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Newly retired AFLW great Erin Phillips will present the best-on-ground medal at the grand final amid talk the award should be named in her honour.
Key points:
There is a push for an AFLW medal to be named after retiring great Erin PhillipsPhillips will present the medal for best-on-ground in this year’s grand finalShe won that award twice during her career with Adelaide
The 38-year-old hung up her boots last week after an outstanding playing career at Adelaide and Port Adelaide.
She ranks with fellow stars including retired Melbourne premiership captain Daisy Pearce and North Melbourne’s Emma Kearney as the greatest players in the competition’s short history.
The women’s equivalents of the Brownlow and Norm Smith medals are unnamed and Phillips would be a worthy candidate for either recognition.
She won the league best-and-fairest award in 2017 and 2019, the same years she was voted best afield in Adelaide’s grand final wins.
“We’re still growing the legacy and Erin’s been retired all of about 36 hours,” AFLW boss Nicole Livingstone said.
“Of course, we’ve had other amazing foundation players as well — Daisy Pearce retired 12 months ago, she’s been an epic force in women’s football as well.
“We hold our pen dry for that at the moment. We will take our time.”
After an international basketball career with the Opals and in the WNBA, Phillips was a marquee player when the AFLW started in 2017.
With Adelaide until 2022, she co-captained the side to two premierships and played in a third, in her final season with the Crows.
Phillips was named All Australian three times and won Adelaide’s best-and-fairest award twice.
She moved across town to Port Adelaide when they joined the league last season and captained the Power until her retirement.
Phillips played 65 games — 46 for the Crows and 19 for Port — and will present the best-on-ground medal at the December 3 grand final.
AAP
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