AFLW GOAT Erin Phillips will wear the number 22 for Port Adelaide, the same number her father wore at the club, however she is determined to create her own legacy at Alberton.
Erin Phillips has fulfilled her lifelong dream after joining Port Adelaide, now she wants to create her own legacy at the club where her father is a legend.
Phillips had an incredible career at the Adelaide Crows – three Premierships (two as captain), two AFLW Best and Fairests, two Best on Grounds in a Grand Final, she’s a two-time club champion and three-time All-Australian – however it felt inevitable she would join Port once they entered the AFLW.
Phillips’ father Greg is South Australian football royalty, winning eight SANFL premierships for Port Adelaide, playing 343 games and captaining the side from 1991 to 1993.
Phillips said while it was a dream come true to follow in her father’s footsteps at the Power, she has her own goals.
“My dad’s legacy here is incredible but I want to make my own legacy at this club,” Philips told the media at her signing unveiling.
Embed from Getty Images“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.”
Phillips has chosen to wear the number 22 guernsey for the Power this AFLW season, the same number her father wore at the club.
“Obviously that number is really special to me, and it’ll be a real honour to wear it after Dad wore it for this club,” Phillips said.
“It’ll be good to see Dad back up in the stands in the Port colours again.”
In 2015, Phillips was publicly revealed as Port Adelaide’s first ‘signing’ (pending the club’s admission into the league), admitting she ‘bleeds black and white’ and that the club had ‘been the life of my family’.
Phillips is Port Adelaide’s inaugural signing for the upcoming AFLW season and said she was committed to helping the expansion club put together the most competitive team it can.
The 36-year-old will be ‘making some phone calls’ to try and persuade some of her triple premiership-winning Crows teammates to come across with her.
“I’ll definitely be making some phone calls, don’t worry about that,” Phillips said on AFL 360.
“I’ll try to help this club get as many players as it can, whatever they need me to do.”
With Phillips leading the way, there will be no shortage of players wanting to join her at Port as the AFLW continues to grow.
