Erin Phillips

Biography

AFC Debut Game: Round 1 v GWS Giants, 2017

Erin Phillips moved back to South Australia in 2016 to add champion AFLW footballer to her long list of sporting achievements.

The two-time WNBA champion and Olympic basketballer returned from the United States to join Adelaide for the AFLW’s inaugural season in 2017. Phillips, who had played football against boys until she was 13, made a successful transition to football. Setting the standards as Adelaide’s co-captain, she claimed the AFLW Best and Fairest medal, AFL Players’ Association MVP, Crows’ Club Champion award and was named best-on-ground in Adelaide’s premiership triumph.

Despite battling injury in 2018, Phillips was Adelaide’s joint leading goalkicker. A fit Phillips dominated againin 2019 as well, sweeping the awards again. She kicked two goals in the grand final win before suffering a torn ACL in the third quarter but still won the best afield medal. Phillips played only two games in 2020 as she recovered but then continued to perform at a high level in her last two seasons with the Crows.

She was named in the All Australian team for a third time in 2021 and then won a third premiership with the Crows in April 2022, in her last game with the Crows before moving to Port Adelaide.

Phillips received Life Membership of the Adelaide Football Club in 2023 and the AFLW trailblazer was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2025, joining her father Greg who played for Port Adelaide, South Australia and Collingwood.