Erin Phillips to join Port Adelaide after quitting Adelaide Crows

On Tuesday, when the name Erin Phillips appeared on the phone of Juliet Haslam, the head of Port Adelaide AFLW, her heart skipped.

AFLW superstar Erin Phillips has left the Crows and will fulfil a childhood dream when she pulls on a Power jumper and plays for the Port Adelaide Football Club in their inaugural women’s season.

The three-time premiership winner said despite the lifelong friendships she’d made at West Lakes and the success she’d achieved with Adelaide, the pull of her family’s deep connections to Alberton was ultimately too much.

From mid-last year when Port was granted a licence to join the AFLW competition, Power hierarchy made no secret of the desire to lure Crows champion Phillips – who grew up a Port supporter – from West Lakes to Alberton.

Erin Phillips in Power colours after signing after signing with Port Adelaide for their upcoming inaugural AFLW season. Picture Sarah Reed/Getty

Phillips, who once famously said she bled black and white, spent sleepless nights mulling over whether she would continue to play for the Crows, or make the move to their cross-town rivals.

It was late on Tuesday afternoon when Phillips rang the phone of Juliet Haslam, the Head of Port Adelaide’s AFL Women’s program.

Haslam is used to her phone constantly ringing, but when the name “Erin Phillips” flashed up on her mobile screen, her heart skipped a beat.

When Haslam answered the call, the AFLW’s most decorated player had a simple request: “Any chance the No. 22 Power jumper is available next season?”

By early Wednesday morning, the news was out: that the three-time Crows’ premiership winning superstar would be joining Port Adelaide, signed as the club’s inaugural women’s player.

Footy’s fiercest rivalry now firmly a part of women’s football in South Australia.

The No. 22 jumper is ingrained in Phillips family history; the number worn by Phillips’s father, Greg, who played 343 games in black and white between 1976 and 1993, is a former club captain, eight-time premiership player and Australian Football Hall of Famer.

Erin Phillips with some of her family at Alberton Oval on Wednesday – sister Rachel Porter, mum Julie Phillips and nieces Jemma Porter, Ashlee Porter and Chloe Porter. Picture: Sarah Reed/Getty Images

Phillips, who turns 37 next month, said she would leave the No. 13 – which she has worn throughout her basketball and football career to date – behind at the Crows and start a new journey in a new number.

“Obviously that number’s really special to me and it would be a real honour to wear it after dad wore proudly for this club,” the two-time Olympic basketballer said.

“I thought about No. 13, but for me, the 13 belongs with the Adelaide Crows and that’s something I wanted to leave there and have that tied with the history there.

“My dad’s legacy here (at Port Adelaide) is incredible, but I want to make my own legacy at this club.

Gallery: Erin Phillips’ journey to Port Adelaide

Gallery: Erin Phillips’ journey to Port

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“It’s exciting to be a part of the first Port Adelaide women’s side and I want to contribute as much as I can on and off the field to help this team achieve success.

“I’ll do whatever it takes, which is the same as what I did at the Adelaide Football Club, and put all my energy into what’s probably going to be a really young, young side with fantastic South Australian talent here and help them achieve their goals and to become professional athletes.”

In December 2016, Phillips was announced as being Port Adelaide’s inaugural women’s player, before the Power decided not to enter the AFLW and the Crows swooped, and in their tricolours she became one of the most important players in the early era of the AFLW.

She thanked the Crows for the six seasons she’d spent there, and described pulling on the Power jumper again as “surreal”.

“When I was at the Crows the dream of Port was gone and I was so proud to be a part of the Crows,” the three-time All-Australian said.

“(But putting this jumper on) has brought back a lot of memories of being here and just walking across the ground and sitting in the Fos Williams’ stand and we’d get here early to watch dad and put a blanket down on our seats and my nanna would have her chicken soup ready.

Port legend Greg Phillips with Erin Phillips in 1990.

“There are a lot of memories and I do feel really at peace and comfortable with this decision. I’m genuinely really excited.”

With the AFL yet to announce the start of the AFLW’s official sign and trade period, Phillips has not yet signed on the dotted line with Port, rather given her intention to.

But more pressing is the fact that the league hasn’t yet either announced when the seventh season of the AFLW will start – but rumours are firmly pointing toward a late August start, with Round 1 to begin in the finals’ bye weekend of the men’s competition.

Haslam said the club had August 27 pencilled in for their first game.

“Which means pre-season will start, 10 and a half weeks before that, so we’re looking at mid-June, just after the long weekend, starting our pre-season, so that’s not far away, we’ve got some work to do in the next few weeks,” Haslam said.

“But it’s going to be super exciting when we start getting all the players through the club and can get on the track.”

‘All I wanted was to be like Dad’: Phillips quits Crows for Port

Crows three-time premiership winner and former co-captain Erin Phillips has quit the inaugural AFLW club.

She has informed Adelaide that she will join expansion club – and the team she grew up supporting – Port Adelaide.

Phillips is the Power’s first signing.

Crows AFLW Head of Football Phil Harper described Phillips’ departure as disappointing, adding the Club had put forward an attractive proposition for her to stay.

“As a footballer, Erin has been the best player of her generation but equally she is a great person,” Harper said.

“Her contribution to our club, as well as women’s football here in South Australia and nationally, has been significant and she has helped create a legacy from which many young girls and women will benefit.

“We wish Erin, her wife Tracy and their family all the best for the future and thank them for helping make our Club a better place.”

Phillips, 36, whose father Greg was a club legend at Port when Erin was a child, said she grew up supporting Port and was excited to fulfil a childhood dream to play for the club.

Erin Phillips will leave Adelaide after featuring in her third AFLW premiership. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“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.

✨ She's coming home ✨@erinphillips131 returns to Port Adelaide as our inaugural @pafc_w player signing 👏

📰 https://t.co/oJNod8Etz8#weareportadelaidepic.twitter.com/2mTVdTBuBy

— Port Adelaide FC (@PAFC) April 26, 2022

Erin Phillips celebrates the 2022 AFLW Grand Final match between the Adelaide Crows and the Melbourne Demons at Adelaide Oval on April 9, 2022. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Erin Phillips holding a football aged 5.

“I am really excited by the plans for the Alberton precinct redevelopment and the opportunity to work with some incredible women including Lauren Arnell, Juliet Haslam, Rachael Sporn and Naomi Maidment to establish a successful female football program that will only grow in years to come.”

Port Adelaide’s Head of AFLW, Juliet Haslam was excited to have Phillips commit to be part of the club’s women’s program.

“Erin is a brilliant player and more importantly a fantastic person,” Haslam said.

“I have spoken in the past of wanting to build a successful high performance women’s program with a strong culture, and Erin’s character, leadership and experience makes her an ideal first signing.

“She knows what it takes to be successful in elite sport and in particular in the AFLW having won just about every accolade from a team and personal perspective. She also understands what it means to represent Port Adelaide.”

“We are excited to have her commit to be on board, and look forward to adding to our playing group in the coming weeks.”

While Adelaide was disappointed to lose Phillips to “an expansion club” – notably not mentioning the Power – football boss Phil Harper said player movement was inevitable in expansion.

But having held onto club best and fairest Anne Hatchard despite overtures from Port Adelaide and other clubs, he backed in the Crows program to withstand major impact

“The growth of women’s football has been inspiring and our club considers it a privilege to have been part of the journey,” Harper said.

“More players are going to get the opportunity to live out their dream and play at the elite level which can only be a good thing.

“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. “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.”

Originally published as Erin Phillips to join Port Adelaide after quitting Adelaide Crows