The AFLW’s big new retiree Erin Phillips will present the best on field medal at the grand final, amid talk the award should be named in her honour.
Key points:
- There’s a push for an AFLW medal to be named in honor of retired great Erin Phillips
- Phillips to present best on field medal at this year’s grand final
- She won this award twice during her career in Adelaide.
The 38-year-old called it quits last week after a stellar playing career at Adelaide and Port Adelaide.
She ranks with other stars including retired Melbourne captain Daisy Pearce and North Melbourne’s Emma Kearney as the greatest players in the competition’s short history.
The female equivalents of the Brownlow and Norm Smith Medals are not named and Phillips would be a worthy candidate for either recognition.
She won the league’s best and fairest award in 2017 and 2019, the same years she was voted best in Adelaide’s grand final victories.
“We continue to build on this legacy and Erin has been retired for about 36 hours,” AFLW boss Nicole Livingstone said.
“Of course we have had other extraordinary players as well: Daisy Pearce retired 12 months ago, she has also been an epic force in the women’s game.
“We’re keeping the pen dry for now. We’ll take our time.”
After an international basketball career with the Opals and in the WNBA, Phillips was a marquee player when the AFLW began in 2017.
With Adelaide until 2022, she co-led the team to two premierships and played in a third, in her final season with the Crows.
Phillips was named an All Australian three times and twice won Adelaide’s best and fairest award.
She moved to Port Adelaide when they joined the league last season and captained the Power until her retirement.
Phillips played 65 matches – 46 for the Crows and 19 for Port – and will present the medal for best fielder in the grand final on December 3.
PAA
