Best and fairest winner faces year out after ACL tear in round 16
Launceston's Jorja Haberle, 19, won best and fairest but will miss next season after tearing her ACL.
Jorja Haberle captured the NTFA Premier League women's best and fairest award on Sunday with 25 votes, but the triumph is overshadowed by an injury that will sideline her for 12 months. The Launceston midfielder tore her left ACL late in a round 16 match against Deloraine just weeks before the award announcement.
Haberle faces surgery next week and cannot play next season. Haberle said the injury has not fully sunk in, but it is all she thinks about.
This is her second long-term injury in two years; a stress fracture in her foot kept her out for most of 2024. She was a standout in Launceston's 2025 premiership and had aimed to play VFLW this year, but now hopes for a comeback in 2028.
- 25
- Best and fairest votes
- Three votes
- Winning margin
- 19
- Haberle's age
- 12 months
- Recovery period
Why it mattersA rising talent loses a critical year of development at a peak moment in her career, derailing progress toward higher-level competition.
AustraliaLaunceston's best young footballer is sidelined for next season, affecting the Blues' 2027 premiership chances.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 d ago
