‘I will never, ever forget’: Adelaide Crows’ star Erin Phillips reflects on moment 53,034 rose as one to recognise AFLW’s greatest player after rupturing her ACL

There were more than 53,000 people at Adelaide Oval and all acknowledged Crows co-captain and best-on-ground Erin Phillips as she left the field with a ruptured ACL in a heartwarming mark of respect.

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There were more than 53,000 people in the stadium. And they all stood up for one.

As Erin Phillips was carried off Adelaide Oval on a Medicab, her left knee held still with medical ties, players and the crowd rose to their feet and clapped off the Crows co-captain.

Crows or Blues colours, it mattered not. Everyone stood and acknowledged the player who means so very much to the AFLW.

Carlton's Kerryn Harrington acknowledges Erin Phillips as she’s taken from Adelaide Oval after injuring her knee in the third quarter of the AFLW grand final. Picture: Tom Huntley

Phillips became emotional in the changerooms after Adelaide’s 45-point grand final win over Carlton, recalling the moment she was taken from the ground by medical staff.

“Obviously when I went down, I knew straight away what I’d done (ruptured anterior cruciate ligament),” she said. “And then I tried to keep the emotions in. Obviously there was a bit of pain, and then I got up on the cart and just having the girls from the opposition come and shake my hand was really special.

“Then to get that response was incredible.

“I felt like jumping off and trying to run around again. It was really special and I will never, ever forget that moment.”

Crows co-captains Chelsea Randall and Erin Phillips with their premiership medals after the Crows 45-point win over Carlton in the AFLW Grand Final at Adelaide Oval. PHOTO: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

Late in the third quarter, Phillips was running into the Crows’ forward-50, chasing Blues Nicola Stevens when her knee gave way and she collapsed.

Until then, she had been dominant in the midfield, collecting 18 disposals and kicking two goals. And a sign of that dominance was that after Phillips’ injury, only one point was scored for the rest of the game.

Despite her exit, her performance earned her “the medal” for best on ground. “I wasn’t expecting it,” Phillips said. “I was just so focused on the task at hand, to win, just to win the quarter, to get the job done and hold up the cup.

“It’s special, but like I always say, individual awards are an extension of your team-mates’ hard work — they block for you, they pass you the ball. We work together.”

Phillips was not entertaining self-pity and was thrilled to be a part of the Crows’ second AFLW flag in three years. “You beauty,” she said of the win.

Port Adelaide great Greg Phillips consoles daughter Erin Phillips after she ruptured her ACL in Sunday’s grand final win. Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

Phillips praised the crowd, labelling it “insane”.

“I walked out for warm up and I was looking around and I thought: ‘Wow, we’re going to get more than 20,000 people here’ and then someone said to me, ‘if people keep coming in the way they are at the front, this place will be full, there’ll be 40,000’.

“Then I came out when I got injured to get back on the bench and I looked at the scoreboard and saw it was 53,034 and I nearly tripped over my crutches.

“It was so incredible.

“It was amazing for our club and amazing for women’s sport to have that many people come and support this event and make it the highest-attended event ever for a female sporting event.”

Erin Phillips receives a standing ovation from the crowd as she's stretchered off. 🙏#AFLWGF pic.twitter.com/LQtY7ABJVs

— 7AFL (@7AFL) March 31, 2019

After the game, Carlton coach Daniel Harford said he hoped Phillips would return to the game she loved.

“That was a really sad moment,” he said.

“But the way the crowd responded when she came back and when she won the medal that was a lovely moment for footy. She’s an icon of Australian rules football. Full stop. I hope everything goes well for her and she’s able to come back and does everything she wants to do.”

It will be Phillips’ second knee reconstruction, having also wrecked an ACL playing basketball for the Adelaide Lightning in 2007.