The GIANTS will crown their sixth AFL Women’s club champion on Thursday night with the awarding of the 2022 Gabrielle Trainor Medal.

With both familiar faces as well as some of the league’s brightest stars featuring for the GIANTS this season, we take a look at who could take home the Gabrielle Trainor Medal.

Previous Winners

2017 – Jessica Dal Pos 
2018 – Alicia Eva
2019 – Rebecca Beeson
2020 – Alyce Parker
2021 – Alyce Parker

How does the count work?

After every game, Alan McConnell and his assistant coaches award votes to players as they see fit on a scale of 1 to 4 with maximum of 16 votes in a round.

The votes from across the season are then tallied up with the player with the most votes being crowned the Gabrielle Trainor Medallist.

Cora Staunton 

Cora Staunton capped off a standout season with inclusion in the 2022 AFL Women’s All Australian Squad.

Now in her sixth season at the GIANTS, Staunton averaged 7.5 disposals, 1.9 marks and 1.4 inside-50s a game and was named in the AFL’s team of the week four times throughout the year.

00:45

AFLW R4: Staunton Defies Physics with Brilliant Snap

Cora Staunton shows strength and dexterity, kicking a beauty around the body.

The 40-year-old also led the GIANTS for goals scored for the third consecutive year in a row, finishing with a total of 18 goals (equal-second in the league).

Alyce Parker 

Parker became the GIANTS’ first dual winner of the Gabrielle Trainor Medal last year and backed up her outstanding 2021 season with an equally impressive 2022 campaign.

The two-time All Australian averaged 18.7 disposals, 4.9 tackles and led the GIANTS for clearances this season.

The Holbrook product is no doubt one of the favourites to take home the Gabrielle Trainor Medal for the third consecutive season.

Annalyse Lister 

The ever-reliable defender played every game this season, continuing to develop into one of the most highly regarded defenders in the competition.

The 31-year-old averaged 8.2 disposals, 2 marks and 3.2 tackles in 2022.

With the Gabrielle Trainor Medal judged by the coaches, it should come as no surprise to see Lister poll well throughout the count.

Brid Stack

Stack followed fellow countrywoman Cora Staunton to the GIANTS ahead of the 2021 season but was sidelined for the entire season after a suffering a serious neck injury in her first practice match.

The 35-year-old returned ahead of the 2022 season and after making her debut against the Gold Coast Suns in the opening round, went on to play all remaining games for the GIANTS in 2022. 

Stack averaged 9.1 disposals and 2.1 tackles playing predominately off the half back flank and was recently nominated for the AFLW Players' Association Most Courageous Player award.

Nicola Barr

Defender Nicola Barr became an unlikely hero up forward for the GIANTS in 2022.

00:43

AFLW R4: Barr Breaks the Drought

Nicola Barr runs freely into the goal square and scores her first AFLW goal with a great kick off the deck.

Having never kicked a goal in her career prior to 2022, Barr finally get off the mark, kicking five goals this season, including a stunning three-goal performance against the Western Bulldogs at Henson Park in round 4.

Having missed a lot of the 2021 season through injury, Barr featured in every game this season and led the GIANTS for marks and was second in score involvements. 

Alicia Eva 

After winning the award in 2018, the GIANTS skipper could claim her second Gabrielle Trainor Medal on Thursday night.

Captaining the GIANTS for the third season, Eva led from the front in 2022, averaging 17.9 disposals, 6.4 tackles and 2.2 marks.

Tanya Hetherington

Hetherington ran out her best season to date in 2022.

The defender averaged 9.7 disposals, 1.9 marks and 1.6 tackles with her best performance coming against Carlton at Manuka Oval in round 8.  

The 36-year-old had 16 disposals, 5 marks, 7 rebound-50s and was the only defender to claim the GIANTS’ MVG award this season.

Who could surprise?

Emily Pease

Drafted at pick 29 ahead of the 2021 AFLW season, Pease had to wait until round two this season to make her debut.

The 19-year-old made a seamless transition to the elite level, averaging 9.7 disposals, 3.2 tackles and 1.9 marks and is tipped to poll well throughout the night.

Ally Dallaway

After initially missing out in the 2021 AFLW Draft, an injury to Isadora McLeay early in the pre-season opened the door for Dallaway to become a GIANT in 2022.

Since then, she’s wasted no time forging a role in the GIANTS’ midfield alongside Alyce Parker and Alicia Eva.

The 23-year-old didn’t miss a game after debuting in the opening round, averaging 10.1 disposals, 6 contested possessions and 5.3 tackles in her first season.

Erin McKinnon

Without fellow longstanding ruck Jessica Allan, McKinnon took over the GIANTS number one ruck mantle this season and produced one of her best seasons.

The 23-year-old old averaged over 20 hit-outs for the first time in her career and broke the AFLW record for most hit outs in a game registering 47 against Geelong in round 10.

Rucking alongside young gun Ally Morphett, the pair helped the GIANTS finish third in the competition for hit outs (261).

The Gabrielle Trainor Medal will be held at the Hyatt Regency on Thursday night. The evening will unfortunately not be live streamed, but members and fans can keep up with all the action via the GIANTS’ social media accounts.