Mahony claims 2023 McSherry Medal

The continued rise of Ruby Mahony into one of the WAFLW's standout midfielders continued in 2023 and her outstanding season at Swan Districts was recognised by winning the McSherry Medal.

Mahony claimed the fairest and best award for the Swan Districts' WAFLW team in 2023 which was presented on Friday night with the season celebrated with the McSherry Medal night at Mandoon Estate.

It turned out to be an eventful season for Swan Districts in the WAFLW competition for 2023 which started with losing the opening four matches before then going on a seven-game winning streak.

From there, Swans would reach the finals and then the campaign ended with a first semi-final defeat at the hands of eventual premiers East Fremantle.

That season was celebrated on Friday night with the main event being the presentation of the McSherry Medal as the fairest and best player in the league team in 2023.

The award is named after Mandy McSherry who was the foundation captain, a two-time reserves premiership coach and West Australian representative from Swan Districts, and after being runner-up last year, it was time for Mahony to win the medal for the first time.

Mahony played her first season with Swan Districts in the WAFLW in 2022 and was tremendous having originally come from Bunbury to end up runner-up in the McSherry Medal vote count behind winner Abbygail Bushby.

The 23-year-old was then able to take her game up another level in 2023 to become a standout performer in the midfield as the season progressed. She went on to average 17.3 possessions to earn a place in the WAFLW Team of the Year.

Her season was then recognised on Friday night by winning the McSherry Medal with the coaching staff from Swan Districts clearly as impressed with her consistently high level of performance throughout the season as everybody else was.

Mahony might have been the standout player for Swan Districts this WAFLW season, but she was far from the only one to star along the way and she claimed the fairest and best award just ahead of Kayley King.

King was another who had a terrific season in the midfield for Swans and along with being runner-up in McSherry Medal voting, she was named to the WAFLW Team of the Week four times throughout the year along the way.

Indiana West is one of the more exciting emerging players across the WAFLW competition as well and she finished third in fairest and best voting while it was King who only just pipped her for the Rising Star Award.

The Swan Districts' Rogers Cup Youth Girls season for 2023 was also celebrated on Friday night with the Chelsea Randall Medal for the fairest and best award won by Hope Arrowsmith.

Tamzyn Beros was named runner-up in Chelsea Randall Medal voting as well in a season where she also played some impressive WAFLW league football along the way. Megan Carron came third in fairest and best voting as well.

Another award presented on Friday night was the WAFLW Club Person of the Year and that went to Bev Boyle in recognition on her continued outstanding contributions to the Swan Districts Football Club's women's program.