Piper Window wins 2023 SANFLW Best and Fairest

By ZAC MILBANK

Glenelg midfielder Piper Window has been fittingly rewarded for her stunning season, winning the 2023 Hostplus SANFLW League Best and Fairest Award.

The third Bays player to be crowned the competition’s best alongside Courtney Gum in 2017 and Jessica Bates in 2022, Window also claimed honours in the Kia Coaches Award while being named ruck rover in The Advertiser SANFLW Team of the Year.

Polling a total of 19 votes, the 17-year-old edged out West Adelaide ball magnet Zoe Venning on 17 votes and North Adelaide onballer Jess Edwards on 13.

Bursting out of the blocks to poll 13 votes in the opening six games, Window held on to win by attracting maximum votes in Rounds 10 and 11.

”My heart was shaking, I knew I was in with a chance but I thought it was going to be Zoe winning,” Window said.

”This is incredible. I’ve loved playing footy. I love going to training with the girls – sometimes you have a bad day but when you go to training it makes it all better.”

Glenelg’s No.8 was adjudged best afield by the field umpires on five occasions – in Rounds 2, 3, 5, 10 and 11.

The 2021 Tigers premiership player also claimed honours to win the Powerade Breakthrough Player award as the competition’s most promising player aged under 21 at the start of the season.

Averaging more than 20 disposals, six clearances and 159 Champion Data ranking points per game, Window also displayed her willingness to defend by averaging an outstanding eight tackles per game in 2023.

Starting her football journey with the powerful Morphettville Park Football Club, Window is the granddaughter of Central District’s 1965 Magarey Medallist Gary Window and her brother Hunter Window is currently a member of the Bays’ senior squad.

Making her debut for Glenelg in 2021, Window has now racked up 33 SANFLW games with the Tigers, including the team’s memorable first SANFLW premiership in the club’s centenary season.

Central District star Katelyn Rosenzweig completed a fairytale comeback from serious injury to win the AAMI Leading Goal Kicker Award.

Returning from a knee reconstruction in 2023, the Bulldogs’ forward kicked a total of 21 goals across her 12 minor round matches.

The 22-year-old hit the scoreboard in 10 of her 12 minor round outings, including a season-best haul of four against Sturt in Round 8.

It is the second time Rosenzweig has won the SANFLW Leading Goal Kicker trophy, having also saluted in 2018 while playing with North Adelaide.

Originally from the Hamley Bridge Football Club, Rosenzweig was also selected at full forward in The Advertiser SANFLW Team of the Year.

Rosenzweig, who finished in front of retiring Glenelg veteran Chelsea Packer (Glenelg) on 16 goals, was awarded a $500 prize courtesy of AAMI.

South Adelaide’s Lily Baxter has won the inaugural 2023 Macca’s Moment Award.

In just her first season of senior SANFLW football, Baxter calmly slotted the match-winning goal against Glenelg in Round 6, putting the Panthers in front with less than two minutes to play.

Baxter receives a trophy, a $500 gift card plus a $1000 equipment pack to be gifted to her local club courtesy of Macca’s.