Adelaide congratulates its inaugural AFLW Co-Captain, three-time Premiership player, triple All-Australian, dual Club Champion and dual League Best and Fairest Erin Phillips, on her induction into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
Phillips was one of the country’s best female basketballers, having won two WNBA titles, a FIBA Women's World basketball gold medal in 2006 and played at two Olympic Games, winning a silver medal in 2008.
But a return home from the United States to South Australia and an opportunity to play football in a new national competition was too good to turn down, leading to her joining the Crows for the inaugural AFLW season in 2017.
She became a trailblazer in women’s football and had an immediate impact on the competition, playing all seven minor round matches in 2017, before lining up in the Grand Final.
Phillips not only helped lead Adelaide to its historic inaugural Premiership against Brisbane in 2017 but also claimed the best-on-ground medal, before winning the League’s first Best and Fairest award, AFL Players’ Association MVP, and the Crows’ Club Champion.
She repeated the triple treat in 2019, while adding the AFL Coaches Association AFLW Champion Player of the Year to her collection, despite rupturing her ACL in the Grand Final win against Carlton.
Phillips went on to win a third flag with the Crows - in 2022 (Season Six) - before crossing over to Port Adelaide for Season Seven.
Following two campaigns with the Power, Phillips hung up her playing boots at the end of Season Eight (2023), after 66 AFLW games.
She was then recognised for her contributions to the Crows with Life Membership of the Adelaide Football Club in 2023.
Crows CEO Tim Silvers described Phillips’ contribution to the Club and the broader game of football as immense.
“Not only was Erin a key driver in helping build our successful women’s football program from the ground up but importantly, she has left a legacy and imprint on our environment and culture that is still evident to this day,” Silvers said.
“Her playing record and long list of achievements speak for themselves and at her peak, rarely has there been a player who has been as dominant or influential.
“Along with her many Crows teammates, Erin has inspired young girls and women to fulfill their footballing ambitions whether that be as a player, coach, administrator and fan, and particularly in South Australia.”
Phillips joins Crows greats Chris McDermott, Mark Bickley, Mark Ricciuto, Andrew McLeod, Ben Hart, Simon Goodwin, Darren Jarman, Malcolm Blight, Graham Cornes, Bob Hammond, and Neil Kerley in the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
Other Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees with some Crows connection include former SANFL President Max Basheer, Gary Ayres, former Crows chairman of selectors John Halbert, North Melbourne’s Wayne Carey, and inaugural Crows assistant coach Michael Taylor.
Erin Phillips
AFLW PLAYING RECORD
- Inaugural Crows AFLW squad member
- AFC games: 46. Goals: 50 2017-2022 (S6)
- Port Adelaide games: 20 Goals: 3. (S8-2023)
- 3x AFLW premiership player with Adelaide (2017, 2019, 2022 S6)
- Co-captain of Adelaide 2017-2020
- Captain of Port Adelaide (2022, S7-2023, S8)
AFLW ACHIEVEMENTS
- 3x AFLW All-Australian (2017, 2019, 2021)
- 2x AFLW Best and Fairest (2017, 2019)
- 2x AFLW Grand Final Medallist (2017, 2019)
- 2x Crows Club Champion (2017, 2019)
- 2x AFL Players Association MVP (2017, 2019)
- AFL Coaches Association AFLW Champion Player of the Year (2019)
- AFL Goal of the Year 2017
- Adelaide Leading Goalkicker 2021
- 2x Premiership Co-Captain (2017, 2019)
- Adelaide Football Club Life Member
