Tara Murray
Maddy Stewart further enhanced her reputation as one of the Bendigo Netball League’s greatest ever players, winning a second Betty Thompson Medal.
The Gisborne star joined a rare club on Sunday night when she won the medal by three votes from Kangaroo Flat’s Chelsea Sartori.
Despite a history of polling well, having finished runners-up on a number of occasions as well, Stewart didn’t think she had a chance of coming home with the league’s highest netball honour.
“I was very surprised,” she said. “I didn’t expect it.
“I knew I was getting the interleague award and thought that was why I was invited. All our girls played awesome and I through we would probably take votes off each other.
“It was a great team effort this year.”
Stewart said she didn’t think it was her best year, but she polled more votes this time compared to her previous win.
“I had a slow start to the season and came into it later in the season,” she said. “We had a few injuries and I went back into goal attack, which I haven’t played for a number of years.”
Stewart said it’s crazy to look and see her name mentioned among some of the other two-time winners.
She played with both Heather Oliver and Brianna Dalrymple-Monro in the Victorian Netball League.
Tiana Newman has been a long time teammate of hers at the Bulldogs.
“She’s one of the best girls in the league and it’s nice to share that with her,” Stewart said.
“It was disappointing I didn’t get to play many games with her this year with her having her first child.
“She was meant to be there that night but couldn’t get there. I spoke to her on the way home.”
The Bulldogs group chat quickly took off after Stewart was named the winner, with more than 100 messages sent in 10 minutes.
While thrilled with the individual honour, Stewart said she would hand it back in a second to have played in another grand final this year.
The Bulldogs lost to Kangaroo Flat in the preliminary final.
“It’s very disappointing,” Stewart said. “We were in front at half time and three quarter time. Kangaroo Flat have a never die attitude.
“Credit to them.”
While the A-grade side has been knocked out, the Bulldogs still had three netball teams in the grand finals, after deadline.
Stewart said it was pretty special to see what those sides were doing this year.
“Our B-reserve side came in years ago and were losing by 40-plus goals every week,” she said.
“We’ve worked hard on the full development of the club and we’re seeing the work and that effort.
“They’ve never made a final before, let alone a grand final. Our A-reserve, I don’t think has made a grand final before either.
“It’s been a real team effort. The likes of Jordan Cransberg and Claudia Mawson, who are Melbourne Vixen training partner and Victorian Fury player, were like when they are training this week as they want to support the other girls at the club. We’ve built this culture.”
The club’s under-17s are through to another grand final, with Stewart saying they had a lot of good talent coming through.
