A trio of Port Adelaide’s emerging stars have been nominated for the AFL Players’ Association Most Valuable Player Award for 2025. 

Matilda Scholz, Abbey Dowrick and Indy Tahau have all been recognised for their outstanding seasons, earning places on this year’s nominations list. 

Fresh off claiming her second consecutive club Best and Fairest (118 votes), Scholz delivered another exceptional season, starring in all 12 games.  

The dominant ruck averaged 17 disposals at 52.5 per cent efficiency, 10.6 contested possessions, 22.8 hitouts, six score involvements and four clearances per game. 

She collected 20 or more disposals three times - highlighted by a season-high 22 against Gold Coast and 21 against Hawthorn - and produced a standout performance against the Hawks with 34 hitouts and four goals. 

Indy Tahau’s season was capped by finishing atop the league’s goal-kicking leaderboard with 25 majors, setting a new AFLW record for most goals kicked in a single season - an even greater feat given she started the year as a defender. 

Her power in the contest, aerial presence and impact inside 50 established her as a genuine utility, earning her third place in the club’s Best and Fairest (95 votes) with averages of 11.3 disposals and 2.1 goals per game. 

Abbey Dowrick continued her rise among the competition’s elite, averaging 18.4 disposals, 15.2 kicks, seven tackles and 4.5 clearances per game. Her consistency saw her finish sixth in Port Adelaide’s Best and Fairest count (90 votes). 

In other categories, Shineah Goody has been nominated for the Most Courageous Player Award, Jasmine Sowden is in contention for Best First Year Player, and captain Justine Mules-Robinson has been recognised with a nomination for Best Captain. 

Goody claimed the AFLPA Best First Year Player Award in 2024, while the remaining awards were taken out by Ebony Marinoff (MVP, Best Captain) and Chelsea Randall (Most Courageous). 

Shineah Goody's bravery and tackling prowess have seen her earn a nomination for the Most Courageous Player Award. Image: AFL Photos.

Unlike traditional awards, the AFLPA honours are determined solely by players. Port Adelaide’s nominees were selected internally by teammates, before votes from all clubs were tallied to create a 54-player nominations list across the league. 

In the second voting stage, every player casts 3, 2 and 1 votes for their MVP from the nominees of the 17 other clubs - players cannot vote for their own teammates. 

A similar process is used for the Best First Year Player and Most Courageous Awards, while all club captains are automatically nominated for Best Captain.