Mwawi bags Australia netball award

Malawi Queens shooter Mwawi Kumwenda has capped a remarkable season in Australia’s Gippsland Netball League by winning Best and Fairest Award after an outstanding campaign with Drouin Hawks.

Kumwenda, affectionately known as ‘MJ’ at Drouin Hawks, polled 36 votes to win the prestigious award, finishing 15 votes clear of the second-placed player Courtney Young of Wonthaggi.

The Gippsland Netball League in a statement said Kumwenda, who is loaned to the club by her parent club Peninsual Waves, was a standout performer in the league, topping the charts with 751 goals from 18 matches.

Mwawi in action for Drouin in Australia.

| Courtesy of Hawks

The league said in statement: “Drouin superstar Mwawi Kumwenda has been recognised for her excellent season with the Gippsland League’s Best and Fairest Award in the weekend’s vote count. The Malawi-born goal shooter utterly dominated the court, finishing on 36 votes, 15 ahead of second place.”

The honour is Kumwenda’s second individual award of the season in Australia after she also won the Shelley Haynes Hot Shot Award at Peninsula Waves for scoring the most goals during the season.

The recognition comes after the club announced that they had re-signed the experienced goal shooter for the 2027 season and beyond.

The club expressed in a statement their delight at retaining the Malawi Queens star, praising her contribution during the 2026 campaign.

“We are absolutely thrilled to announce that our superstar goal shooter Mwawi Kumwenda, has re-signed with the Peninsula Waves for the 2027 season and beyond!” the club said.

“MJ was instrumental throughout 2026, proving time and time again to be our ultimate rock under the post with her trademark reliability and clinical accuracy.”

Meanwhile, Drouin also congratulated the Malawi international on her achievement.

“Congratulations to Drouin’s Mwawi Kumwenda, the 2026 Gippsland League Best and Fairest Award winner.

“It has been an outstanding season for, taking home the league’s top individual honour,” said the club in a statement.

Her award comes ahead of Saturday’s Gippsland Netball League grand final in which her club faces Moe.

However, Drouin will be without Mwawi as she is currently with the Malawi Queens in Kenya for the Africa Netball Cup which doubles as a qualifier for next year’s Netball World Cup.

Kumwenda was also unavailable for comment as she was involved in Malawi’s closed-door test match against Botswana as we went to press.

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