SUNS AFLW signing Kalinda Howarth has capped off an outstanding 2019 season by taking out the Bond University QAFLW Best & Fairest award in a tight vote count on Saturday night. 

With each of the three coaches awarding votes on a 3-2-1 basis, the most a player could get in any round was nine votes.

Howarth jumped out to an early lead with 10 votes in the opening two rounds before fellow SUNS recruit Tiarna Ernst reeled her in with unanimous best on ground votes in round 4.

By the end of Round 5 Ernst was leading Howarth 14 votes to 12.

Ernst continued her run through the middle part of the season with another perfect nine votes in Round 8 to have a commanding lead after 10 rounds on 25 votes. 

But Howarth’s end to the season was elite with the crafty forward polling six best on ground efforts to finish on 31 votes, two ahead of Ernst who slowed down with only four votes in the final six games of the season. 

Former SUNS Academy prospect Georgia Brehmer finished in third with 26 after polling 14 of those votes in the final six games, going on to also win the Best in Finals award for her efforts.

Fellow Bond University players and AFLW signings Molly Ritson, Lauren Bella, Kitara Whap-Farrar and Charlotte Hammans also featured in the votes.

Howarth kicked 31 goals in 15 games this season to win the QAFLW goalkicking award and earnt selection in the Team of the Year.

She finished third in the Rising Star voting and Runner-Up in the QAFLW Best and Fairest.

Bond University QAFLW Best & Fairest results: