Bullets defender Rachel Adams first player in history to win Michelle Parsons Memorial Award three times

Rachel Adams created history when she became the first player in Albany Netball Association history to win the prestigious Michelle Parsons Memorial Award for a third time on Saturday night. The respected Bullets defender had a superb season to win the award as the fairest and best player in the ANA A1 competition. It is the third time Adams has claimed the top prize after previous victories with Kangas (2017) and Bullets (2015). The outstanding defender polled 32 out of a possible 42 votes to finish a runaway winner. Narrikup 2 shooter Rylee Davies finished runner-up with 18 votes in her first season in the ANA, while Magpies 1 defender Claire Holliday rounded out the top three on 16. Adams was tied on eight votes with Davis after four rounds, and at round eight she had moved three clear of Davis, before storming home with several three-vote performances in the concluding rounds of the regular season. After having a child, Adams returned to play A2 last season and then helped lead the club back to the top competition this season. “This year the league has been really strong, I’m hugely honoured to win it,” Adams said. “Being a mum definitely makes this more sweet. “I can honestly say this was a huge surprise, I actually thought I had a really average season, I’m not as fit or as strong as I was, but I do put it down to being really consistent. “The most important moment for me tonight, isn’t the moment that I won but the moment that lots of tables stood up for me. “I may be the best, but the most important thing to me is being the fairest. Most people respect me and I respect them and that’s important.” With her club returning to A1 this season, Adams said they were aware of the challenge and she was immensely proud of her team despite not finishing with a win. “I’d like to thank Dave Pearce as president of Bullets,” she said. “He came to me a couple of years ago and said ‘what do we need to do to get an A1 team’. “We worked really hard and got the team we did this year … we were competitive on court and we were passionate and I don’t think that winning on the scoreboard is necessarily the mark of what an achievement is. “I think we showed how tough we were and every week we brought it and as the season went on we improved and I couldn’t be more proud to be part of the group that I am.” The Susan Howlett Award for the best 18-and-under player in the A1 competition was a tie between Narrikup 2’s Asha Wiegle and Griffins’ Isabella De Giambattista. Sophie Porter won the Dawn Ellis Umpiring Award. 2021 MICHELLE PARSONS MEMORIAL AWARD Rachel Adams (Bullets 1) 32 votes Rylee Davies (Narrikup 2) 18 Claire Holliday (Magpies 1) 16 Isabella De Giambattista (Griffins 1) 15 Asha Wiegle (Narrikup 2) 15 Amber Congram (Railways 1) 14 Kathryn Jennings (Royals Saints 1) 14