Record-breaking night for Dhara Kerr Medal winner Henry 

Jaime Henry became the first Swan Districts player to win the Dhara Kerr Medal in more than a decade, claiming a rare double in the process. 

The prolific midfielder capped off a career-best season in the ATCO WAFLW by winning the competition’s most prestigious individual honour, finishing with the highest number of votes on record with a staggering 35. 

It came less than a month after she won the Lou Knitter Medal as best-afield in the WAFLW decider. 

The 20-year-old left-footer averaged a competition-high 33 disposals and nine tackles across the season to go into Monday night’s medal count at Crown Perth as the raging favourite.  

She polled eight more than two-time winner Jayme Harken’s previous benchmark of 27 set in 2024. 

In 16 home-and-away matches, Henry polled in 13 including 11 three-vote performances as she led the Black Ducks to the minor premiership and 14-2 record. 

Among her performances were a pair of record-breaking disposal efforts, breaking the all-time disposals record twice in a month with 49 against Peel Thunder in Round 10 an 51 against South Fremantle in Round 12. 

Claremont star Harken finished runner-up on 30 votes after a strong finish to the season, while Subiaco on-baller Paige Sheppard rounded out the placings on 26 votes. 

Henry remarkably polled the maximum amount of votes in the first five rounds to open up a six-vote lead over Sheppard. 

The six-vote lead remained after Round 10 with Henry on 19 votes and Sheppard and Harken tied on 13 apiece. 

Henry’s buffer shortened to just four votes with three rounds remaining, despite polling 13 of a possible 15 votes in that time to jump to 32, as Harken made her move with five consecutive best-on-ground performances to move to 28 and to stay in the hunt for a third Dhara Kerr Medal in four years. 

Fellow Swan Districts player Ashley Sharp took out the Joanne Huggins Award as the competition’s leading goal-kicker in a remarkable comeback season for the former Fremantle forward. 

The 29-year-old, who returned to football this season after a three-year absence where she became a mother-of-three, finished on 36 goals, nine clear 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. 

Swan Districts coach Jason Burton was named WAFLW Coach of the Year. 

East Fremantle premiership young gun Olivia McCay, 16, won the Cath Boyce Rising Star, awarded to the best player 21 and under. 

There was a Subiaco double in the HART Sport Rogers Cup awards with Dhi Perera taking out the fairest-and-best award and teammate Ava Cooper winning the competition’s leading goal-kicker award after a 32-goal season. 

ATCO WAFLW awards 

Dhara Kerr Medal: Jaime Henry (Swan Districts) 

Joanne Huggins leading goal-kicker: Ashley Sharp (Swan Districts) 

Cath Boyce Rising Star Award: Olivia McCay (East Fremantle) 

WAFLW Coach of the Year: Jason Burton (Swan Districts) 

HART Sport Rogers Cup awards 

Fairest-and-Best Award: Dhi Perera (Subiaco) 

Leading goal-kicker: Ava Cooper (Subiaco) 

Dhara Kerr Medal leaderboard 

35 votes: Jaime Henry (Swan Districts) 

30: Jayme Harken (Claremont) 

26: Paige Sheppard (Subiaco) 

24: Isabella Shannon (Perth) 

17: Lisa Steane (Subiaco)