Koroit goal keeper Emily Batt has experienced the highs and lows netball can deliver and yesterday celebrated the latest chapter in her successful career.

Batt capped off a stellar individual season with Hampden league A grade best-and-fairest honours at City Memorial Bowls Club.

She polled 24 votes to beat teammate Teagan Lang by two. North Warrnambool Eagles pair Sophie Barr, 21, and Maddie Smedts, 20, were next best.

Just two votes separated first and fourth heading into the last round of the season.

North Warrnambool Eagles accounted for South Warrnambool but neither Barr nor Smedts caught the attention of the umpires.

Koroit defeated Portland, with Batt attracting two votes. Saints defender Holly Greene polled one, while co-coach Kate Foster earned three.

Batt, 30, said she didn’t give herself a chance to win before the count. 

She said she believed goal shooter Carley Thomas would lead the Saints’ tally.

“We’ve got such a great side that we complement each other. I feel I play well when I’ve got players around me who make me look good,” she said.

“It’s such a supportive team. They’re forever complimenting you and trying to push you that bit further.”

Batt started her netball career with Warrnambool before joining Koroit in 2001, her last season of juniors.

She has spent every winter since at Victoria Park, save for two seasons with Warrnambool and District league club Merrivale in 2010 and 2011.

Her netball resume includes a Hampden league junior best-and-fairest award and six premiership medals — five with Koroit and one with Merrivale.

But she missed playing in the Tigers’ 2010 grand final win, having suffered a season-ending right knee injury in the second semi-final.

The resultant reconstruction was the second of her career. She underwent the same operation on her left knee a decade earlier.

All up, Batt has had five knee operations to go with rolled ankles, a broken elbow and broken fingers.

But the joys of netball ensure she returns to the court after every setback. The Saints’ netball ranks have become “like a family”.

“It’s good playing with my older sister Stacey (O’Sullivan) and just the other players. Kate Dobson and Kate Foster have been older sisters to me,” she said.

“I started playing with them when I was 15. They’re all the same age and I’m the little sister to them. But now they’re old and I’m mid-range.”

Koroit meets Hamilton Kangaroos in the A grade grand final at Reid Oval on Saturday, having lost the same match to North Warrnambool Eagles 12 months ago.

Batt said “experience” would hold the Saints in good stead on the grand final stage. She believed the group had learnt valuable lessons from losing last year.

“Last year’s loss to North Warrnambool, we, if anything, have gained so much on that. We refer back. We don’t want to feel that pain ever again,” she said.

“You learn so much from a loss and I think that loss, we learnt the most we’ve ever learnt in our netball careers.

“Just everything from game plans, to how you prepare on the day. Everything.”

Batt polled votes in 10 matches, earning three votes on six occasions.

She had 13 votes to her name after five rounds and finished the season strongly, picking up seven votes from round 16 to 18.