SSN's Top 15 players 2024: Part three

By Stephanie Smarrelli
 

The final instalment of our Top 15 players for season 2024 is here. We’ve been counting down during the last few weeks, if you missed part one and two you can catch up here for 15 through to 11 and here for 10 through to six.  

There was once again a wealth of talent on display throughout the season, and compelling arguments could be made for a number of players who were unlucky to miss out on a spot in this year’s list. 

But here’s our top five. 

5. Kiera Austin 

The slick goaler was on song throughout 2024. When Austin was at her best the Vixens were nearly unstoppable with her movement in the attack end opening up space for shooting partner Sophie Garbin. 

When the pressure was on and Austin’s eye was firmly on the ring, opponents were on red alert with the goaler capable of draining Super Shots to keep the Vixens in games. 

Austin slotted 55 Super Shots during the season, including seven at 100 per cent on Grand Final Day which was almost enough to steal victory from the Thunderbirds. 

Her best outing was against the Swifts in Round 5 with Austin shooting at 93 per cent, she slotted all of her Super Shot attempts and finished the game with two gains contributing to a haul of 126 Nissan Net Points and a two-goal victory. 

4. Latanya Wilson 

The Thunderbirds’ throttling wing defence was impressive throughout the 2024 season. 
 
Wilson's innate ability to read the play, her sense of timing and game smarts were crucial to the Thunderbirds defensive line. 

The premiership defender tallied the second highest number of intercepts and deflections in the league highlighting why she is one of the world’s best. 

Her most impressive outing during 2024 was against the Swifts in Round 7 playing both goal defence and wing defence, Wilson’s defensive flair and shut down ability was on show. 

Tallying up four intercepts, seven deflections and one rebound the defender was unstoppable alongside teammates Matilda Garrett and Shamera-Sterling Humphrey. 

The scariest part for opposition teams, Wilson is only turning 24-years-old this year and her best may be yet to come.  
 

3. Georgie Horjus 

With back-to-back premiership medals around her neck this Thunderbird made her mark throughout 2024. 

Like her teammate Wilson, Horjus’ best may be yet to come the 22-year-old dominating the attacking end for the Thunderbirds throughout 2024. 

The swing player was often the barometer for the side, when she was on the they didn’t miss a beat. Her ability to smoothly move from wing attack into goal attack to slot goal after goal when it mattered most made Horjus one of the most dangerous players in the league. 

She doesn’t have the flashiest stats, finishing the season with 86 goals, 249 goal assists and 423 feeds but the work she does to bring her teammates into games was instrumental to the Thunderbirds premiership defence and is worth more than numbers on a page. 

Horjus’ best match was in Round 14 against the Lightning with the side fighting for the minor premiership and a double chance at finals. 

Horjus stepped up to the challenge finishing the match with 104 Nissan Net Points, four Super Shots and 25 feeds in a nailbiting end to the home-and-away season.  

The attacker’s 2024 performance was rewarded with Origin Diamonds head coach Stacey Marinkovich naming her in the Diamonds squad for the first time.  
 

2. Liz Watson 

She may have donned a new uniform in 2024, but Lightning’s Liz Watson was as influential as ever. 

Her partnership with Steph Fretwell and Cara Koenen carried over from their time together in the Diamonds, enabling the midcourter to hit the court running from the get-go.  

Watson topped the league for feeds into the circle with 700 averaging 47 a game and had the most goal assists with 365. 

She was the highest-placed midcourter for Nissan Net Points throughout the season, with 1350 dominating each time she stepped on court. 

The 30-year-old's best performance was against the Mavericks in Round 12, Watson’s 54 feeds and 33 goal assists were part of a 149 Nissan Net Point game for the midcourter. 
 

1. Shamera Sterling-Humphrey 

Back-to-back premierships and back-to-back top spots in our Top 15 SSN players list. 

It will surprise no one to see Sterling-Humphrey in the top once again, her defensive prowess was instrumental to the Thunderbirds’ season. 

The defender claiming her spot on top of the table for intercepts and deflections in the league. 

She was the highest placed defender for Nissan Net Points with 1292 and her partnership with teammates Latanya Wilson and Matilda Garrett allowed all three to make their mark during the season. 

Sterling-Humphrey's speed to close in on an intercept was second to none with the defender’s best performance for the season being in the Major Semi Final against the Vixens. 

The 28-year-old tore the Vixens attack end to shreds with 14 gains, eight rebounds, six deflections, five intercepts and a game-high 134 Nissan Net Points.