Footy hall of fame has first father-daughter members
Erin Phillips has become only the second woman inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame, while also completing its first father-daughter combination.
The Adelaide and Port Adelaide star was a marquee name when the AFLW started in 2017 and she joins women's pioneer Debbie Lee, who was inducted four years ago.
Phillips paid an emotional tribute to her dad Greg, and Lee, who were at Tuesday's annual induction dinner in Melbourne, in her acceptance speech.
"To Dad, I can't imagine how hard it would have been to tell your 13-year-old daughter that she couldn't play the game she loves any more," she said.
"And 27 years later, she's standing next to you in the hall of fame."
Phillips thanked the "incredible women" who made the AFLW possible and singled out Lee.
"You kicked down this door so others could walk through," she said. "I'm so proud to be by your side and I can't wait to kick down more doors with you Deb."
Phillips ended her stellar playing career at the end of 2022. The five-year player eligibility rule for the Hall of Fame was changed for women last year. AFLW players can now be inducted within a year of retirement and she was an obvious candidate.
Her father, Port Adelaide great Greg, was inducted in 2020. Fos and Mark Williams, Hayden Bunton Sr and Jr and umpires Jack McMurray Sr and Jr are the father-son inductees.
Phillips was Adelaide's inaugural captain and the first women's best and fairest winner, playing in three Crows flags despite needing a knee reconstruction.
She then switched to Port Adelaide when they joined the league in 2022.
When the women's league started in 2017, marquee players such as Phillips were crucial for its profile and credibility.
Phillips, a former WNBA and Australian basketballer, immediately established herself as one of the AFLW's elite players.
Also on Tuesday night, South Australian goalkicking machine Ken Farmer was elevated to legend status and St Kilda great Nick Riewoldt joined Phillips as inductees.
Farmer, who died in 1982, is the SANFL's most prolific goalkicker, with 1417 for North Adelaide from 1929-41 in 224 games at an extraordinary average of 6.33 per game.
He was never goalless in a game and coached the Roosters to two premierships.
Riewoldt holds St Kilda's record for the most games as captain, with 221 of his 336 matches. His induction was delayed because his family spent time in the United States.
The key forward was a five-time All Australian who went agonisingly close to a premiership, playing in St Kilda's draw and two losses across 2009-10.
Riewoldt said he had made his peace with not being able to help the Saints win their elusive second flag
"Rather than feeling like I walked away with the game still owing me something, I walk away feeling like the game gave me absolutely everything," he said.
Seven-time East Perth premiership player George Owens was this year's first historical inductee.
Apart from his swathe of premierships at East Perth and the 1925 Sandover Medal, Owens also umpired five WAFL grand finals.
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The Advertiser
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Crows coach laments 'unfair' report involving veteran
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If they can get the game on their terms, nearly impossible to stop." Third-placed Adelaide (9-4) will be looking to extend their winning streak to four matches against sixth-placed Hawthorn (8-5). Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks has lamented an "unfair" report suggesting Taylor Walker's racism incident in 2021 could affect the AFL club's pursuit of St Kilda star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera. The third-placed Crows are due to travel to Launceston for a blockbuster clash with sixth-placed Hawthorn on Friday night. But the game has been overshadowed by a report on the Nine Network on Monday, which said Indigenous young gun Wanganeen-Milera had indicated he would not join Adelaide due to Walker's racist comment in 2021. Classy half-back Wanganeen-Milera, 22, is out of contract at season's end and both the Crows and Port Adelaide are attempting to lure him home to South Australia. Walker, 35, received a six-game ban and $20,000 fine from the AFL in 2021 after he was overheard making a racist comment about North Adelaide's Indigenous player Robbie Young at an Adelaide SANFL match. Wanganeen-Milera's management immediately denied the report while the St Kilda star reportedly called Walker to say the incident was not a factor in his decision regarding where he will play next year. When asked if he had gotten involved after the story emerged, Nicks said: "No, other than putting support around the people I felt needed support. "I didn't like the way it played out at all. I think it was unfair to a lot of people. "But no, I didn't get any more involved than checking in with Taylor, for example, just to make sure that he knows that I'm proud of what he's done since what was an unacceptable moment four years ago. "He's done a lot of work on educating himself and he's actually probably done more than anyone at the footy club, but our whole footy club's improved off the back of that. "Other than that, no, not involved." Nicks conceded in-season speculation around players' futures was part of the modern environment. "It's part of the deal: pressure to perform on field, but there's also pressures that come off field," he said. "As I mentioned before, some of it I'm not a fan of, the way it plays out. "There's a little bit of a lack of accountability there, but I think our players deal with it really well." Nicks refused to comment on whether he believed Adelaide were still in the mix to secure Wanganeen-Milera. "We don't talk about players from other footy clubs," he said. Nicks instead wanted to focus on a huge clash with Hawthorn, who have lost James Worpel (corked quad) and dropped Finn Maginness. 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But the game has been overshadowed by a report on the Nine Network on Monday, which said Indigenous young gun Wanganeen-Milera had indicated he would not join Adelaide due to Walker's racist comment in 2021. Classy half-back Wanganeen-Milera, 22, is out of contract at season's end and both the Crows and Port Adelaide are attempting to lure him home to South Australia. Walker, 35, received a six-game ban and $20,000 fine from the AFL in 2021 after he was overheard making a racist comment about North Adelaide's Indigenous player Robbie Young at an Adelaide SANFL match. Wanganeen-Milera's management immediately denied the report while the St Kilda star reportedly called Walker to say the incident was not a factor in his decision regarding where he will play next year. When asked if he had gotten involved after the story emerged, Nicks said: "No, other than putting support around the people I felt needed support. "I didn't like the way it played out at all. I think it was unfair to a lot of people. "But no, I didn't get any more involved than checking in with Taylor, for example, just to make sure that he knows that I'm proud of what he's done since what was an unacceptable moment four years ago. "He's done a lot of work on educating himself and he's actually probably done more than anyone at the footy club, but our whole footy club's improved off the back of that. "Other than that, no, not involved." Nicks conceded in-season speculation around players' futures was part of the modern environment. "It's part of the deal: pressure to perform on field, but there's also pressures that come off field," he said. "As I mentioned before, some of it I'm not a fan of, the way it plays out. "There's a little bit of a lack of accountability there, but I think our players deal with it really well." Nicks refused to comment on whether he believed Adelaide were still in the mix to secure Wanganeen-Milera. "We don't talk about players from other footy clubs," he said. Nicks instead wanted to focus on a huge clash with Hawthorn, who have lost James Worpel (corked quad) and dropped Finn Maginness. Nick Watson returns from illness and Henry Husthwaite has been recalled, while Adelaide named Lachlan Murphy in place of James Peatling (suspended). "They're in good nick, we're in good nick, so it should be a great contest," Nicks said. "They've sorted us out, especially last time we met here at AO (Adelaide Oval). They put us to the sword, their small forwards. "They're a very dynamic group. If they can get the game on their terms, nearly impossible to stop." Third-placed Adelaide (9-4) will be looking to extend their winning streak to four matches against sixth-placed Hawthorn (8-5).
The Advertiser
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Cheika, though, does not want his players turning up at the Allianz Stadium just to enjoy the occasion - which will be the last game before club stalwarts Dan Cole and Ben Youngs retire while Tigers captain Julian Montoya and South Africa fly-half Handre Pollard are also set to move on. "You work hard to get yourself in a position to have an opportunity at the title, so when it is there, you would be mad not to take it," Cheika said. "Together, we have built a good deal. We have improved our mental preparation and our the mental side of our game, the resilience or the grit that we have got in games. "But you are going to need more than just that as well - you need quality, you need all those things. "I suppose it is more just about being ready to balance out what is the emotional part and what is the technical part, and make sure you have got both of those clearly defined as to what their use is." Michael Cheika wants his Leicester players to trust each other one more time and finish their season journey together with victory over Bath in the Gallagher Premiership final, which will be his last match in charge. Australian Cheika will leave the Tigers at the end of his one-year contract, with former Leicester player Geoff Parling set to take charge in the summer. Cheika - who guided the Wallabies to the 2015 World Cup final and then took Argentina into the last four two years ago - has been credited with transforming the mentality of a Leicester squad who finished eighth in the 2023-24 campaign. The 58-year-old, though, maintains the Tigers' progress this season - finishing second in the table and then beating Sale in the play-off semi-finals - is very much down to a collective effort. "That is a really fundamental part of building teams," said Cheika, whose Leinster side won the 2009 European Champions Cup before he then took the NSW Waratahs to the 2014 Super Rugby title. "First they have got to be able to trust each other - we have got to be able to have honest conversations and being prepared to have a fight with each other. "As long as it is a fight where you are going in the same direction, then you are trying to get the same thing done, that's okay. "Building up mentally is important and it is a continual workout - you have never arrived at the place you have got to be at, because every time you meet another challenge, you have got to then go and delve into that. "I have definitely learned a lot from them and I hope they have been able to learn a bit from me." Cheika added: "They are playing as part of a team, and in the team, those dynamics are extremely important. "We are going to need that on Saturday, because we are playing against the team that dominated the league and we need to find a way to master that opponent." Cheika, though, does not want his players turning up at the Allianz Stadium just to enjoy the occasion - which will be the last game before club stalwarts Dan Cole and Ben Youngs retire while Tigers captain Julian Montoya and South Africa fly-half Handre Pollard are also set to move on. "You work hard to get yourself in a position to have an opportunity at the title, so when it is there, you would be mad not to take it," Cheika said. "Together, we have built a good deal. We have improved our mental preparation and our the mental side of our game, the resilience or the grit that we have got in games. "But you are going to need more than just that as well - you need quality, you need all those things. "I suppose it is more just about being ready to balance out what is the emotional part and what is the technical part, and make sure you have got both of those clearly defined as to what their use is." Michael Cheika wants his Leicester players to trust each other one more time and finish their season journey together with victory over Bath in the Gallagher Premiership final, which will be his last match in charge. Australian Cheika will leave the Tigers at the end of his one-year contract, with former Leicester player Geoff Parling set to take charge in the summer. Cheika - who guided the Wallabies to the 2015 World Cup final and then took Argentina into the last four two years ago - has been credited with transforming the mentality of a Leicester squad who finished eighth in the 2023-24 campaign. The 58-year-old, though, maintains the Tigers' progress this season - finishing second in the table and then beating Sale in the play-off semi-finals - is very much down to a collective effort. "That is a really fundamental part of building teams," said Cheika, whose Leinster side won the 2009 European Champions Cup before he then took the NSW Waratahs to the 2014 Super Rugby title. "First they have got to be able to trust each other - we have got to be able to have honest conversations and being prepared to have a fight with each other. "As long as it is a fight where you are going in the same direction, then you are trying to get the same thing done, that's okay. "Building up mentally is important and it is a continual workout - you have never arrived at the place you have got to be at, because every time you meet another challenge, you have got to then go and delve into that. "I have definitely learned a lot from them and I hope they have been able to learn a bit from me." Cheika added: "They are playing as part of a team, and in the team, those dynamics are extremely important. "We are going to need that on Saturday, because we are playing against the team that dominated the league and we need to find a way to master that opponent." Cheika, though, does not want his players turning up at the Allianz Stadium just to enjoy the occasion - which will be the last game before club stalwarts Dan Cole and Ben Youngs retire while Tigers captain Julian Montoya and South Africa fly-half Handre Pollard are also set to move on. "You work hard to get yourself in a position to have an opportunity at the title, so when it is there, you would be mad not to take it," Cheika said. "Together, we have built a good deal. We have improved our mental preparation and our the mental side of our game, the resilience or the grit that we have got in games. "But you are going to need more than just that as well - you need quality, you need all those things. "I suppose it is more just about being ready to balance out what is the emotional part and what is the technical part, and make sure you have got both of those clearly defined as to what their use is."
The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
‘Bash them': The Anzac team tasked with softening up Lions for Wallabies
While no players have yet been confirmed for the 2025 AUNZ Invitation side, former All Blacks coach Ian Foster has been appointed as an assistant. And Kiss said he envisaged there being a healthy number of New Zealanders, alongside a contingent of Australian players either released from the Wallabies squad or picked from the state sides. 'I'd imagine anywhere from six to ten New Zealanders at least and the rest will be open,' Kiss said on Stan's Rugby Heaven. 'There's talk about probably making sure we have enough avenue for Wallabies players to have access to that game, particularly as it's the last major match before the Test series starts. No doubt there's going to be some moves in that area to get some players in there, to be able to give them more game time, and [give] Joe [Schmidt] and the coaching team at the Wallabies more insight to what they're looking at in terms of their players. 'Make no mistake, we want to try and get that quality in, for sure, [but] in the right positions that allow us to expose the players that we want to. We don't want to close out any opportunities for our [Australian] guys in certain positions. So, those discussions will be ongoing, and we need to be fluid right to the last minutes.' With the AUNZ game scheduled as the last tour game before the first Test in Brisbane a week later, the Lions will almost certainly deploy the first-choice team they intend to use at Suncorp Stadium. When putting the 2025 tour schedule together, the Lions management were at pains to say they didn't want to play a quasi fourth Test against an Australia 'A' side. In a hard-fought and feisty clash in 2001, an Australia A side coached by Eddie Jones rolled the Lions in Gosford, and several other tour matches also saw the Lions cop mountains of aggression and physicality from the Australian state sides. Though it may have a festival vibe, Kiss said there would be a huge intensity to the AUNZ-Lions clash and the hosts will also be looking to do their part to help the Wallabies a week later. Loading 'I think if you look at what the possibilities could be in terms of personalities in that squad, there's going to be a lot of competitive people there. They'll want to do something special themselves,' Kiss said. 'I can't see anything but a super competitive battle, really. They're going to be loaded. They're very physical, very talented right across the squad. We'll do our best to get out there and bash them, for sure. 'We want to make sure we make it an enjoyable experience, but get out there and make sure we do a job that can soften the Lions up a bit for us.'
