Erin Phillips was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame on 10 June 2025.

Erin is a 3-times Premiership Captain for the Adelaide Crows in 2017, 2019 and 2022. Erin has also won the AFLW Best & Fairest on two occasions, two Players’ Association MVP awards as well as two best-on-ground performances for her Grand Final triumphs.

Erin born in Carlton, Melbourne, is one of Australia’s most accomplished and versatile athletes. A champion in two elite sports—basketball and Australian rules football—Erin has forged a career defined by excellence, resilience, and trailblazing leadership. Her journey from a young girl passionate about footy to a world-class athlete in two codes has made her a household name and an inspirational figure in Australian sport.

Raised in Adelaide, Erin was the daughter of Port Adelaide football great Greg Phillips. From an early age, she idolised her father and dreamed of following in his footsteps on the football field. However, opportunities for women in Australian rules football were virtually non-existent during her youth, prompting her to pursue basketball instead. Despite the initial heartbreak of having to give up her first sporting love, Erin excelled on the court. At just 17, she began her professional basketball career with the Adelaide Lightning in the WNBL, where she quickly made a name for herself as a fearless and intelligent guard. Her performances earned her multiple All-WNBL selections and a championship title in 2008.

Her talent soon took her to the international stage, where she joined the WNBA in the United States and played for several teams including the Connecticut Sun, Indiana Fever, and Phoenix Mercury. Over a nine-year WNBA career, Erin won two championships—in 2012 with the Fever and in 2014 with the Mercury—and was widely respected for her versatility, defensive tenacity, and leadership. As a member of the Australian national team, the Opals, Phillips played a pivotal role in securing a gold medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championships in Brazil and a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Injuries, including recurring knee problems, ultimately shortened her basketball career, but not before she had left a lasting legacy at the top level of the sport.

In 2016, Erin seized the opportunity to return to football when the AFL launched its inaugural national women’s competition. Signing with the Adelaide Crows as a rookie in the newly formed AFLW, she shocked many with how seamlessly she adapted to elite-level football after nearly two decades away from the sport. As co-captain of the Crows in their debut season in 2017, she dominated the competition, winning the league’s Best and Fairest medal and helping Adelaide claim the first AFLW premiership. Her impact was immediate and immense. With her mix of athleticism, football IQ, and on-field leadership, Erin set the benchmark for professionalism in women’s football. She went on to win further premierships with Adelaide in 2019 and 2022 and picked up a second league Best and Fairest in 2019. Even late in her career, she remained one of the game’s elite performers.

In a move that was as symbolic as it was historic, Erin joined Port Adelaide in 2022, the club her father had captained and where he had become a legend. Appointed as the club’s inaugural AFLW captain, she was instrumental in laying the foundations for the team’s culture, identity, and standards. She played two seasons with Port Adelaide before announcing her retirement from professional football in 2023. Across her AFLW career, Erin played 66 games, kicked 50 goals, and earned All-Australian selection multiple times, cementing her status as one of the most decorated and respected players in the history of the competition.

Beyond her achievements on the field and court, Erin Phillips speaker and motivator has become a powerful voice for gender equality, inclusion, and LGBTQ+ representation in sport. In 2017, during her acceptance speech for the AFLW Best and Fairest, she publicly acknowledged her wife, former basketball player Tracy Gahan, and their children. The moment resonated widely across Australia, particularly as it came during the national debate on marriage equality, and was celebrated as a milestone in the push for acceptance and visibility of same-sex relationships in sport and society. Erin and Tracy are now parents to four children—twins Blake and Brooklyn, son Drew, and daughter Londyn—and Phillips often speaks about the joy and grounding that family brings to her life.

Since retiring from professional sport, Erin has remained deeply engaged in the sporting community. She co-hosts a popular breakfast radio show in Adelaide, contributes as a commentator and mentor, and continues to advocate for better conditions and support for female athletes. She also works with the AFL in a player engagement and club development role, helping shape the next generation of footballers. In 2021, she was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for her service to basketball and football. In 2025, she made history once again when she was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame, joining her father as the first father-daughter duo to be honoured in that way.

Erin Phillips’s story is not just one of extraordinary athletic achievement, but also of persistence, adaptability, and courage. Her legacy spans two sports, countless accolades, and generations of athletes inspired by her journey. She stands as a true icon of Australian sport and a powerful role model for aspiring athletes everywhere.