AFLW Voting Storm Erupts After Record Performance Snubbed
The AFLW awards night on Monday descended into awkward territory when North Melbourne superstar Ash Riddell was completely overlooked in voting despite delivering a record-breaking performance that should have guaranteed recognition.
During the Round 8 clash against Sydney, Riddell achieved what no other player in AFLW history had accomplished - 45 disposals in a single game. Yet incredibly, when votes were announced for that match, her name wasn't called.
Room Reaction Speaks Volumes
As AFL CEO Andrew Dillon announced the votes, the atmosphere in the room shifted noticeably. Veteran star Emma Kearney broke into spontaneous laughter at the absurdity of the omission, while Riddell's own teammate Jasmine Garner, who received the three votes, could only shake her head in disbelief.
The voting outcome saw Garner claim three votes, Erika O'Shea take two, and Sydney's Zippy Fish snag the single vote, leaving the record-breaker completely empty-handed.
This marked the second time this year that Dillon has presided over a voting controversy, following the Brownlow Medal incident where St Kilda's Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera was denied three votes despite a match-winning performance against Melbourne. At least in that case, Wanganeen-Milera received two votes, unlike Riddell's complete snub.
Football Community Reacts with Disbelief
Broadcaster Fox Footy's social team captured the moment perfectly, stating "The reaction from the room says it all" as fans across social media platforms expressed their outrage.
One fan described the decision as "cooked" while another questioned the fundamental competence of the process, asking "What do you expect (with) umpires' votes??" on Facebook.
The criticism extended to platform X, where another supporter noted "The standard of umpiring in the AFLW apparently also equates to their ability to vote for the best on the ground" while another simply called the situation "embarrassing for the league."
Fortunately for Riddell and the competition's credibility, the oversight didn't cost her the ultimate prize. She polled 23 votes to win the best-and-fairest medal, finishing three votes clear of Geelong's Georgie Prespakis (20 votes) and five ahead of Melbourne's Tyla Hanks in third place with 18 votes.
AFL Considers Voting Reform
Following this year's Brownlow Medal controversy, new AFL football boss Greg Swann indicated openness to significant changes in how umpires cast their votes.
Swann revealed that the league is considering allowing umpires access to player statistics when making their decisions, a departure from the current system where votes are cast without statistical reference.
"I don't think there's any issue around that. So we might look to do that next year - we (can) get a mechanism where that can happen," Swann stated, suggesting the reform could be implemented as early as next season.
This potential change represents a significant shift in how the AFL approaches award voting and could prevent similar controversies from overshadowing future celebrations of outstanding individual performances.
