BRISBANE, Australia (CMC) — Sunshine Girl Romelda Aiken has been awarded the Laura Geitz Medal for the Most Valuable Player for a record eighth time at the Queensland Firebirds awards gala last weekend.

The highly rated Jamaican international gained 56 votes to beat out challenges from defender Kim Jenner, Gabi Simpson and Tara Hinchliffe, to clinch the north-eastern Australia club’s highest individual honour.

Aiken enjoyed an outstanding season for the Firebirds, scoring 583 goals to help Firebirds to fifth in the standings on 26 points at the end of the preliminaries.

She was second only to fellow Jamaican Jhaniele Fowler-Reid who poured in 910 goals for losing finalists West Coast Fever.

“Romelda set the tone from the first day of preseason and it’s very gratifying to have watched her hard work and commitment translate to a formidable season in which she reaffirmed her status as one of the premier shooters, not only in this league, but across the world,” said Firebirds high performance director, Jeremy Hickmans.

“Her desire to not only lift those around her, as evidenced by her leadership of Tippah [Dwan] in a breakout year, but also to continue to better herself after 13 seasons at the highest level is testament to her character, as both an athlete and person.”

The 31-year-old, who was dogged by injury last season, scored 40 for more goals in the last nine games of the campaign en route to passing 7,000 goals in the league.

Not only was Aiken recognised by the club but also by her fellow players as she also captured the University of Queensland Players’ Player Award and the Queensland Firebirds’ Spirit Award.

Only last week, Aiken re-signed with Firebirds for another season, to extend a relationship which has seen her spend 12 years at the club.