WILLIAMSTOWN midfielder Michael Gibbons has taken out the JJ Liston Award as the VFL's best and fairest player, while Darebin's Daisy Pearce was the winner on the women's side.
In a function at Crown Palladium on Monday night, Gibbons polled 17 votes to take home the award from Geelong's George Horlin-Smith (15), with Seagulls teammate Ben Jolley (14) and Port Melbourne captain Toby Pinwill (14) in equal third.
Pearce led from round one to win the inaugural VFL Women's best and fairest. She has won six Helen Lambert Medals for being the best and fairest of the Premier Division.
"It's an honour to receive the first VFL medal," Pearce said.
The Melbourne marquee player paid tribute to the improving standard of the women's competition, with a national competition to be introduced in 2017.
"A lot of the tricks that used to work a year or two ago don't anymore, because they get found out pretty quickly," she said.
Gibbons, 21, was the highest disposal winner in the VFL this season and was formerly part of the Greater Western Sydney academy.
He paid tribute to his coach, Andy Collins.
"'Collo' really backed me from the start … and he's probably the main driving point to why I'm playing at Williamstown," Gibbons said.
Geelong's Tom Atkins was a finalist in the Fothergill-Round Medal for best young player, which went to Coburg half-back Luke Ryan. The last 10 winners of that award have played AFL.
Ryan had a shoulder reconstruction last week and is expected to be in full training in five months.
2016 J.J. LISTON TROPHY LEADERBOARD
Michael Gibbons (Williamstown) 17
George Horlin-Smith (Geelong) 15
Ben Jolley (Williamstown) 14
Toby Pinwill (Port Melbourne) 14
Alex Neal-Bullen (Casey Scorpions) 13
Eli Templeton (Sandringham) 13
Will Hams (Essendon) 13
Sam Dunell (Williamstown) 12
Jack Grimes (Casey Scorpions) 11
Tom O’Sullivan (Port Melbourne) 11
Ben Kennedy (Casey Scorpions) 10
Darcy Lang (Geelong) 10
Mitch Honeychurch (Footscray) 10
Ben Moloney (Collingwood) 9
Lin Jong (Footscray) 9
Shaun McKernan (Essendon) 9
Willie Wheeler (Williamstown) 9
