GSFLW 2025: Historic tie as Sharks midfielder Emily Wray and Bulls utility Zoe Keley claim GSFLW top honour

Emily Wray and Zoe Keley created history on Saturday night, becoming the first joint winners of the Great Southern Football League Women’s highest individual honour. Sharks midfielder Wray and Mt Barker utility Keley were declared joint winners of the GSFLW fairest and best medal, after a thrilling count at Retravision Stadium. Keley is the first medallist from the Bulls since the competition’s inception in 2018 while Wray becomes the second Shark to win the award after Melissa Mettam in 2020. A three-vote performance in round 10 helped Keley move to 15 votes, the same number as Wray after she picked up two in a losing affair for the Sharks. Royals twin sisters Nardia and Narelle Humphries finished runners-up after both collecting 13 votes. In what was a pulsating 10-round count, six players entered the final round with a chance to take out the gong. Wray led the count after three rounds with seven votes, two clear of Railways’ Chelsea Geddes and Keley while her Bulls teammate Kaitlin Eades was on four. Lions star Nardia Humphries hit the front after round seven with 10 votes to be one clear of chasing trio Wray, Keley and Eades. Keley was best on ground in round seven to move two clear before Nardia Humphries went to the top at the conclusion of round eight as the leaderboard changed again. Heading into the final round Nardia Humphries and Wray led on 13 followed by Keley on 12 while North Albany’s Laura Archer, Bulls’ Sophie Richards and Narelle Humphries could all still win on 10 votes. The Sharks lost by 18 points to Denmark-Walpole in the final round of the regular season but Wray picked up two votes. Keley was dominant in the Bulls’ 32-point triumph over the Kangas, picking up her fourth three-vote game of the season. Wray played all 10 games and was consistent throughout the count, polling best on ground games only twice, while Keley missed one game but collected votes in six of those. Archer capped a strong season to round out the top five with 12 votes while Magpies ball winner and 2024 medallist Grace Dempster and Bulls young gun Richards were next with 11. Geddes, Magpies youngster Indi Coates-Ahomiro and Eades finished with nine votes each. Tigers midfielder Georgia Whitelaw also created history, becoming the first ever youth girls fairest and best winner. Whitelaw was a runaway winner in the inaugural count for the youth girls medal, finishing nine votes clear of her nearest rivals. Kangas’ Molly O’Malley and Lions’ Ruby Lee were runners-up on 10 votes. Kangas’ Pippa Fiegert (nine votes), Lions’ Amelia Carroll (seven), Magpies’ Keoki Lane (seven) and Kangas’ Neveah Burt (six) were next. Whitelaw played all 10 games in the regular season and polled in eight of those, including three consecutive best-on-ground games in round seven, eight and nine. Lions spearhead Gracie Gibson and Eades were joint winners of the GSFLW leading goalkicker award with 10 majors each. Also during the night the Great Southern’s country championships awards were announced with Kathryn Slattery named player of the carnival. The Whittle-Douglas award for the best under-19 player was Kiahn Perry while Claire Standish received the above and beyond award. Kangas rising star Millie Barker won the youth girls leading goalkicker trophy after booting nine majors. 2025 GSFLW FAIREST AND BEST 15: Emily Wray (Albany) Zoe Keley (Mt Barker) 13: Nardia Humphries (Royals) Narelle Humphries (Royals) 12: Laura Archer (North Albany) 11: Grace Dempster (Denmark-Walpole) Sophie Richards (Mt Barker) 9: Chelsea Geddes (Railways) Indi Coates-Ahomoiro (Denmark-Walpole) Kaitlin Eades (Mt Barker) 6: Maggie Smit (Railways) 5: Kathryn Slattery (Railways)