Mega-thread: BFNL Henderson & McLean Medals Night

Brett Bewley has won the Ballarat Football Netball League's Henderson Medal for the second-consecutive season with the Darley midfielder enjoying another sensational year with his boyhood club.

He becomes the first player to win back-to-back league best and fairests since North Ballarat's Jason McNamara in 2011 and 2012.

Bewley said it was a "proud achievement" on Monday night.

Bewley finished with 27 votes in the count, four clear of second-placed Luther Baker as the Darley duo took out the top two spots.

The former Fremantle Docker started the 2023 season in red-hot fashion, polling a perfect 12 votes in Darley's opening four games.

Some soreness during the middle of the season led to Devils coach Dan Jordan opting to rest Bewley against Lake Wendouree and in the second half of Darley's clash with Melton South.

It allowed North Ballarat midfielder Riley Polkinghorne to take a two-vote lead at the close of round 10, before four best-on-ground performances in the second half of the season for the Henderson Medallist.

Bewley took his game to another level in 2023 with Jordan continuously praising Bewley's working habits throughout the season.

With the Devils losing 2022 Tony Lockett Medallist Nick Rodda over the off-season, Bewley helped fill the void with 33 goals to his name this season.

He averaged a league best 38 disposals per game with his two-way running ability highly regarded across the league.

The season is not over for Bewley, who will captain Darley in Saturday's City Oval grand final against North Ballarat.

27 - Brett Bewley (DAR)

23 - Luther Baker (DAR)

19 - Riley Polkinghorne (NB)

18 - Matt Johnston (EP), Bailey Medwell (SEB)

14 - Izaac Grant (RED), Jack Walker (MEL), Josh Guthrie (SUN)

Simona Di Filippo has won the Sally McLean Medal as the Ballarat Football Netball League A Grade best-and-fairest player.

The Sunbury star led by example for Kim Bailey's side, polling 21 votes in an exciting count on Monday night.

She finished four votes clear of Darley's Shannon Blackman and Matilda Elliott as well as North Ballarat's Brydi Hutchinson.

Di Filippo spent three seasons at Melton South before joining Sunbury ahead of the 2023 BFNL A Grade season.

The 2022 Victorian Netball League 19-and-under MVP said Sunbury coach Bailey was a big reason behind the move.

"I really wanted to play under Kim, I thought she could offer me a lot," Di Filippo said.

"She was really welcoming for all us new girls and got us all together and helped us all become friends.

"I think that really helped us on the court."

Di Filippo enjoyed a strong finish to the year, polling eight out of a possible nine votes in her final three games to sneak past Blackman late.

She sat on just three votes seven rounds into the season before announcing herself to the competition with three best-on-court games over the next four weeks.

Sunbury came into the season with premiership expectations following some heavy off-season recruiting, with Di Filippo lining up alongside former Melbourne Vixen Tayla Honey.

Honey finished with 13 votes this season.

The Lions bounced out of premiership contention with a shock two-goal elimination final loss to Lake Wendouree.

Di Filippo said the club was motivated for a grand final berth next season.

Instead, it will be North Ballarat and Darley who face off in Saturday's Ballarat Football Netball League grand final at 3.15pm at City Oval.

21 - Simona Di Filippo (SUN)

17 - Shannon Blackman (DAR), Matilda Elliott (DAR), Brydi Hutchinson (NB)

15 - Grace Markovic (DAR), Libby Hutt (SEB)

14 - Maddy Selmon (NB), Ashlee Smith (RED)

13 - Rebecca Hicks (DAR), Faith McKenzie (LW), Tahlia Watts (SEB), Tayla Honey (SUN)

East Point duo in Matt and Jordan Johnston cannot be seperated - even in the BFNL team of the year - as the brothers both earned spots in the league's best side.

Jordan was named on-ball while Matt landed a half-forward role.

Dual Henderson Medallist Brett Bewley earned captaincy honours as one of four Devils in the squad.

Bacchus Marsh ruck Luke Goetz's stellar debut season was rewarded with sole ruck duties.

B: S.Page (D), T.Lever (SUN), R.O'Keefe (SEB)

HB: J.Cotter (M), J.Owen (BM), H.Minton-Connell (SUN)

C: B.Medwell (SEB), B.Bewley (c) (D), J.Walker (M)

HF: I.Grant (R), B.Myers (D), M.Johnston (EP)

F: J.Sutton (SUN), R.Carter (M), J.Quick (NB)

R: L.Goetz (BM), J.Johnston (EP), R.Polkinghorne (NB)

INT: L.Baker (D), L.Watkins (M), T.Hutt (SEB), W.Liston (BAL)

Outgoing Bacchus Marsh coach Jason Williams is the 2023 BFNL coach of the year.

Williams' work at the Marsh was recognised with the first-year coach landing a development coaching role at Port Adelaide in the AFL.

After an 0-6 start to the season, Bacchus Marsh won six of its next 10 games, finishing the year on a four-game winning streak.

A shock two-point win against Sunbury in round 17 sent a message, but a win against the lowly Lake Wendouree also showed the Cobras' rapid progress.

Williams' side took down the Lakers by 92 points at Maddingley Park, an astonishing 82-point increase on their 10-point triumph earlier in the season.

Brett Bewley has stormed home to claim The Courier's player of the year award for the second-consecutive season.

The Darley captain polled 25 votes across his last six games to narrowly edge out East Point's Jordan Johnston by three votes.

The pair were level on 33 votes at the end of round 14 but Bewley had an extra game up his sleeve, with East Point's bye scheduled for round 15.

Redan's Izaac Grant rounded out the top three with 39 votes, 10 shy of Bewley, with the Tony Lockett Medallist enjoying a stellar year with the Lions.

Inter-league young guns in Riley Polkinghorne (North Ballarat) and Harrison Minton-Connell (Sunbury) both polled 29 votes to finish equal fourth.

Bewley receives a watch courtesy of Karington Jewellery.

Bewley: 4, 3, 4, 5 (49)

Johnston: 0, 4, 5, 4 (46)

Grant: 4, 0, 5, 4 (39)

49 - B. Bewley (DAR)

46 - J. Johnston (EP)

39 - I. Grant (RED)

29 - R. Polkinghorne (NB)

29 - H. Minton-Connell (SUN)

Congratulations to Sunbury's Nathan Doyle is the Reserves best-and-fairest with 17 votes.

Congratulations to Sunbury's Ryder Rousch on taking out the Under-19s best-and-fairest with 30 votes.

North Ballarat boasts four players in the 2023 BFNL A Grade team of the year, locking out the attacking third with three of its own.

Stacey Matthews (wing attack), Poppy Douglass (goal attack) and Maddy Selmon (goal shooter) landed starting roles in the team of the year alongside teammate Brydi Hutchinson in wing defence.

Fellow grand finallist Darley also features heavily in the squad with three Devils earning representation.

Kim Bailey (Sunbury) and Courtney McLean (Lakers) were named joint coaches of the year.