Image: SANFL
Norwood captain Jade Halfpenny has capped off a career-best season, taking home the 2026 Hostplus SANFLW League Best and Fairest Award at Adelaide Oval.
The midfielder was crowned the league’s best and fairest on Monday night after polling 27 votes across 13 matches, finishing four votes clear of Sturt’s Isobel Kuiper.
Jade was a consistent presence throughout the count, polling in every round except one and taking the lead from Woodville-West Torrens midfielder Alice Tentye in Round 11.
The 22-year-old collected the maximum three votes on four occasions in Rounds 3, 5, 6 and 11, while also picking up six second preferences and three third preferences.
Her standout season helped drive Norwood’s rise up the SANFLW ladder, with the No. 22 averaging 26.9 disposals, 8.4 tackles, 5.9 inside 50s and 4.8 clearances across 14 matches.
One of her biggest performances came in Round 4 against West Adelaide, where she racked up an impressive 41 disposals, eight clearances, eight inside 50s and six tackles.
The award was just one of several major honours for Jade on the night, as she also took home the Kia Coaches Award and SA Power Networks Leadership Award.
It marks an extraordinary rise for the 88-game player, who first began her football journey with Golden Grove Football Club in 2017 before joining her dad Warren Halfpenny in pulling on the Redlegs guernsey.
Jade made her SANFLW debut for Norwood in 2020 and has since spent time on both the Port Adelaide and Carlton AFLW lists.
Now in her first season as Norwood’s SANFLW captain, she is quickly establishing herself as one of the competition’s standout leaders.
She has also been selected in all three SANFLW State Squads and represented South Australia in the inaugural SANFLW v WAFLW State Game in 2024.
The Best and Fairest win adds to an already impressive individual record, with Jade also claiming back-to-back Norwood SANFLW Best and Fairest awards.
She becomes just the second Norwood player to claim the Hostplus SANFLW League Best and Fairest, following Najwa Allen’s 2019 win.
Sturt midfielder Isobel Kuiper finished runner-up with 23 votes from 10 appearances, while Woodville-West Torrens’ Alice Tentye finished third on 22 votes.
Alice was unable to play from Round 9 onwards after being picked up by the Adelaide Crows.
The other major SANFLW awards went to Alice, who claimed the Powerade Breakthrough Player award, while Woodville-West Torrens’ Klaudia O’Neill took out the AAMI Leading Goalkicker Award.
Jade’s big night was rounded out by her Kia Coaches Award and SA Power Networks Leadership Award, making it a clean sweep of three major honours for the Norwood skipper.
