Willcocks gets hands on second award

Standout Kangas 1 defender Rachel Willcocks has won her second Michelle Parsons Memorial Award, prevailing in a close count of Albany Netball Association’s highest individual honour at Prince Royal Sailing Club last Saturday night.

The prestigious award recog-nises the fairest and best player in the A1 division.

Willcocks previously won the honour in 2015 while playing in defence for Bullets before joining Kangas at the start of this season.

The agile defender enjoyed a terrific season at her new club, polling 23 votes to hold off Royals Saints 1 defender Lisa Amess by four votes.

Amess shone for the minor premiers to be runner-up on 19 votes with Narrikup 1’s Tina Mundy next on 17, while Grammar 1 young gun Jordyn Warren capped an impressive season to collect 15 votes.

Magpies 1 defender Sophie Bacon-Lewis (13 votes) and Royals Saints centre Sophie Lynch (11) rounded out the top six places, while last season’s winner Kelly Judd, of Magpies, finished with 10 votes alongside Narrikup’s Casey Greay.

Willcocks’ triumph continues the strong recent history of defenders winning the award following previous recipients Sophie Ashford (2014), Alex Wells (2013) and Jess Jackson (2011).

Members of the Parsons family were on hand to present the coveted award.

Bacon-Lewis, who has had a dominant season in defence for Magpies, won the Susan Howlett Award for the best 18-and-under player in the A1 competition.