The North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos will crown their club champion on Thursday night, following a season that almost produced the ultimate success.

Darren Crocker's group secured another top-four finish in 2023 and made significant statements in the finals series by defeating reigning premier Melbourne in a qualifying final, and three-time flag winner Adelaide in a preliminary final, to book a maiden AFLW Grand Final berth.

Although it wasn't to be on the final day of the season, the Roos will be able to build on the experience when they begin their premiership tilt in 2024.

Up for grabs on Thursday night are the Best Clubwoman, Shinboner of the Year, Best Young Player, and Mazda Next Level Performer, alongside the Club Champion Award.

Will Jasmine Garner add a fourth Club Champion medallion to her extraordinary collection of individual accolades, or will fellow midfielder Ash Riddell cap off another fine season in style?

Can skipper Emma Kearney become a maiden winner of the award, or is it time for young gun Mia King to etch her name into the history books?

The Voting

For voting on the Club Champion Award, the AFLW senior coach rates each player out of 10 points and the assistant coaches provides a combined rating for each player worth 10 points, making 20 points the most possible votes in any round.

The Contenders

In number order

Ash Riddell

Now a three-time All-Australian, Riddell averaged an astonishing 29.8 disposals per game this season and finished the home and away season with 320 – a new League record.

As a true workhorse in the midfield, she notched 30+ disposals on eight occasions out of a possible 13 and refused to be kept quiet, never dropping below 20 touches.

She won a team-high 16 votes on AFLW Awards night, and – after a goalless 2022 Season 7 – returned to the scoresheet in Round 7 by booting two majors against Port Adelaide, including a stunner from the pocket.

Season stats: 13 games, 2 goals; 29.8 disposals, 5.3 tackles, 4.5 inside 50s, 4.3 score involvements, 3.7 marks, 3.5 clearances per game.

Emma Kearney

Another season, another All-Australian blazer for the Kangas skipper who earned an unmatched eighth selection in the prestigious side.

In her sixth campaign as club captain, the 34-year-old guided her side to a maiden Grand Final appearance from her role at half-back where she collected 20.1 touches per game.

She also ranked third in the competition for effective kicks (10.3) and intercept possessions (7.2) per game.

Season stats: 13 games; 20.1 disposals, 7.2 intercept possessions, 359.6 metres gained, 4.5 rebound 50s, 3.3 marks per game.

Tahlia Randall

Randall was North Melbourne's sharpest of shooters in 2023, booting a career-high 21 goals for the season.

The No.16 began the year in red-hot fashion, kicking seven goals from her side's opening three games, before setting a single-game personal best of five majors in Round 6 against the Dockers.

She consistently used her unique blend of speed and strength to become near unbeatable in one-on-one contests throughout the club's Grand Final run.

Season stats: 13 games, 21 goals; 8.1 disposals, 4.7 score involvements, 1.8 marks inside 50 per game.

Sarah Wright

As is often the case with key defenders, statistics don't quite reflect the impact Wright had over the course of the year.

Switching between being the plus-one in the back line to playing a role on a dangerous opposition forward during games, the No.17 was as reliable as ever and perhaps flew under the wider AFLW community's radar.

She was at her defensive best in the qualifying final win over Melbourne when she gathered a season-high 11 intercept possessions and five tackles, before following it up two weeks later with 15 disposals and nine intercepts against the Crows.

Season stats: 13 games; 9.8 disposals, 5.7 intercept possessions, 3.7 marks per game.

Jasmine Ferguson

As Wright's partner-in-crime behind the ball, Ferguson enjoyed a career-best campaign in royal blue and white and truly emerged as one of the League's premier lockdown backs.

Although her selection in the initial All-Australian squad didn’t materialise into a maiden blazer, the defender consistently shut down opposition scoring threats and held the likes of St Kilda's Jesse Wardlaw and Geelong's Chloe Scheer goalless during their respective meetings.

Season stats: 13 games; 7 disposals, 4.1 intercept possessions, 3 marks per game.

Mia King

King's game reached new heights in her fifth season as a Roo, marking it as her most impressive individual campaign to date.

The tenacious onballer averaged more disposals, clearances, and tackles than ever before in 2023, and continued to set the tone in the engine room with her relentless pressure and hard-hitting contested work.

She set a new benchmark for most clearances in an AFLW Grand Final with 13 from her 19 touches, and finished the year ranked sixth in the competition for tackles per game (8.9)

Season stats: 12 games; 20.3 disposals, 8.9 tackles, 6.1 clearances per game.

Jasmine Garner

It may have been Garner's best season yet.

The midfield weapon was essentially unstoppable from start to finish this year, averaging a career-high 28.6 disposals and 15.1 contested possessions per game as well as notching a personal best return in front of goals with 13 majors.

The No.25 brought home her third AFLCA Champion Player of the Year Award, sixth All-Australian blazer, and second AFLPA MVP Award following the home and away season, and was her side's top performer on Grand Final day, ending 2023 with two goals and 24 touches against the Lions.

Season stats: 13 games, 13 goals; 28.6 disposals, 7.2 tackles, 6.5 clearances, 6.5 inside 50s, 5.2 score involvements, 513.7 metres gained per game.

Kim Rennie

It was another quality season from North Melbourne's No.26 who was again a crucial part of her side's success.

In what could be classed as her best season in royal blue and white, Rennie's presence grew all around the ground as she reined in more marks, disposals, and hitouts in 2023 compared to previous years.

Her exceptional ruck craft was on full display in the Grand Final against the Lions, as she clocked a career-high 32 hitouts to go along with five clearances and 13 disposals.

Season stats: 13 games; 17.9 hitouts, 10.6 disposals, 2.5 marks, 2.4 clearances per game.

Previous award winners

Club Champion

2022 S7 – Jas Garner
2022 S6 – Ash Riddell
2021 – Jas Garner
2020 – Jas Garner
2019 – Jenna Bruton

Best Clubwoman

The Clubwoman Award is for the player who epitomises everything about unselfishness, has a team-first attitude and goes beyond the call of duty not just on the field for the 22 players selected each week, but for the whole playing list and club. This award is voted for by the North Melbourne coaching staff.

2022 S7 – Amy Smith
2022 S6 – Nicole Bresnehan
2021 – Emma King
2020 – Emma Kearney
2019 – Jas Garner

Shinboner of the Year

The Shinboner of the Year epitomises the club values - real, bold, belonging and never beaten. Each week the players nominate who they believe stand for the Shinboner values. This award is a culmination of all the weekly Shinboner of the Week awards voted on throughout the year.

2022 S7 – Jenna Bruton
2022 S6 – Emma Kearney
2021 – Emma Kearney
2020 – Emma Kearney
2019 – Emma Kearney

Best Young Player

The Best Young Player Award acknowledges those players who have been making their mark within the club and the AFLW in the last two years. Players must be under the age of 22 at the first game of the season to qualify for this award and previous award winners cannot win multiple times. This award is voted on by the North Melbourne coaching staff.

2022 S7 – Erika O'Shea
2022 S6 – Bella Eddey
2021 – Mia King
2020 – Daisy Bateman
2019 – Tahlia Randall

Mazda Next Level Performer

The Mazda Next Level Performer Award acknowledges the player that best illustrated power, toughness, strength and performance. This award is voted on by members and fans throughout the season.

2022 S7 – Jas Garner
2022 S6 – Ash Riddell
2021 – Jas Garner
2020 – Jas Garner
2019 – Jess Duffin