EVEN after missing the final three home and away games of the season, Curtin University Wesley’s Jessie Barker claimed a place in history by sharing the WA Amateur Football League’s inaugural women’s A Grade Best and Fairest award.
Barker, who finished the year injured, tied with Rebecca Viney from North Beach.
She said it was a surprise and very exciting to win the top prize for the first time.
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Her teammate Clair Edwards won the leading goalkicker title after nailing 23 goals this season.
The individual awards were something to take away from the year after the Tigers went through the season undefeated only to lose the preliminary final and miss the chance to play in the premiership decider.
Barker started playing football in Albany when she was eight years old and played for WAFL club Claremont when she moved to Perth.
She switched to Curtin University Wesley because she wanted to play at a more social level.
The Willagee resident said her and her teammates were trying to build a pathway for girls to get involved in AFL.
“We want to play, we want to have fun so I hope to be one of the people who inspire younger girls to try something that maybe they are a bit intimidated to do because it is so male dominated,” she said.
Other players from the Tigers club who won accolades at the WAAFL Awards were Klinton Williams for best and fairest for A Reserves, Andrew Jonson for D1 and Jesse Wilson for D1 Reserves.