THE list of accolades Camperdown stalwart Tracey Baker would trade for a top-grade premiership is frustratingly longer this week.
Baker is the new Hampden league A grade best and fairest after a consistent season earned her the top individual honour.
The veteran midcourter polled 22 votes to clinch the award from teammate and long-time friend Leah Sinnott, who finished runner-up with 20.
Baker, 38, said she was pleased to top the count at City Memorial Bowls Club yesterday.
But she said she would trade the trophy and almost everything else she's won during a decorated career to win an A grade flag with the Magpies.
Camperdown has lost the past two grand finals to Koroit after starting the deciders as hot favourite.
It had its 2012 campaign come to a heartbreaking end against Warrnambool in a thrilling preliminary final which went to overtime on Saturday.
The best and fairest award allowed Baker to reflect on the beginning and twilight of her careers.
She won the same honour in 1992 one day before her 18th birthday when she was a fresh-faced teenager making her mark in the competition.
Her presence in A grade, at Camperdown and Cobden, has been one of the constants during two decades of Hampden netball.
"Obviously it means a bit," she said.
I got one of these when I was 17, 20 years ago.
"But yesterday was devastating. We went so well in the pre-season.
"It has been a really long year because we started the pre-season and went down to Melbourne.
"It has been a long year but to not get there was just terrible.
"This is good but it doesn't compare."
"I thought this team, this year the way our season started, this is it," Baker said.
"To not get there this year not even have a crack is disappointing, really disappointing.
"I don't know what we've got to do.
"Warrnambool played well yesterday. They knocked us out, they were the better team on the day."
Baker polled votes in 10 matches and picked up three votes in four matches.
"If I'm not going to do it this year I'm never going to do it.
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Camperdown won the Western Region State League and became Netball Victoria state champions in the pre-season, but failed to reach its "ultimate goal".
She said it was "hard" to determine if season 2012 had been a success "because we have achieved a lot".
Baker was at a loss to explain the preliminary final defeat as the Magpies' 17-1 regular season finished with a straight-sets finals exit.
She said she wanted to play A grade in 2013 and beyond, as long as her teammates thought she was handling the demands.