Swans Sharp-shooter wins Joanne Huggins Award

Sharp by name, Sharp-shooter by nature.

Star Swan Districts recruit Ash Sharp’s remarkable return to footy has reached another high after she topped the ATCO WAFLW’s goal-kicking.

The former Fremantle forward won the Joanne Huggins WAFLW Leading Goal-Kicker Award after booting 36.14 in 16 appearances across the home-and-away season.

The 29-year-old, who returned to football this season after a three-year absence where she became a mother-of-three, finished nine majors ahead of Claremont’s Bec Anderson who tallied 27.

Her best performance of the season came against Peel Thunder in Round 10 when she booted eight majors, one of 11 multiple-goal hauls for the 34-game former AFLW player this season.

In 16 games, Sharp was only held goalless twice on the way to becoming the third Swan Districts player in as many years to take out the award after Taylah Edwards (29 goals in 2025) and Courtney Zappara (22 in 2024).

It was the most home-and-away goals by any WAFLW player since Peel Thunder’s Kate Bartlett amassed 39 back in 2022.

“I came back this year as I felt like I needed and wanted to,” Sharp explained earlier in the season.

“I did the whole pre-season last year and played in Round 1 before announcing my pregnancy, so I felt like I owed it to my team mates to come back and finish what I started.

“My brother Daniel is also an assistant coach at WAFLW level so a few nudges from him along the way also helped.”

Sharp was full of praise for her teammates after being asked about her goal-kicking feats earlier this season.

“I wouldn’t be able to kick the goals without the backs defending relentlessly, midfielders working down and kicking it into us,” she said.

“It’s definitely a team effort and I’m just lucky enough to get on the end of a few.

“Teamwork makes the dream work!”

Sharp’s impressive work in front of the sticks has helped Swan Districts win the minor premiership as they look to go one better after last season’s heart-breaking one-point Grand Final loss to Claremont.

The Black Ducks go up against the Tigers once again on Sunday in a blockbuster Second Semi-Final clash at Steel Blue Oval.

The winner of Sunday’s match goes straight into the WAFLW decider at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on Sunday, August, 23, while the loser gets a second chance against the winner of East Fremantle and South Fremantle which is also being played on Sunday, at The Good Grocer Park.

Sharp may not be the only Swan Districts player to take out a prestigious individual honour this WAFLW season with ball magnet Jaime Henry the raging favourite to take out the competition’s fairest-and-best award – the Dhara Kerr Medal – following a career-best home-and-away season.