Laura Summers played at St Bedes/Mentone Tigers in the first year the club fielded an under 18 youth girls’ side. In its inaugural year Laura won the St Bedes/Mentone Tigers U18 Girls Best and Fairest Award. In that same year she also won the SMJFL Under 18 Youth Girls Best and Fairest Award with a total of 23 votes, with the next closest poll for runner-up totalling 11 votes. But most significantly also in that same year, Laura won the informal players’ Player of the Year Award which was voted by the players of the U18 Girls team to the player who is not necessarily the best player but rather is the player who gives their all, who plays in the spirit of the game and who embodies the spirit of our club.

Laura went on to play senior women’s football at SBMT and was a player who consistently had a significant impact on her teammates. Laura always polled well during her time in senior football at both a club and league level in the Best and Fairest counts, finishing runner up in the SBMT Senior Women’s Best and Fairest just before she passed away in 2018.

The Laura Summers Memorial Player Award is awarded to a player in the U18 Girls team, who has embodied the spirit of the club over her journey in junior football, who significantly and positively influences her teammates and who gives her all for our team and for our club.