WHEN Katie Kennedy received her third Bathurst Giants women's best and fairest award on Friday night there was a feeling of pride, but that feeling stemmed just as much from seeing how a young gun polled as it did from her own achievement.
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After skippering the Giants to their second undefeated campaign in the AFL Central West competition, Kennedy topped the vote count for her side with 34. She was closely followed by Zoe Peters on 30.
Kennedy even admitted she had her fingers cross that Peters would finish on top - that's how impressed she was by her team-mate in 2021.
"Like it's been three times for me now and I think each time it has been like, I'm not going to get it, this year we had so-and-so who had their breakout season. I honestly thought Zoe Peters was going to pip me at the end there," she said.
"Zoe, it was her second year with us this year and first year playing full-time women's footy and for her to come runner-up in the club best and fairest is such a great achievement. She's achieving so much in her personal life as well you'd think footy was on the back foot, but it's not.
"She's amazing, she's coming along leaps and bounds and is so good to watch.
"She plays on the wing, being that wide lead in to the forward line, but she also loves being that sneaky little pocket to get all those snaps from the sideline she likes to do.
"But you put her anywhere and she will have the best game, she's amazing."
The Giants determined their best and fairest winners based on votes taken after each game with umpires, opposition coaches and spectators invited to vote.
As well as Kennedy and Peters consistently impressing those who voted, Aimee Schmidt, Laycee Covington-Gorst and Carla Hill were acknowledged for solid seasons as they rounded out the top five.
In the first grade men's vote count, it was little surprise to see Mitch Taylor finish on top with Sam Sloan as runner-up.
Taylor had earlier been declared the AFLCW best and fairest while Sloan was the league's leading goal scorer in the top grade.
Just as she was impressed by Peters, Kennedy acknowledged the brilliant 2021 that Taylor produced to helped the Giants senior men to their maiden minor premiership.
"He's definitely like 100 percent one of the best boys in the league. He's got the potential, he's such a good kid and he's amazing to watch on the field. He marks it with ease, kicks the ball 50 metres," she said.
"It has been such a great season from him, to win league best and fairest and club best and fairest, he's just ticking all the boxes."
This season for the first time the Giants fielded a team in the men's tier two competition and it was Ben Cant who was named best and fairest ahead of Jordan Collins.
"If Benny wanted to quit all the other silly sports he's playing and played footy full-time, he'd be up there with the Mitch Taylors and Nic Broes' and Bailey Briens I reckon," Kennedy said.
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