Port Adelaide captain Erin Phillips has announced her retirement and will play her last AFLW game this Saturday.
Phillips has played 66 games over eight seasons and is one of the most decorated players in the AFLW. Her accolades include three premierships, two best and fairests and three All-Australian selections.
Phillips' career started at the Adelaide Crows where she was named best on the ground in two grand finals, though she has always had the dream of playing for Port Adelaide with her rich family connection. When she had the chance to move to Alberton to be a part of the Power's inaugural AFLW team, there was no better opportunity for her to finish off her career with a club she had grown up dreaming of playing for.
“The time is right for me to call time on my football career,” Phillips said of her decision on Tuesday.
“I am so grateful to Port Adelaide and the Adelaide Football Club for giving me the opportunity to play the game I have loved since I was little.
"To share the last two years of my career with the Alberton crowd has been an incredible experience. I have given everything I had left to this club and I'm so grateful to our members and fans for their support, through the highs and lows.
"It has been a true privilege to lead this team and I can't wait to see what this group will achieve in the coming years.
"It's been an amazing ride and I'm looking forward to the next chapter. For me, that will mean giving my body a rest and spending more time with my family.
“I am so grateful to be finishing my playing days at Port Adelaide.”
In her first season at Port, Phillips, aged 37, finished runner-up in the club's best and fairest. This year she became just the 12th AFLW player to reach 1,000 career disposals.
Port Adelaide head of AFLW Juliet Haslam said: “Erin is a formidable athlete and an exemplary leader."
“I still recall the day she called to tell me she had made the decision to play for Port Adelaide. I clearly remember her asking if her dad's number 22 guernsey was available. It was such a thrill.
"Erin has given everything she has to this club.
"She is a proud Port Adelaide person and her commitment to her craft is second to none. We are so pleased to have shared in the last two seasons of her career. It's been wonderful to watch her lead our group as captain, and we look forward to seeing what she will do next.
"We wish Erin all the very best in her retirement. Erin, Tracy and their children, Brooklyn, Blake, Drew and Londyn will always be part of the Port Adelaide family."
Also a proud mother of four children, before Phillips moved to football she had a very successful basketball career in Australia, Europe and the United States. She has two WNBA championships, one WNBL championship, and was named WNBL all-star three times and once a EuroLeague all-star.
She also claimed an Olympic silver medal, Commonwealth Games gold, and gold in the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup.
Phillips will play her final AFLW game on Saturday, November 4 against GWS at 2:35pm. Port Adelaide will also mark Pride Round this weekend, celebrating the beauty and diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community.
