Inspirational Kangaroo Flat skipper Chelsea Sartori claims overdue Betty Thompson Medal triumph

So it would come as no surprise to anyone involved in BFNL or netball circles that, after claiming the league's highest individual netball honour - the Betty Thompson Medal - on Sunday night, the fearless and inspirational Roos leader kept most of the focus on her team and the club she holds so dear.

Sartori, a perennial top-five placegetter in recent seasons and the runner-up behind Gisborne's Maddy Stewart last year, polled 25 votes to finish three clear of Sandhurst's midcourt dynamo Shae Clifford, with her best friend and Roos teammate Ashley Ryan and Castlemaine playing coach Fiona Fowler equal third on 21.

It was a mighty effort from the tenacious centre, who missed three games early in the season with a calf injury.

But she came storming home, polling 13 votes across the final five rounds to cap a dramatic win over Clifford, who also rallied late in the count.

Given her early season absence and the fact she had just two votes alongside her name after five rounds, Sartori branded her victory as 'totally unexpected'.

"I'm actually shocked to be honest ... speechless," she said.

"I got injured and I missed a few games, so I didn't think I'd be a chance.

"Especially after that first half of the year, I thought I'm not polling any.

"I thought Fiona (Fowler) or Meg (Williams) would have it in the bag, so I'm really happy and proud to win it."

Making her task all that much tougher, it was a solid night for the Roos overall.

Fellow midcourter Ryan finished top-three, while Milly Wicks, who thrived in all three thirds of the court this season, was prominent with 13.

And then there was goal shooter Lou Dupuy jagging nine votes in little under half a season.

"Our team is so talented, so I wouldn't have thought I'd be winning a league medal," said Sartori, a dual premiership player with the Roos in 2014 and '16.

"Ash (Ryan) and Milly (Wicks) polled a lot of votes as well, which is great for our club.

"I'm just very honoured and grateful to win this."

Few across the league have proven as dedicated to their netball craft as Sartori, who has regularly committed to playing VNL netball and been an automatic selection in BFNL representative teams.

A division one MVP winner in 2021 with Boroondara Express, the 26-year-old took her game to another level in the championship division this season for Geelong Cougars.

For Sartori, the often twice-weekly long treks to Melbourne - and now Geelong - are a labour of love.

"I'm definitely very dedicated to my netball. I guess, playing VNL, you have to be," she said.

"I spend so much travelling and if you want to get the best out of yourself, you have to do all those little things outside of netball to give yourself the best chance of success.

"But I just love playing at Kangaroo Flat alongside my best mates, having fun and playing the very best netball we can.

"I'm just grateful to play alongside the girls I do and we just bring out the best in each other.

"It's pretty awesome and enjoyable to be able to get to do what I do each week."

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A tremendous source of pride for Sartori at Kangaroo Flat has been following the likes of club legends Karly Elvey, Alicia McGlashan (now playing with South Bendigo and the fifth placegetter in this year's medal count) and Lauren Bowles into the Roos captaincy.

Elvey was the last Kangaroo Flat player before Sunday night to win the Betty Thompson Medal in 2012, while Bowles (nee Cowling) jointly won it in 2008.

Her Betty Thompson win was the star centre's second BFNL league medal triumph.

She won the 17-and-under medal in 2013 while playing for Castlemaine.

It was a big night for the ex-Castlemaine brigade, with Sartori and the Dragons' Clifford finishing one-two and South Bendigo goal shooter Chloe Langley fourth on 20 votes.

In between those three, current Magpies playing coach Fowler was third.

Sartori predicted a bright future for her on-court rival Clifford.

"I'm so happy for Shae - she is going to be an absolute star," she said.

"She'd be rapt to be up there (in second place on the leader board) and it won't surprise me at all if she wins a Betty Thompson in the years ahead.

"She has every right to be proud and happy. Her team is the best in the league and have been for the last five years, so that's a real achievement for her, doing it among so many great players."

Unhappy not to be a part of this weekend's grand final, after her team was eliminated from contention in week two of the finals by Castlemaine, Sartori vowed the Roos would be back stronger than ever next season.

"We went out in straight sets and to not get to the prelim at least was disappointing. But you can only have one winner, can't you," she said.

"We always have to give credit where credit is due and Castlemaine played a great game that day.

"Unfortunately, that is how it panned out, but that will only make us even hungrier.

"We know we have to get better in 2024 and we will."

Having gone toe-to-toe with battle-hardened and quality Sandhurst and Gisborne teams for more than a decade now, Sartori is predicting an intense and epic grand final encounter this Saturday at the QEO.

"I find them both very tough; they both play a very different style of game, so it could go either way," she said.

"I can imagine Sandhurst going five-in-a-row, but I'll go with the underdogs."

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