AFLW best and fairest winner Monique Conti reveals how playing top-level pro basketball helped her win footy’s biggest award

Newly crowned AFLW best and fairest winner Monique Conti believes juggling football and basketball is getting the best out of her.

Richmond superstar Conti has returned to the WNBL with the Melbourne Boomers for this season after starring for the Tigers.

Cross-code star Conti won the AFLW’s highest honour with two rounds to spare and by a full seven votes, polling 23 of a possible 30 votes in the 10-game season.

The 23-year-old hailed the balance provided by her two sports.

‘I don’t think I ever sit still. I would go crazy if I did,’ Conti said.’I like to be go, go, go all the time. And I think that’s what makes me me. I wouldn’t be the same if I was sitting still.

‘So yeah, I go from one to the other to keep me going and that’s the way I like it.’

The talented superstar juggles professional basketball and football, playing NBL1 for the Melbourne Tigers and WNBL for the Melbourne Boomers

Conti credits her professional basketball career for giving her the skills and courage required to be one of the best AFLW players on the park

Many top female sportswomen are increasingly encouraged to settle on one sport – a trend Conti is happy to buck.

‘That’s what keeps me going is knowing that I can help create a path for young girls that are being told to choose between one sport or the other,’ she said.

‘So credit to the girls that can do both and a big credit to Tessa Lavey as well. She did it for a really long time. I think Erin (Phillips) started it and I’m still sort of following in her footsteps.

‘So being a role model is really important. It’s definitely something that drives me and I’m sure it drives a lot of other athetes as well.’

Conti insisted she wasn’t done with her hectic schedule yet.

‘Sometimes my body doesn’t feel 23,’ she said.

‘But I don’t know – I just want to keep doing what I’m doing. I really don’t like planning too far ahead. That stresses me out.

‘You can ask anyone that knows me really well, I don’t like to plan.

‘But I think i just want to keep enjoying my football, keep winning with the Tigers, try and pursue my basketball as much as I can.

‘But I guess just take it like season by season, year by year and just see what I want to do that year and just get better and have fun.’