Hadley (Swi), 1 S.Klau (Swi)
LIGHTNING v THUNDERBIRDS: 3 G.Mentor (Lig), 2 C.Bassett (Lig), 1 C.Hodges (Thu)
GIANTS v VIXENS: 3 S.Guthrie (Gia), 2 J-L.Price (Gia), 1 E.Mannix (Vix)
Leaders: K.Green, H.Housby, K.Pretorius (8 votes)
ROUND 6
LIGHTNING v VIXENS: 3 K.Browne (Lig), 2 S.Wood (Lig), 1 M.Kumwenda (Vix)
FEVER v GIANTS: 3 N.Medhurst (Fev), 2 K.Green (Gia), 1 S.Francis (Fev)
SWIFTS v THUNDERBIRDS: 3 S.Klau (Swi), 2 K.Shimmin (Thu), 1 M.Proud (Swi)
MAGPIES v FIREBIRDS: 3 E.Bell (Mag), 2 M.Robinson (Mag), 1 G.Tippett (Fir)
Leader: K.Green (10 votes)
ROUND 7
VIXENS v FEVER: 3 L.Watson (Vix), 2 E.Mannix (Vix), 1 M.Kumwenda (Vix)
GIANTS v MAGPIES: 3 S.Guthrie (Gia), 2 K.Green (Gia), 1 A.Brazill (Mag)
THUNDERBIRDS v FIREBIRDS: 3 G.Simpson (Fir), 2 G.Tippett (Fir), 1 K.Shimmin (Thu)
SWIFTS v LIGHTNING: 3 M.Proud (Swi), 2 S.Wallace (Swi), 1 S.Wood (Lig)
Leader: K.Green (12 votes)
ROUND 8
LIGHTNING v GIANTS: 3 G.Mentor (Lig), 2 J.Harten (Gia), 1 K.Browne (Lig)
FEVER v THUNDERBIRDS: 3 N.Medhurst (Fev), 2 J.Anstiss (Fev), 1 J.Fowler (Fev)
MAGPIES v VIXENS: 3 C.Thwaites (Mag), 2 J.Weston (Vix), 1 A.Brandley (Mag)
FIREBIRDS v SWIFTS: 3 G.Tippett (Fir), 2 S.Garbin (Swi), 1 G.Simpson (Fir)
Leaders: K.Green, G.Tippett (12 votes)
ROUND 9
SWIFTS v VIXENS: 3 L.Watson (Vix), 2 S.Wallace (Swi), 1 K-A.Dehaney (Vix)
MAGPIES v FEVER: 3 C.Bruce (Fev), 2 J.Fowler (Fev), 1 J.Anstiss (Fev)
LIGHTNING v FIREBIRDS: 3 S.Wood (Lig), 2 K.Pretorius (Lig), 1 C.Nevins (Fir)
GIANTS v THUNDERBIRDS: 3 J.Harten (Gia), R.Bulley (Gia), 1 J-L.Price (Gia)
Leaders: K.Green, G.Tippett (12 votes)
ROUND 10
FIREBIRDS v VIXENS: 3 L.Watson (Vix), 2 G.Tippett (Fir), 1 K-A.Dehaney (Vix)
FEVER v LIGHTNING: 3 N.Medhurst (Fev), 2 J.Fowler (Fev), 1 K.Pretorius (Lig)
THUNDERBIRDS v MAGPIES: 3 K.Shimmin (Thu), 2 A.Brazill (Mag), 1 S.Nelson (Thu)
GIANTS v SWIFTS: 3 J.Harten (Gia), 2 K.Green (Gia), 1 S.Wallace (Swi)
Leaders: K.Green, G.Tippett, L.Watson (14 votes)
ROUND 11
LIGHTNING v MAGPIES: 3 K.Browne (Lig), 2 S.Layton (Mag), 1 G.Mentor (Lig)
SWIFTS v FEVER: 3 N.Medhurst (Fev), 2 V.Charles (Fev), 1 S.Klau (Swi)
FIREBIRDS v GIANTS: 3 C.Nevins (Fir), 2 L.Geitz (Fir), 1 G.Tippett (Fir)
VIXENS v THUNDERBIRDS: 3 L.Watson (Vix), 2 K-A.Dehaney (Vix), 1 R.Ingles (Vix)
Leader: L.Watson (17 votes)
ROUND 12
MAGPIES v SWIFTS: 3 M.Proud (Swi), 2 S.Layton (Mag), 1 A.Brazill (Mag)
FEVER v FIREBIRDS: 3 L.Geitz (Fir), 2 N.Medhurst (Fev), 1 K.Jenner (Fir)
VIXENS v GIANTS: 3 S.Pettitt (Gia), 2 K-A.Dehaney (Vix), 1 S.Guthrie (Gia)
THUNDERBIRDS v LIGHTNING: 3 S.Wood (Lig), 2 K.Browne (Lig), 1 L.Scherian (Lig)
Leader: L.Watson (17 votes)
ROUND 13
LIGHTNING v SWIFTS: 3 M.McAuliffe (Lig), 2 K.Pretorius (Lig), 1 M.Turner (Swi)
FEVER v VIXENS: 3 N.Medhurst (Fev), 2 J.Anstiss (Fev), 1 S.Francis (Fev)
FIREBIRDS v THUNDERBIRDS: 3 C.Nevins (Fir), 2 G.Tippett (Fir), 1 G.Simpson (Fir)
MAGPIES v GIANTS: 3 J.Harten (Gia), 2 J-L.Price (Gia), 1 A.Brazill (Mag)
Leader: N.Medhurst (19 votes)
ROUND 14
THUNDERBIRDS v SWIFTS: 3 M.Proud (Swi), 2 K.Shimmin (Thu), 1 S.Klau (Swi)
FIREBIRDS v MAGPIES: 3 K.Jenner (Fir), 2 M.Cassidy (Fir), 1 C.Thwaites (Mag)
GIANTS v FEVER: 3 J-L.Price (Gia), 2 J.Harten (Gia), 1 J.Anstiss (Fev)
VIXENS v LIGHTNING: 3 K.Pretorius (Lig), 2 K.Browne (Lig), 1 K.Moloney (Vix)
Winner: N.Medhurst (19 votes)
Netball Scoop’s Player of the Year award is judged solely on the home and away season.
The Netball Scoop reporter assigned to each game voted on a 3-2-1 basis. Voters this year were Emmalie Balnaves-Gale, Jane Edwards, Cara Gledhill, Ian Harkin, Andrew Kennedy, Megan Maurice, Georgia Musolino, Katrina Nissen, Lou Patton, Jenny Sinclair and Bethany Slaughter.
What a really thorough and transparent way to record the MVP votes. Thanks to Ian and the team.
Great job. Tough assignment. A lot of good players to pick from in each game. Worthy winner.
Transparent process – worthy winner!
Thanks for the work this year Ian. This article is great. Before I read it I thought Liz and Karla would be up there.