Super salty tweet after AFLW’s biggest ever recruitment heist

Two words revealed how the Adelaide Crows really feel after the highest profile recruitment heist in Australian women’s football.

Erin Phillips of the Crows celebrates the 2022 AFLW Grand Final win. Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

Former Crows star Erin Phillips’ move to bitter rivals Port Adelaide has been confirmed.

The three-time premiership player was heavily linked to the Power before the Crows’ grand final win earlier this month — and now the heist is official.

The two-time league best and fairest player leaves a huge hole at the Crows — and the significance of her departure was captured in two super salty words.

In announcing Phillips’ departure, the Crows neglected to mention Port Adelaide by name, simply announcing Phillips was joining an “expansion club”.

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The club’s Twitter post thanked the 37-year-old for her years of service, but the true feelings could not be hidden.

"With an expansion club" This rivalry is so good https://t.co/Gbox9SKZFg

— Kane Cornes (@kanecornes) April 26, 2022

Crows AFLW football boss Phil Harper appeared to suggest his club will find a way to replace Phillips.

“In terms of player retention, history says having a strong and winning culture is as important as any factor and we have done all we possibly can,” he said in the team’s statement.

“Given our depth of talent and knowing in advance that expansion teams would target our players, we have been working to a deliberate and well thought out list management strategy.”

Phillips said she could not say no to the prospect of playing for Port Adelaide — the club her father Greg played for in the SANFL.

“The thought of missing the opportunity to play for a team that my dad played for, a club that my dad played for, my brother-in-law (Shaun Burgoyne) played for, that my older sister Rachel works at, and to be a part of something new, it was the deciding factor for me,” she said on Mix102.3.

Erin Phillips of the Crows poses for a photo with the premiership cup. Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

“I had no real reason to leave the Crows, they’ve been so wonderful to me and I’ve been forever grateful, but at the end of the day, this is something I would have regretted for the rest of my life if I didn’t do.

“It means a lot to me, it means a lot to my family. My dad, who has been incredible through this whole process has always told me: ‘Just to do what makes you happy, don’t do it for me’ ... he was so, so proud.”

“(This decision) has been so hard. I have lost so much sleep over it... at the end of the day, I felt like this is my next purpose, my next chapter and a really nice way to finish my playing career, wearing Port Adelaide colours.”

She thanked the Crows for the memories.

“It’s been an absolute privilege to have been a part of the most successful AFLW club to date,” Phillips said.

“I obviously have great memories and friendships from my time at Adelaide, which I will cherish forever.

“But as a kid growing up, all I wanted was to be like Dad and play football for the Port Adelaide Football Club. Port Adelaide feels like home to me. It’s where I spent a lot of my childhood.

“It was always my dream to be able to represent the club and add to its incredible history, and I am beyond thrilled to finally get that chance and play a role in building this team from the ground up.”

Originally published as Super salty tweet after AFLW’s biggest ever recruitment heist