Erin Phillips and Bruce McAvaney inducted into South Australian Football Hall of Fame
In Adelaide, Australia, former footballer Erin Phillips and sports commentator Bruce McAvaney were inducted into the South Australian Football Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place at Adelaide Oval during the Magarey Medal presentation ceremony, ABC News reports.
Phillips became the first woman inducted into the Hall of Fame. Former Norwood player Neil Button and former Sturt player Tony Burgan also received South Australian football's highest honour.
Erin Phillips' career
Phillips grew up in Adelaide, where her father Greg played for Port Adelaide and won SANFL premiership titles on several occasions. She played football in her youth but switched to basketball as a teenager because of limited opportunities for girls in football.
Phillips played for Adelaide Lightning in Australia's Women's National Basketball League and later became a two-time WNBA champion. After returning to Australia, she led Adelaide Crows as captain in the inaugural AFLW season in 2017.
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During her AFLW career, Phillips won three premiership titles, twice received the league's best and fairest award, and was best on ground in the 2017 and 2019 grand finals. In the 2022 AFLW season, she joined Port Adelaide as the team's first captain.
Recognition for McAvaney and the Magarey Medal
Bruce McAvaney began commentating SANFL matches in 1978. During his career, he called more than 1,000 VFL and AFL matches, including 20 grand finals.
The Magarey Medal, awarded to the SANFL's best and fairest player, was won this year by Norwood's Nick Rocca. He was named best on ground in 10 of the club's 18 matches. Rocca became the first footballer to win both the Magarey Medal and the West Australian Football League's Sandover Medal.
