Stavrou & Cowan shine brightest in 2025

Prolific Old Xaverians’ ball-winner Marcus Stavrou and dual Old Scotch premiership star Mia Cowan have been crowned the William Buck Premier Men’s & Women’s League Best & Fairest at the VAFA Awards Night at Lakeside Pavilion.

350 guests were on hand to see Stavrou blitz the field in the JN Woodrow Medal count, racking up 27 votes to establish an unassailable lead by the end of Round 14.

The 27-year-old polled votes in 11 of his 14 matches before missing the final three rounds of the home & away season due to a serious ankle injury. He flew out of the gates, polling in his first four matches, then polled in 7 of 8 between Rounds 7 and 14 – including 6 best-on-ground performances in that 8-game stretch.

Stavrou averaged 29 disposals, 14 contested possessions, 4 tackles, 7 clearances per game, also booting 7 goals for the season. He peaked with 39 touches against St Kevin’s in Round 10, and 35 against St Bernard’s in Round 12, polling 3 votes in both outings.

Overall, he was named best afield seven times, and his 27-vote total is the highest in a Woodrow Medal since Old Trinity’s Brendan Iezzi scored 28 in 2014. 

He streeted the field to finish 11 votes clear of the League’s leading goalkicker – Old Haileybury livewire Andreas Stefanakis, who finished 2 votes ahead of Old Brighton’s Tom Fisher (14 votes).

2022 winner, Old Brighton skipper Harry Hill, and star University Blues’ forward James Stewart, who finished second to Stefanakis in the League goalkicking, finished tied for 4th on 13 votes, while the 2024 medallist, Sam Fisher, finished sixth, polling 12 votes from 11 games before his season was cut short by injury.

It is Stavrou’s second Woodrow Medal, having previously won it in 2021 with 14 votes from 11 games.

And – after Sam Fisher’s victory last year – it’s the first time in Old Xavs’ long and illustrious history that the club has secured back-to-back Woodrow Medals.

Xavs became the first club to win consecutive Woodrows with different players since De La Salle secured the 2009-10 medals, with Matthew Fieldsend & David Lowe tying in 2009 followed by Aaron Shields’ victory in 2010.

Mia Cowan – who has starred for Old Scotch in their back-to-back premierships as well as in the Big V jumper – received votes in 8 of her 15 Premier Women’s matches this season, with her 22 votes including 7 best-on-ground performances.

This confirms what all followers of the competition already know – when the 22-year-old is on song, she’s a game-changing eye-catcher.

Cowan kicked clear of the field to become Old Scotch’s first-ever Shona MacInnes Medallist, with three best-on-ground performances in a four-week period from Rounds 10 to 13. 

She ended her season on a high with another best-on-ground performance in the Stars’ final round victory over Kew, finishing 7 votes ahead of a three-way tie for second place between her Old Scotch teammate Katie Hunter-Scott, Kew’s Lauralee Rinaldi, and St Kevin’s sharpshooter Hannah Smith. 

Another Saint, 2023 winner Kate Stanton, finished one vote further back in fifth.

Cowan’s victory crowns an incredible two years for the Old Scotch Stars, including consecutive premierships and now the competition’s top individual award as well.

Congratulations to Marcus, Mia and all our leading vote-getters on their outstanding individual seasons.

2025 VAFA Best & Fairest Votes across ALL sections: