Tyanna Smith has capped off a stellar 2025 campaign, tonight awarded her maiden Best and Fairest honours in the red, white and black.
A powerhouse through the Saints engine room, the 23-year-old provided a pillar of skill and stability at each clearance as she elevated her game to the next level, finishing with a career highest average of 19.6 disposals, 5.1 clearances, 12.5 kicks and 7.4 tackles.
The No. 6’s season was also recognised through her re-election into the Saints leadership group, as well as being named in this year’s All-Australian squad for the first time, seeing her execute a career best campaign in her fifth year in the league.
After finishing runner-up in 2021 and 2023, and placing third in 2024, the humble star finally claimed top honours tonight with 42 votes, ahead of Vice-Captain Serene Watson (38) and last year’s runner-up, Jesse Wardlaw (37).
While powerhouses Watson and Wardlaw stayed withing striking distance of the ball-winner early on, it was Smith’s solid consistency across every game that saw her standing in the top spot at the end of the count.
Georgia Patrikios finished fourth (35) after missing the entirety of the 2024 season with a foot injury, while defensive duo Alice Burke and Paige Trudgeon couldn’t be separated at fifth (34). Nicola Stevens (32), last year’s winner Jaimee Lambert (30), Captain Hannah Priest (28), Ella Friend (27) and J’Noemi Anderson (25) rounded out the top 10.
Also celebrated across the night, Serene Watson received the Always a Saints Award for best exemplifying the team’s values on and off the field, Alice Burke took home the player voted Red Rooster Sainter of the Year Award, new recruit Charlotte Baskaran was deemed the Best Emerging Player, while Player Development Manager Steph Chiocci was presented the staff-specific Bernadette Sierakowski Allegiance Award.
St Kilda 2025 AFLW Best and Fairest
1. Tyanna Smith (42)
2. Serene Watson (38)
3. Jesse Wardlaw (37)
4. Georgia Patrikios (35)
=5. Alice Burke (34)
=5. Paige Trudgeon (34)
6. Nicola Stevens (32)
7. Jaimee Lambert (30)
8. Hannah Priest (28)
9. Ella Friend (27)
10. J’Noemi Anderson (25)
Additional award winners
Always a Saint Award: Serene Watson
Best Emerging Player Award: Charotte Baskaran
Red Rooster Sainter of the Year: Alice Burke
Bernadette Sierakowski Allegiance Award: Stephanie Chiocci