Ruth Aryang from ECU Souwest Jets was awarded the prestigious Jill McIntosh Medal for the Fairest & Best player in the 2021 Gold Industry Group Western Australia Netball League Open division at the Net Ball vote count on Friday, September 24.
The 17-year-old defender, who starred at GD for Jets this season, polled votes in eight of the fourteen rounds, finishing with a total of 18.
She ended the count one vote ahead of Caitlyn Brown from West Coast Warriors on 17, while Ellie Smart from Peel Lightning finished third on 15 votes.
Aryang polled a maximum three votes as the fairest and best player on the court in Round 8 against Curtin Hamersley Comets and Round 10 against Rangers, while polling two votes in six other games.
She was trailing Brown by a solitary vote heading into the last two matches of the season, before recording two votes in the second-last match to claim the lead and take home the Jill McIntosh Medal.
Accepting the Medal on stage from Jill McIntosh's niece Katie Fairhall, Aryang said she was overwhelmed with the recognition and thanked Swan Districts Netball Association for its role in her development, as well as her current WANL club and teammates at ECU Souwest Jets.
The award is presented each season to the player in the Gold Industry Group West Australian Netball League who is judged by the umpires to have demonstrated outstanding skill and sportsmanship on the court, with 3 votes, 2 votes and 1 vote awarded at the conclusion of each game.
Final Leader Board
|
Name
|
Team
|
Votes
|
|
Ruth Aryang
|
Souwest Jets
|
18
|
|
Caitlyn Brown
|
West Coast Warriors
|
17
|
|
Ellie Smart
|
Peel Lightning
|
15
|
|
Kellie Baker
|
West Coast Warriors
|
14
|
|
Chelsea Meade
Georgia Pitt
|
Rangers
Rangers
|
12
|
|
Ella Taylor
|
Curtin Hamersley Comets
|
11
|
