Port Adelaide’s rising star, Matilda Scholz, has achieved a remarkable milestone by being crowned the 2024 Virgin Mark of the Year winner. Her jaw-dropping leap during Week 7’s match against Collingwood left fans in awe and secured her spot among the AFLW’s brightest talents. This iconic moment, which saw Scholz soar above the pack inside Port Adelaide’s forward 50, electrified the Alberton crowd and solidified her growing reputation in the league.
The prestigious award was announced at the W Awards in Melbourne, where Scholz received a $50,000 prize and two million Velocity Frequent Flyer Points for her exceptional performance. Though her mark wasn’t the fan-favorite for the week, the All-Australian voting panel recognized its brilliance, placing it as a finalist alongside impressive efforts from Hawthorn’s Mattea Breed and Geelong’s Rachel Kearns.
Reflecting on her triumph, Scholz humbly attributed her success to her teammates Maria Moloney and Gemma Houghton, who created the perfect setup for her to shine. “I’ve been working on contested marking all season, and it was great to see it pay off in that moment,” she shared, laughing about how her parents might now expect her to move out with her winnings.
This win capped an incredible evening for the teenage ruck, who was also named the 2024 Telstra AFLW Rising Star. Scholz became the second Port Adelaide player in three years to earn this honor, underscoring her meteoric rise in just her second AFLW season.
Although Scholz’s teammate Gemma Houghton was a finalist for the NAB AFLW Goal of the Year, her stunning goal from the same match narrowly lost to Adelaide’s Hannah Munyard. Regardless, Scholz’s achievements have left Port Adelaide fans excited for the future, with this young star proving she’s just getting started.
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