Why Erin Phillips should have one of the AFLW medals named after her following retirement

She might think there are others that deserve it but Erin Phillips deserves the ultimate honour from the AFL for her historic career, and the league must act quickly.

Erin Phillips might reckon there are others more deserving of being recognised with an AFLW award named after them.

This should only reinforce that the AFL needs to quickly act to honour the AFLW’s most decorated player, one of the game’s true trailblazers and the leagues’ first legitimate star.

Her career is unmatched.

Three premierships, three All-Australian team selections, two AFLW best and fairests, two best on grounds in grand finals, two AFLW Players’ MVP awards and all coming in her 30s after she had already had a remarkable career in professional basketball.

When asked at the media conference announcing Phillips’ retirement from the game about the prospect of the Adelaide and Port Adelaide legend being recognised with a league-wide award, both she and Power AFLW coach Lauren Arnell played straight bats.

Erin Phillips with the 2019 AFLW best and fairest medal. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos)

Phillips was the most dominant player in the AFLW at Adelaide. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

But when Phillips’ incredible honour roll was put to Arnell, she did somewhat relent.

“It’s a pretty early mark you have but when you say it like that it makes sense doesn’t it?” Arnell said.

Currently the AFLW’s best and fairest and best on ground in a grand final are without a name.

Naming one after Phillips would be a logical reward for a person who carried AFLW from the outset.

At the very least her name should form part of what one of the AFLW awards is eventually named.

Yes she could be seen a “latecomer” to the sport, pursuing her professional basketball career while other long-term women’s footy players did a lot of the hard yards to convince the AFL to invest in a female competition.

Maybe that’s why on Tuesday Phillips said there were more deserving people than her.

“You don’t play team sports for individual accolades,” she said.

But Phillips’ story deserves the ultimate recognition.

A footy mad kid as the daughter of Port Adelaide legend Greg, Phillips was an outstanding junior footy player until she was told – like many girls – at the age of 13 that there was no longer a place for her in the game.

Erin Phillips with family at her retirement announcement. Picture by Kelly barnes

It took her around two decades to finally have a place in the game, and as the AFLW’s first bona fide star she set the benchmark for the fledging league.

Naming an award after her wouldn’t just be about recognising Phillips, it would be for all the women who wanted to play the game in the past but weren’t allowed to do so.

It would show just how far the game has come and the opportunities the AFLW has created.

It would recognise all the attitudes that have been changed, all the doors that have been opened for those wanting to play footy now.

It would be one for the footy romantics, with Phillips finally able to play for the side her dad played for and also captain them like he did.

Either the Erin Phillips Medal for the AFLW’s best and fairest, or the Erin Phillips Medal for the best on ground in the grand final.

It just makes sense.