Zoe Venning wins 2025 SANFLW Best and Fairest

By ZAC MILBANK

West Adelaide ball magnet Zoe Venning has been rewarded for her outstanding consistency after winning the 2025 Hostplus SANFLW League Best and Fairest Award in a thrilling count at Adelaide Oval on Monday night.

Becoming the fourth Bloods player to win the SANFLW’s most prestigious individual trophy, Venning leapfrogged South Adelaide ruck Soriah Moon in Round 14 to claim honours by one vote.

Polling a total of 24 votes, the Bloods’ joint vice-captain trailed Moon by one heading into the final minor round match.
Venning managed to attract two votes in her team’s last outing for the season while Moon was unable to capture the attention of the umpires.

Named on the wing in The Advertiser SANFLW Team of the Year, the 21-year-old received votes in 10 of her 14 appearances this year, underlining her exceptional consistency.

West’s No.9 was adjudged best afield on six occasions – in Rounds 1, 2, 5, 7, 9 and 10 while also receiving two second preferences and two third preferences.

Already with three games under her belt representing the SANFLW State team, including two in 2025, Venning has forged a reputation as one of the hardest-running players in the competition.

Her eye-popping stats sheet includes averages of 26.4 disposals, 5.1 clearances, 5.8 tackles and four marks while also having just two matches in which she collected 18 disposals or less.

Starting her footy journey with Mitcham before moving to Blackwood Football Club for the majority of her junior career, Venning made her SANFLW debut for the Bloods in 2019 and has now played a total of 85 League games.

With Moon finishing second on 23 votes, retiring Glenelg great Jess Bates was third with 20 ahead of influential Sturt midfielder Izzy Kuiper on 19 and Venning’s teammate Hannah Button on 16.

Venning joins fellow West players Button (2018), Rachelle Martin (2020) and Lauren Young (2021) to win the Hostplus SANFLW League Best and Fairest Award.

Central District’s Katelyn Rosenzweig continues to etch her name into SANFLW history after winning the 2025 AAMI Leading Goal Kicker Award.

Booting a record 27 goals across the minor round, Rosenzweig earned her third consecutive goal kicking crown and fourth overall after previous triumphs in 2018, 2023 and 2024.

Rosenzweig led the race for the majority of the minor round and kicked a goal in all but one of her 14 Hostplus SANFLW League appearances.

She booted a season-high four goals in Round 2 and 14 while also kicking multiple majors on nine occasions while holding off runner-up Klaudia O’Neill (Eagles) by four goals.

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

Rosenzweig was awarded a $500 cash prize courtesy of AAMI.