AFLW 2023: All the colour and pictures as Port Adelaide sends Erin Phillips off in style with big win

At Alberton Oval on Saturday, AFLW trailblazer Erin Phillips pulled on the boots one final time – and what a day it turned out to be. See all the pictures, colour from Phillips’ fairytale finish.

It was fitting that the glittering career of Erin Phillips ended at Alberton Oval, the Power farewelling the much-respected AFLW legend in fine style with a record-breaking 58-point win at the club’s spiritual home on Saturday.

The player widely regarded as the greatest to play in the AFLW bowed out as Port kicked its highest ever score in the league in a dominant display against the Giants in Pride Round.

The only thing missing from Erin’s final curtain call was a goal with just under five minutes remaining.

But the largest roar of the day came when Phillips marked strongly and sent through the 53rd goal of her career, the superstar mobbed by every teammate on the ground.

“It’s unreal to finish a season like that was awesome … I’m just so proud of this group,” Phillips said.

“We owed our fans one here for all the support that they give.

“I tried to make this crazy week as normal as possible, it was really hard with the amount of messages and people just reaching out was amazing and overwhelming.

“I just feel so fortunate I even got to play one game and to think that I came across and played all 20 games I’m just so grateful.

“To finish off my career here at Alberton makes sense, I couldn’t have written it any better, and to have all the family here was so good.”

SCROLL THROUGH THE GALLERY BELOW TO SEE THE DAY IN PICTURES

At the conclusion of the 38-year-old’s stellar 66-game career, she is the only two-time AFLW best-and-fairest award winner, the only player to be voted best afield in a grand final twice, was a three-time premiership player with Adelaide and a three-time All Australian.

“Just as someone who was a professional,” Phillips replied when asked how she would like to be remembered.

“Who showed up, wore their heart on their sleeve, and was able to inspire that next generation, was able to make sure that this pathway was bright and secured for the future of this league.

“I played a small role in that, there are a lot of us who were here from day one and to have a little bit of an impact on this game means a lot.

“Sometimes I just pinch myself that I’m even here.”

THE moment. Erin Phillips.

🐐 pic.twitter.com/japTrPHW1G

— Port Adelaide AFLW (@pafc_w) November 4, 2023

Port Adelaide sent Erin Phillips off in style. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos

So close, yet so far

The result means Port improved on last season’s return of one win and a draw to finish with two wins and a draw, but finished well out of finals contention.

The Power held late leads against the Suns and the Hawks, and trailed the Eagles by a point at three-quarter time, but came away from those three games with just two premiership points.

The outlook would be a lot brighter if those results had gone Port’s way, but the reality is there is much work to be done for a side that didn’t rise any higher than 14th on the ladder all season.

Power coach Lauren Arnell must now plot a path to sustained success without the club’s inspirational skipper, whose on-field contribution remained considerable right up to her retirement.

“We’ll take so much confidence and belief out of this game,” Arnell said.

“There’s some gaps and some improvements for our group and we’ll attack that this off-season.

“We’ll be really clear on the areas that we need to improve on and we’ll do that.

“It’s nice to have a positive finish to the season while understanding that there’s plenty of growth to go.

“Sometimes in footy you can make small errors and get away with them, but traditionally our team hasn’t.

“What that means is you learn a bit sooner and you learn a bit harsher and use that to set us up for a lot more growth next season and beyond.”

Matilda Scholz celebrated her first AFLW goal on a big day for the Power. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos

Amelie Borg tackles Giant Isabel Huntington. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos

Saint-santional

Young star Matilda Scholz hadn’t kicked an AFLW goal before Saturday, but she booted two in two minutes as the fired-up Power got off to a flyer.

Port had only led at quarter-time twice this season, but Gemma Houghton followed suit with her own back-to-back goals to set up the result with a five-goals-to-nil opening term.

Ash Saint broke the back-to-back scoring trend when she banged through three goals in a row in a stunning second quarter.

Saint’s roll continued with the first goal of the second half and when she soccered through her career-high fifth, the Power star had accounted for 5.1 of her side’s 5.3 through a devastating burst in the second and third quarters.

Houghton broke that run with her third after the three-quarter time siren taking the Power past the club’s highest ever score.

Scoreboard

POWER 5.2 8.3 11.5 13.10 (88)

GIANTS 0.2 0.4 3.5 4.6 (30)

PHELAN’S BEST POWER: Saint, Dowrick, Houghton, Phillips, Scholz, Moloney, Pope. GIANTS: Goldsworthy, Evans, Beeson, Hicks.

GOALS POWER: Saint 5, Houghton 3, Scholz 3, Phillips, Mules. GIANTS: Goldsworthy 2, Huntington, Doyle.

INJURIES POWER: Nil. GIANTS: Barr (shoulder).

ALBERTON OVAL

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

JASON PHELAN’S VOTES

3 Saint (PA)

2 Dowrick (PA)

1 Houghton (PA)