2025 Neil Bencraft Best and Fairest Wrap

08/09/2025

Angus McLennan is crowned the 2025 Neil Bencraft Best & Fairest and Grace Hodder makes history as the first Sandringham Football Club VFLW Best & Fairest winner.

2025 Third Place, Jonah Camipgli

After finishing as the Runner-Up in last year's count, Angus McLennan has gone one better in 2025, taking home the Neil Bencraft Best & Fairest with 56 votes.

McLennan averaged 13.9 disposals in 2025, and was dangerous with ball in hand, going at an impressive 77.5 per cent disposal efficiency, the best of all Zebs that played in at least 10 games. Arguably his finest performance came against North Melbourne in round 19 where he amassed 25 disposals and 10 marks.

Hugh Boxshall finished Runner Up with 52 votes. Boxshall averaged 24.6 disposals, 7.6 clearances and 9.4 tackles for the Zebs in 2025, with his standout performance being a 33-disposal, nine-tackle effort against Footscray in Round Four, which helped deliver the Zebs their first win of the season.

Young Zeb, Jonah Campigli, had a stellar start to his VFL career, finishing third in the vote count with 47 votes. Campigli also took home the VFL Leading Goal Kicker Award, finishing the season with 21 goals from 16 games and was awarded Zeal Player of the Year, a player-voted award for the player that demonstrates consistent effort, selflessness, teamwork, relentless attitude, confidence, and who celebrates and supports teammates throughout all four quarters.

2025 VFLW Best & Fairest, Grace Hodder

It was a big moment in the history of the Sandringham Football Club as we combined our VFL and VFLW Awards nights for the first time to mark the first year of the Sandringham Zebras VFLW.

Captain Grace Hodder was crowned the 2025 Sandringham Football Club VFLW Best & Fairest with a massive 115 votes, the first ever winner of the award. Hodder averaged 14.6 disposals and 7.2 tackles (team-high) per game, with some of her best performances being her 18 tackles against Darebin in Round 10, and her 22 disposals and 10 tackles in Round 14 against North Melbourne Werribee. Hodder was also awarded the Dazzler of the Year, a player-voted award for the player who, across the season, has best embodied our club’s values and standards — showing consistency through strong performances week after week, relentlessness by competing with full commitment for all four quarters, connection by supporting and celebrating their teammates while strengthening our unity as a group, and who truly lives the values of consistency, relentlessness, connection, and respect.

2025 Third Place, Abbey Tregellis

Despite her season being cut short due to injury, Imogen Evans finished Runner Up with 83 votes after making an impact in her first year with the Zebs. Evans averaged the most disposals at the Zebs (minimum five games), 16.6 and averaged 5.3 tackles per game.

Young gun Abbey Tregellis came third with 78 votes in her most consistent and impressive season at Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval. Tregellis eclipsed 20 disposals four times on her way to averaging 16.5 disposals per game, as well as a team-leading 4.9 clearances per game. Her breakout game came against Essendon in Round 13, where she dominated with 27 disposals, while also laying 12 tackles.

Sophie Locke took home the VFLW Leading Goal Kicker Award, finishing the year with 13 goals.

Other on-field award winners on the night were:

VFL Best First Year Player (Ray Patmore Trophy) - Ned Maginness

VFLW Best First Year Player - Lily Skinner

VFL Most Courageous Player (Greg Lyons Memorial Trophy) - Blake Watson

VFL Most Determined Player (Ed Hattam Memorial Trophy) - Ben Stephenson

VFLW Coaches Award - Chloe Saultry

The winners off-field were:

VFL Extra Mile Award (donated by Sandringham Sports Physio) – Tom Laumets

VFLW Extra Mile Award (donated by Sandringham Sports Physio) – Andy Farrall

President’s Award (Gary Gilchrist Award ) – Lil & Rohan Banks

Best Club Person (Eric Mackenzie Memorial Trophy) – Anthony Vella