3 hours ago
7
The AFLW's newly crowned best and fairest winner Ash Riddell has stolen the show at the competition's night of nights, but not for the reason you'd expect.
Riddell's acceptance speech for the prestigious award left the crowd at the event speechless after she jokingly took aim at her husband Vinnie over his own football ability.
'Vinnie, you're obviously my greatest support and you're probably the one that got me back into football,' she said.
'You got me back into football and gosh you annoy me when you try and give me tips on how to play the game.
'When all you ever played was rugby and you're the worst football player.
'You still think you're a better football player than me but whatever.'
Ash Riddell (pictured next to husband Vinnie) won the AFLW's most prestigious award last night
The 29-year-old (pictured) jokingly poked fun at her long-time partner in her acceptance speech
Riddell (pictured playing for North Melbourne) will be a key part of North Melbourne's premiership drive when she plays in the grand final on Saturday night
Riddell believes her close relationship with fellow North Melbourne star Jasmine Garner has helped both women push each other to their limits over the years.
Riddell and Garner have often 'pinched' best-and-fairest votes off each other in recent seasons, resulting in both missing out on the league's highest individual honour.
But Riddell wasn't to be denied this season and was named best-on-ground six times in a dozen appearances to tally 23 votes, three clear of Geelong's second-placed Georgie Prespakis (20).
Melbourne's Tyla Hanks (18) was third and West Coast's Ella Roberts (17) fourth, with Garner and Sydney's Laura Gardiner (15 each) tied for fifth.
'We just make each other better,' Riddell said of her relationship with Kangaroos captain Garner.
'We're sort of by-products of each other on the field and we have some good times off the field as well.'
The AFLW star, who's also a school teacher, decided to pay another light-hearted tribute in her speech, this time to her students.
She mentioned how her kids engaged in banter with her after fellow star Tayla Harris took a mark by jumping over her head on the weekend.
The married couple embraced proudly after Riddell became the first North Melbourne player to win the AFLW's best and fairest award
The newly crowned winner (pictured with husband Vincent) beat out fellow North Melbourne star Jasmine Garner to the gong
Riddell also won the 2024 AFLW premiership with North Melbourne
'You saw Tayla Harris take a speccy on me and I went to school today and that's all the kids spoke about,' she said.
Riddell was overlooked at two drafts before North Melbourne picked her up for their first season as an AFLW expansion club in 2019.
The 29-year-old won a record-equalling eighth All-Australian blazer this year.
She's been named captain of the representative side three times and also won a swag of other individual awards.
