Best, fairest and getting better

Despite being crowned Southern Saints’ Best and Fairest in 2023, Winnie Laing is still on the lookout for areas to improve both individually and as a team.

08/08/2023

The Southern Saints’ star had a well-rounded season on the wing as she averaged 16.8 disposals and 5.7 tackles per game. As a member of the leadership group, Laing worked hard to set an example by regularly pushing back to support her defence, but also pushed forward to finish the season with an impressive three goals. 

Laing’s commitment and running ability were highlighted by Head Coach, Michelle ‘Alpha’ Densley in her congratulatory speech immediately after Laing was presented with the award on B&F night. Laing credits her Head Coach, along with Midfield Coach ‘Donza’, for helping her reach the next level.

“Alpha and Donza had a lot of belief in me during the year. I like to have a lot of fun during training and stuff but they saw my potential probably more than I did and tried to get the best out of me through the year,” Laing says.

“My biggest asset to the team is probably my run and also my work-rate. When you love the girls, you just try to do everything you can. Whatever you are required to do, you know your teammates are going to do the exact same thing. Everyone tries their hardest and puts their body on the line so it really makes a difference.”

Anyone who watched Laing play throughout the 2023 season is unlikely to be surprised that she was named Best and Fairest. But Laing herself was “very, very surprised” to take the award home given the strong performances from some of her teammates.

“I think this year our team has been quite evenly spread; we’ve got a lot of talent throughout all the lines. We’ve got Tessa Boyd down back and Gaby De Angelis up forward so I think I was more surprised to win because when those two played well they were really a class above the rest,” she recalls.

Of course, an incredible season like Laing’s doesn’t just happen by chance. Having been “rode hard” – in coach Alpha’s words – for much of the preseason, Laing was happy to see the reward for her effort and the sense of pride that comes with achievement.

“Being told they’re proud of me is special; my parents, teammates and especially Alpha. It does mean a lot knowing the hard work throughout the year paid off."

But personal achievements are not the barometer for Laing’s success. Instead, she is driven by team accomplishments – namely premierships.

“We’re all in it together. We all have the same goal. Individual accolades are great, but I think if anyone was given the opportunity to win an individual accolade or for us to win the premiership, everyone would choose a premiership every day of the week,” Laing states.

And winning a premiership with the Southern Saints would be especially sweet for Laing given her connection to the area. Laing captained the Sandringham Dragons in the Coates Talent League and was able to develop much of her wholehearted midfield craft during that time.

“It was a really great experience going through the Sandy Dragons program and now finding my way back to the Southern Saints,” she says.

“Some of the same girls are there like Charli Murphy and Charlotte Ryan. They’re my best friends so being able to train and play with them again is really great.”

Just as her Sandringham career has come “full circle”, Laing’s AFLW career may well be on a similar trajectory. She was taken with pick No.36 in the 2020 AFLW Draft and spent the 2021 AFLW season on Carlton’s AFLW list. Laing has also recently been invited as a train-on for St. Kilda in the lead up to the 2023 AFLW season. These are all experiences that are helping her improve as a player and as a person.

“I’m hoping to grow my game a bit more in preparation for the VFLW season next year. ​​​​Not being in finals this year after making the Grand Final last season; I think everyone will have that drive coming back for a strong preseason ahead of next year and we’ll see how we go.”

With her commitment to the Southern Saints as strong as ever, a common motif in Laing's mindset is a willingness to find finite margins for progression that separate the average from the elite. This even extends to her levels of self-assurance.

“Some of the girls fake tan and some have to have their hair looking good. If you look good, you’re going to play good, so it’s about having confidence in yourself,” she laughs.

With all joking aside, Laing is laser-focused on what’s to come next season at the Southern Saints. And for her and her teammates, there’s only one outcome that defines success.

“Alpha said a lot during the season that when we trained well, we played well, and when we didn’t train well during the week, we didn’t play well. From the get-go next year, we’ve got to start training well in preseason all the way through into the season,” she says,

“We’ll be even more driven to get a premiership next year than we were this year.”

No doubt the wealth of experience Laing has already accumulated at only 21 years of age will help to keep her on track for another strong campaign in 2024.

Written By Matthew Santini - Sandringham Football Club Media