Erin Phillips has paid an emotional tribute to her father Greg as she joined him in the Australian Football Hall Of Fame.
Phillips and Daisy Pearce are the first AFLW players to be inducted, joining trailblazer Debbie Lee as female inductees.
South Australian goalkicking machine Ken Farmer was elevated to legend status at Tuesday night’s annual dinner in Melbourne.
St Kilda great Nick Riewoldt, whose induction was delayed because of his family move to the United States, joined the Hall of Fame, along with four-time Hawthorn premiership hard nut Luke Hodge and former Melbourne captain Garry Lyon.
South Adelaide ruckman Peter Darley, a key member of the club’s most recent SANFL premiership in 1964, Tasmanian team of the century vice-captain John Leedham and seven-time East Perth premiership player George Owens are this year’s historical inductees.
Darley’s larrikin speech was one of the highlights of the evening, but Phillips’ words to her Dad were particularly special.
“To Dad, I can’t imagine how hard it would have been to tell your 13-year-old daughter that she couldn’t play the game she loves any more,” she said, her voice breaking.
“And 27 years later, she’s standing next to you in the Hall of Fame.”
Greg Phillips, a Port Adelaide great, was inducted in 2020, and he and Erin are the first father-daughter selections. Fos and Mark Williams, Hayden Bunton Sr and Jr and umpires Jack McMurray Sr and Jr are the father-son inductees.
Pearce and Phillips ended their stellar playing careers at the end of 2022. The five-year player eligibility rule for the hall of fame was changed for women last year. AFLW players can now be inducted within a year of retirement.
They were the two obvious players who would benefit first from the rule change.
In her speech, Phillips also thanked the “incredible women” who made the AFLW possible and singled out Lee.
“You kicked down this door so others could walk through,” she said. “I’m so proud to be by your side and I can’t wait to kick down more doors with you Deb.”
Pearce’s last AFLW game was the Melbourne 2022 grand final victory and she called it the best day of her life, even though her twin children Sylvie and Roy were in the room, hamming it up for the TV cameras.
“It’s controversial to say this, as a mother … don’t get me wrong, they’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, but on a technicality, the day itself is not that good,” she said.
“Give me grand final day every day of the week.”
Phillips was Adelaide’s inaugural captain and the first women’s best and fairest winner, playing in three Crows flags despite needing a knee reconstruction.
She then switched to Port Adelaide when they joined the league in 2022.
When the women’s league started in 2017, marquee players such as Pearce and Phillips were crucial for its profile and credibility.
Pearce returned from having the twins in 2019 to captain Melbourne to the flag.
Farmer, who died in 1982, is the SANFL’s most prolific goalkicker, with 1417 for North Adelaide from 1929-41 in 224 games at an extraordinary average of 6.33 per game.
He was never goalless in a game and coached the Roosters to two premierships.
Riewolt went agonisingly close to a premiership, playing in St Kilda’s draw and two losses across 2009-10.
He said he had made his peace with not being able to help the Saints win their elusive second flag
“Rather than feeling like I walked away with the game still owing me something, I walk away feeling like the game gave me absolutely everything,” he said.
Women’s football trailblazer Erin Phillips is one of two inaugural AFLW players, alongside Daisy Pearce, inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
THE 2025 LEGEND AND THE HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
LEGEND STATUS
Ken Farmer
Inducted 1998
224 games for North Adelaide 1929-41, 1417 goals
6.33 goal average per game
17 games for SA, 71 goals
’30, ’31 Premierships
’36 club best and fairest
11-time SANFL leading goalkicker, 13-time North leading goalkicker
Captain ’34-35, ’37-38, ’41
North Adelaide Team of the Century
North Adelaide Premiership coach 1949, 1952
INDUCTEES
* Peter Darley
206 games for South Adelaide 1962-74, 123 goals
13 games for SA
1964 premiership
Seven-time club best and fairest
’69 carnival All Australian
South Adelaide captain ’67-69 and ’71
* Luke Hodge
305 games for Hawthorn, 2002-17, 193 goals
41 games for Brisbane, 2018-19
Four games for Australia
Premierships – ’08, ’13, ’14 , ’15
Two-time club best and fairest
Three-time All Australian
’08, ’14 Norm Smith Medal
Captain ’11-16
* John Leedham
124 games for North Launceston, 1946-53
114 games for North Hobart, ’54-59
13 games for Tasmania
’47 ’53 (All Australian) ’58 carnivals
Club premierships ’46, ’48-50 and ’57
State premierships ’46 ’49 ’50
Vice Captain, Tasmanian Team of the Century
* Garry Lyon
226 games for Melbourne 1986-99, 426 goals
Nine games for Victoria
Two-time club best and fairest
Five-time All Australian
Captain ’91-97
* George Owens
195 games for East Perth, 1917-32.
17 games for WA
Seven-time premiership player
1925 Sandover Medal
135 games umpired, including five WAFL grand finals
* Daisy Pearce
55 games for Melbourne 2017-22, 25 goals
’22 premiership
Three-time club best and fairest
’17 (captain), ’18, ’22 All Australian
Melbourne captain 2017-18 and 2020-22
10 VFLW premierships at Darebin ’06-17, seven as captain
* Erin Phillips
46 games for Adelaide 2017-22, 50 goals
20 games for Port Adelaide 2022-23, three goals
’17, ’19, ’22 premierships
Two-time 2019 AFLW best and fairest
Two-time grand final best afield
Two-time Adelaide best and fairest
Three-time All Australian
Captain Adelaide 2017-20
Captain Port Adelaide 2022-23
* Nick Riewoldt
336 games for St Kilda, 718 goals
Six-time club best and fairest
Five-time All Australian – captain ’09, vice-captain ’14
Captain ’05, ’07-16
2002 Rising Star
Dees table MONSTER Pickett offer
Melbourne look set to retain star forward Kysaiah Pickett despite heavy interest from Fremantle.
But it will come at a hefty price tag.
According to afl.com.au, the premiership goalsneak – who has been dominant for the Demons in a career-best 2025 season, including three goals in their narrow King’s Birthday loss to Collingwood – will remain at the club on a whopping seven-year contract extension, tying him to the Dees until the end of 2034.
The deal is expected to be worth $12.5 million over nine years, including the remaining two years on his current deal, and would make Pickett the longest-tenured player in the AFL, moving ahead of Fremantle’s Hayden Young, who is contracted until the end of 2033.
Pickett has long explored the prospect of a move from Melbourne, with Port Adelaide among a host of suitors as recently as last year’s trade period.
Fremantle emerged in 2025 as a frontrunner for his services should he choose to request a trade at season’s end, having reportedly told Dockers players via text in the off-season that he would be joining the club for 2026.
Further increasing speculation was Dockers ruckman and former Dees premiership player Luke Jackson’s reported interest on a return to Melbourne, which could have facilitated a Pickett trade.
The 24-year old lead’s the Dees’ goalkicking in 2025 with 21 majors, despite missing the first three games of the season due to suspension.
Playing more of a midfield role, he has also averaged a career-high 19 disposals a game to surge into All-Australian contention, with standout performances a 24-disposal, five-goal game against the Dockers and the same stat line against Sydney.
