The Outer East Football Netball League Gala Awards night was held on Saturday to recognise the best of the competition.
For Monbulk the highlight came with Stephanie Ferguson being awarded the Jodi Chandler Medal as best player in Premier Division A Grade. As the count advanced Stephanie increased her lead to eventually record a tally of 31 votes (out of a possible 54), seven votes clear of Mt. Evelyn’s star goal keeper and twice League Best & Fairest, Kaitlyn Black.
Stephanie has had a storied career to date, which was read out when she received her award. She had represented Victoria as a junior 2006-2010, captained the Australian Under 21 side in 2011, played for the Adelaide Thunderbirds and Queensland Firebirds in the National competition, been captain of the Victorian Fury and been a training partner at the Vixens.
“All those accolades feel like a lifetime ago now. I’ve had two little girls since then and they’re really my focus” Stephanie replied. Monbulk’s 2025 A Grade captain had played as goal attack this year, where she scored 365 goals and working well in tandem with goal shooter Peri Reid.
“My netball now is really about just getting out there and enjoying the girls and enjoying our team and our club and having some fun. Towards the end of my elite career I’d lost the love for it and probably was ready to walk away completely but had a phone call from Monbulk and it was the best decision I ever made to join that club because it really did bring back my love for the sport. I feel really grateful to have found that club and it’s a big thanks to them that I’m standing here tonight.”
“The club have been wonderful, not only the A Grade girls but the whole club. Everyone is just so supportive and it’s a really community minded club, and family minded club, which is just so wonderful,” Stephanie said.
Stephanie joined Monbulk in 2019 with her mum, Christina Puopolo. Christina, who was the national men’s coach, had also coached at Melbourne Phoenix and numerous state level teams, took on the position of head coach, which gave the Hawks a great boost.
Stephanie’s win gives Monbulk their fourth A Grade League Best & Fairest in the top division, drawing level with Mt. Evelyn as the club with the equal most. Previous winners for the Hawks had been Mel Whitworth 2006 and 2008 and Paige Whitworth in 2016.
Paige Whitworth also had a strong year, finishing equal 5th with 18 votes. Stephanie, Paige and Peri Reid all made the Team Of The Year, meaning a quarter of the team came from Monbulk, the equal most representatives alongside premiers Wandin.
Monbulk also polled well in other netball divisions with Bonnie Munday coming runner up in B Grade and Macy Giling was also runner up in D Grade. Sammi Kelly came fifth in C Grade, a great effort in a team that won just one game. In the Under 15s Monbulk had six of the top nine vote getters, their evenness preventing one of them winning as they took votes off each other.
In the football Monbulk also had three representatives in the Team Of The Year, with club Best & Fairest Lachlan Sheppard selected in the back pocket, Cam Evans being named as the ruckman and Lochie Beecroft on the interchange. Brodie Emmett came third in the Reserves voting while Will Hughson finished fourth in the Under 18s, the latter being a standout performance playing as a bottom age player in a team that won just once and Will also missed several weeks when he played seniors.
2025 Outer East Best and Fairest Winners
Premier Division
Football
Seniors – Matthew Scharenberg (Olinda-Ferny Creek)
Reserves – Matthew Brieley (Mt. Evelyn)
Under 18s – Brodie Hood (Mt. Evelyn)
Women’s (Div 1) – Lily Carlin (Olinda-Ferny Creek)
Veterans – Tom Matthews (Yarra Glen) + Steven Tesoriero (Mt. Evelyn)
Netball
A Grade – Stephanie Ferguson (Monbulk)
B Grade – Kaelah O’Shanassy (ROC)
C Grade – Chloe Biggs (Mt. Evelyn)
D Grade – Stephanie Braniska (Wandin)
Under 17s – Olive Henry (ROC)
Under 15s – Fetuliaina Falo (Pakenham) + Charli Maher (ROC)
Division 1
Football
Seniors – Ben Wratten (Powelltown – 6th time)
Reserves – Brandon Kapakoulakis (Alexandra)
Under 18s – Zakery De Bono (Pakenham)
Women’s (Div 2) – Emerson Woods (Warburton-Wesburn)
Netball
A Grade – Caitlin Cooke (Pakenham)
B Grade – Chloe Morgan (Seville)
C Grade – Sophie Morgan (Seville)
D Grade – Sophie Grima (Seville)
Under 17s – Sophie Wicks (Seville)
Seville were presented the Champion Club award after getting all eight teams to grand finals. Best Conducted Football teams were awarded to Thornton-Eildon (Women’s), Pakenham (Division 1) and Emerald (Premier Division).
