Netball
26 October, 2025
Fox closes stellar season with club best and fairest
Edenhope Apsley A grade netball coach Lavinia Fox believes leading her side has continued to elevate her game, as she concluded an incredible 2025 season by taking out the club’s best and fairest award.
Fox, who primarily plays goal attack, also won the Horsham District Football Netball League Michelle Mibus Award for the best and fairest A grade netball player, while also leading her side to this year’s grand final, where they fell agonisingly short of a premiership.
Fox was happy to be celebrated by the club for her season, while admitting the club’s awards presentations were a great opportunity to acknowledge the team’s year.
“It's such a privilege to be able to represent the club at a league level, but then also within the club to be recognised,” Fox said.
“It’s a bit like the league best and fairest. I was a bit surprised that I did take it out, but I was just glad that I was able to perform for the group, and I think that's just something I'll continue to hopefully build on next year; there's always room for improvement.
“It was also good to see Olivia Spence get recognised as our runner-up, and then Dee Dee Lambert was our best in the finals.
“But we did have a really even split with the votes across the season as well, with both the regulars we have on our team and the young ones we have coming through, so it's nice to get recognised, but also nice to see the spread of the votes and the standout games everyone had.”
Having stepped into the coaching role in 2025, Fox believes the role has allowed her to grow as a player and a leader, made more impressive given that Fox is Melbourne-based.
“When you are in that playing-coaching role, you're given that freedom to be a leader within the group, and I think that was something that I took a lot of pride in and in trying to bring the best out of others,’ Fox said.
“I think coaching has been a blessing for me this year.
“It's really helped me to grow into a bit more of a leadership role within the team and the club, and something I'm still learning each and every time.
“I'm just really excited to see what our group can do next year, and I’m feeling very grateful that I'll be able to lead the group and do my best to make sure that we can go one step further next year.”
In addition to coaching, Fox believes her preseason conditioning and experiences with the Victorian Netball League (VNL) helped her game this season, which included training under former Australian Diamonds and AFLW player Sharni Layton while playing with the Southern Saints.
“Coming into this year, I definitely had a solid off-season block,” Fox said.
“I’d do two to three conditioning sessions a week, and being a physio is my background, so I can get quite analytical in what I like to do, but it’s usually a mix of gym programs that I'll do, and I've also got the blessing of having one of the Victorian Netball League clubs looking after me helping with that too.
“So I'm always being managed by a strength and conditioning coach, which allows me to be super consistent with my programming.
“I’m also shooting under fatigue to practice shooting at my most tired points.
“I’ve been consistently training throughout the year with my VNL, and that has something that’s helped me to grow a lot.
“I was getting coached by Sharni Layton this year, so I learned so much from her at both a player perspective and a coaching perspective.
“She was my head coach with Southern Saints this year, so I was very spoilt for choice having her as my coach, and I learned a lot from her.”
Despite being the offseason, Fox is currently playing state league mixed netball, while also preparing for the VNL preseason after signing with the Peninsula Waves’ championship team.
“I got signed with the championship team for Peninsula Waves, which is quite a big milestone for me,” Fox said.
“I was playing championship two years ago, but this year I was playing the division below, so I've been able to elevate myself back to championship, which is the highest level of netball in Victoria aside from playing for the Melbourne Mavericks reserves side.”
Other A grade award recipients include Olivia Spence, being awarded best and fairest runner-up, Jasmine McIntyre, who received the coach’s award, and Dee Dee Lambert, who was awarded best in finals.
In seniors' football, award winners were:
Best and fairest: Ryan Obst, runner up: Angus Wood; most consistent: Dale Smith; most improved: Tom Cooper; best under 21: Adam Hood; most determined: Jeremy Kealy; best team man: Shayne Williams; best utility: Boyd Packer; coaches award: Josh Robinson.
For reserves football:
Best and fairest: Cameron Domaschenz, runner up: Lachie Marks; most consistent: Luke De Jong; most improved: Tom Cooper; best utility: Harry Fry; coach's award: Jackson Finnigan.
Other netball results included:
B grade best and fairest and best in finals: Alex King, best and fairest runner up: Amy Geary; coach's award: Isabel Payne; most consistent: Charlotte Henderson.
C grade best and fairest: Abby Perks, runner up: Nashira Lees; coach's award: Jess McIntyre; best in finals: Georgia Thompson, Paris Hardwick and Nashira Lees.
C reserve best and fairest: Emma Kennett, runner up: Tara Wilson; coach's award: Chloe Dubois.
Under 17 best and fairest: Isabel Payne, runner up and best in finals: Jasmine McIntyre; coaches award: Charlotte Henderson.
Under 15 best and fairest: Alexandra Grant and Hannah Cridland, runner up: Ayla Domaschenz; coaches award: Brianna Hateley.
Under 13 best and fairest: Gabi Bourne, runner up and coaches award: Ivy Linto.
The Kaniva Leeor Edenhope Apsley Saints Cougars junior football award recipients:
Under 17 best and fairest, best in finals: Marcus McIntyre, runner up: Oscar Dunstan; coaches award: Levi Linto; most consistent: Jack Borgelt; most determined: Darby Gray; most improved: Lachlan Coad; Under 14 best and fairest: Hudson Ferguson, runner up: Kai Whitfield; best first year player: Henry Flynn and Tyson Harry; coaches award: Andrew Thomas; encouragement award: Baxter Meyer; most consistent: Olly Jewell; most improved: Harry Lannin; quiet achiever: Jack Radley.
Additional club awards:
Best club person: Bernie Kealy; best under 21 netball: Jasmine McIntyre; best netball club person: Nashira Lees; junior football volunteer award: Levi Linto.