Ellie Blackburn | |||
---|---|---|---|
Personal information | |||
Full name | Ellie Blackburn | ||
Date of birth | 25 March 1995 | ||
Original team(s) | Melbourne University (VFLW) | ||
Draft | 2016 marquee signing | ||
Debut | Round 1, 2017, ‹See Tfd› Western Bulldogs vs. ‹See Tfd› Fremantle, at VU Whitten Oval | ||
Height | 169 cm (5 ft 7 in) | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder / forward | ||
Club information | |||
Current club | ‹See Tfd› Western Bulldogs | ||
Number | 2 | ||
Playing career1 | |||
Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
2017– | ‹See Tfd› Western Bulldogs | 71 (29) | |
Representative team honours | |||
Years | Team | Games (Goals) | |
2017 | Victoria | 1 (3) | |
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of week 3, 2024. 2 State and international statistics correct as of 2017. | |||
Career highlights | |||
| |||
Source: AustralianFootball.com |
Ellie Blackburn (born 25 March 1995) is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Western Bulldogs in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She served as Western Bulldogs co-captain in 2019, and as their sole captain from 2020 to 2023. Blackburn is the Western Bulldogs games record holder with 71 games.
Blackburn was drafted by the Bulldogs in 2016 as a marquee signing prior to the inaugural AFL Women's season, and is a three-time AFL Women's All-Australian and five-time Western Bulldogs best and fairest. In 2017, she was the inaugural Western Bulldogs leading goalkicker, and in 2018, she captained the Bulldogs to their first AFL Women's premiership in the absence of suspended captain Katie Brennan. Blackburn was also voted as the AFL Players Association (AFLPA) AFLW best captain in 2021.
Blackburn began playing competitive football in the under-9s division for the Beaconsfield Junior Football Club. [1] [2] 2011 saw her named player of the carnival at the national under-18 championships. In 2013, she was the captain of the Victorian side at the under 18 championships, where she was named the competition's best-and-fairest player. [2] [3] She was awarded under 18 All-Australian selection in 2011, 2012, and her final year of eligibility in 2013. [1]
She attended high school at Hallam Senior College in Melbourne's outer east. [1] Blackburn played state football for Melbourne University in the VFL Women's (VFLW). She was drafted by Melbourne with the thirteenth pick in the inaugural women's draft in 2013 and represented the club in the women's exhibition games between 2013 and 2016. [2] Over this time she averaged 20 disposals per match for the club. [2] In July 2016, Blackburn was signed by the ‹See Tfd› Western Bulldogs – the team that she played against in all of the exhibition matches – as one of two marquee players ahead of the inaugural AFL Women's season. [4]
Blackburn was announced as a member of the Bulldogs' inaugural four-woman leadership group in late January 2017. [5] Blackburn made her debut in round 1, 2017, against Fremantle at Whitten Oval. [6] She was named among the Bulldogs' best, recording twelve disposals and kicking her first league goal in the match. In round 3, Blackburn was named the Bulldogs' best, recording a team high twenty-six disposals and six tackles for the match. [7] Blackburn was highlighted as "Player of the Week" by the AFL Players Association for her round 5 performance in the 2017 AFL Women's season. [8] At the end of the season, Blackburn was second in the competition for kicks, one behind ‹See Tfd› Melbourne's Karen Paxman. [9] Teammates also spoke highly of her leadership after she captained the team for majority of the season, with captain Katie Brennan injured. [8] At the end of the 2017 season, Blackburn was nominated by her teammates for the AFL Players' Most Valuable Player Award [10] and was listed in the 2017 AFL Women's All-Australian team. [11] In May 2017, she was announced as the co-winner of the inaugural Western Bulldogs best and fairest award alongside Emma Kearney. [12] The Western Bulldogs signed Blackburn for the 2018 season during the trade period in May 2017. [13] On 2 September, Blackburn played for Victoria in the inaugural AFL Women's State of Origin match, where she was named among Victoria's best players with three goals. [14]
In round 4 of the 2019 season, Blackburn was knocked out in a collision and stretchered off the ground in a neck brace. [15]
Leading into the 2020 season, womens.afl journalist Sarah Black named Blackburn at no. 10 on her list of the top 30 players in the AFLW. [16] Despite suffering a hand injury in a practice match, [17] [18] she was able to play in round 1, and was selected in womens.afl's Team of the Week for that round. [19] Blackburn was selected in the initial 40-woman squad for the 2020 AFL Women's All-Australian team, [20] [21] [22] and was also selected in the AFL Players Association's 2017–2019 retrospective AFL Women's 22under22 team. [23]
Leading into the 2021 season, Sarah Black again named Blackburn at no. 10 on her annual list of the top 30 players in the AFLW. [24] Blackburn was best afield in each of the Bulldogs' first three matches [25] [26] [27] and was selected in womens.afl's Team of the Week in each of the first three rounds, [28] [29] [30] making her one of only two players (along with ‹See Tfd› Greater Western Sydney's Alyce Parker) to do so. [30] She also received a Goal of the Year nomination for her goal in the final quarter of the round 1 match. [31] At the end of the home-and-away season, Blackburn was voted as the AFLW Players' best captain for 2021 ahead of Melbourne captain and three-time winner Daisy Pearce, and also finished third in voting for the AFLW Players' most valuable player award behind ‹See Tfd› Collingwood co-captain Brianna Davey and Fremantle midfielder Kiara Bowers. [32] [33] [34] She also finished equal-third with Parker in the 2021 AFL Women's best and fairest count with 14 votes, one behind joint winners Davey and Bowers, [35] and won her third AFL Women's All-Australian selection [36] [37] and second Western Bulldogs best and fairest award. [38] Blackburn signed a contract extension with the club in June 2021. [39]
Blackburn was named at no. 4 in Sarah Black's 2022 list of the top 30 players in the AFLW, which was Blackburn's first appearance in the top five. [40] She was named the Bulldogs' best player in their opening round loss to Melbourne, [41] before being ruled out of the following round due to the AFL's health and safety protocols, which would have been the first time she missed a match for the club. [42] [43] However, the Bulldogs' next two matches were postponed as a result of the protocols, [44] [45] and Blackburn played in the Bulldogs' next match, a loss to Greater Western Sydney in round 4; she was named among their best players with twelve disposals, eight tackles and a goal, with coach Nathan Burke saying that she only spent two minutes in the midfield in the second half of the match after "[running] herself ragged", as one of several players who had played underdone after having COVID-19. [46] Blackburn was again named among the Bulldogs' best players in their loss to Fremantle a few days later [47] and was best afield in the Bulldogs' first win of the season against ‹See Tfd› Richmond in round 5, [48] polling eight coaches' votes. [49] She was also best afield in the Bulldogs' one-point win over ‹See Tfd› Adelaide in round 6 with 23 disposals and a goal, [50] polling nine coaches' votes, [51] and was selected in womens.afl's Team of the Week for that round. [52] Blackburn was among the Bulldogs' best players in their win over ‹See Tfd› Geelong [53] and draw against ‹See Tfd› Gold Coast in round 7, [54] and was the Bulldogs' best player in their loss to Collingwood in round 8. [55] She was among the Bulldogs' best players in their win over ‹See Tfd› West Coast in round 9 [56] and loss to Brisbane in round 10, [57] polling nine coaches' votes in round 9 [58] and five in round 10. [59]
Leading into the 2023 season, Sarah Black named Blackburn at no. 18 on her annual list of the top 30 players in the AFLW. [60]
In 2024, Blackburn was named the Bulldogs' best player in losses to Greater Western Sydney in round 1 [61] and Port Adelaide in round 2. [62] She was among the Bulldogs' best players in their round 3 loss to West Coast with 21 disposals and a goal, but suffered a foot injury in the final seconds of the match. [63]
Updated to the end of week 3, 2024. [64]
G | Goals | K | Kicks | D | Disposals | T | Tackles |
B | Behinds | H | Handballs | M | Marks | ||
# | Played in that season's premiership team | † | Led the league for the season |
Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | Votes | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | |||||
2017 | ‹See Tfd› Western Bulldogs | 2 | 7 | 6 | 12† | 101 | 35 | 136 | 17 | 26 | 0.9 | 1.7† | 14.4 | 5.0 | 19.4 | 2.4 | 3.7 | 10 |
2018 # | ‹See Tfd› Western Bulldogs | 2 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 102 | 33 | 135 | 23 | 26 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 12.8 | 4.1 | 16.9 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 6 |
2019 | ‹See Tfd› Western Bulldogs | 2 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 86 | 35 | 121 | 19 | 27 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 12.3 | 5.0 | 17.3 | 2.7 | 3.9 | 6 |
2020 | ‹See Tfd› Western Bulldogs | 2 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 72 | 32 | 104 | 13 | 25 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 12.0 | 5.3 | 17.3 | 2.2 | 4.2 | 6 |
2021 | ‹See Tfd› Western Bulldogs | 2 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 124 | 52 | 176 | 35 | 48 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 13.8 | 5.8 | 19.6 | 3.9 | 5.3 | 14 |
2022 (S6) | ‹See Tfd› Western Bulldogs | 2 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 135 | 66 | 201 | 23 | 43 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 13.5 | 6.6 | 20.1 | 2.3 | 4.3 | 12 |
2022 (S7) | ‹See Tfd› Western Bulldogs | 2 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 152 | 63 | 215 | 28 | 58 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 13.8 | 5.7 | 19.5 | 2.5 | 5.3 | 14 |
2023 | ‹See Tfd› Western Bulldogs | 2 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 157 | 111 | 268 | 45 | 43 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 15.7 | 11.1 | 26.8 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 10 |
2024 | ‹See Tfd› Western Bulldogs | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 44 | 28 | 72 | 4 | 19 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 14.7 | 9.3 | 24.0 | 1.3 | 6.3 | |
Career | 71 | 29 | 48 | 973 | 455 | 1428 | 207 | 315 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 13.7 | 6.4 | 20.1 | 2.9 | 4.4 | 78 |
Team
Individual
Monique Conti is an Australian sportswoman who plays Australian rules football and basketball. Conti currently plays for the Richmond Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW), having previously played for the Western Bulldogs from 2018 to 2019. She also plays in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) for Geelong United.
Katie Brennan is an Australian rules footballer with and captain of the Richmond Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She previously played for and captained the Western Bulldogs from 2017 to 2019. Brennan was signed as a marquee player by the Bulldogs ahead of the inaugural AFL Women's season in 2017, and was their leading goalkicker in 2019.
Stephanie Chiocci is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the St Kilda Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She previously played for the Collingwood Football Club from 2017 to 2022 (S7). Chiocci served as Collingwood captain for the duration of her Collingwood career, including as co-captain alongside Brianna Davey from 2021 to season seven.
Ebony Marinoff is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Adelaide Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). Marinoff is a three-time AFL Women's premiership player, six-time AFL Women's All-Australian and dual Adelaide Club Champion winner. She won the inaugural AFL Women's Rising Star award and represented The Allies in the inaugural AFL Women's State of Origin match in 2017. Marinoff has served as Adelaide co-captain since 2024, and is the AFL Women's equal games record holder and Adelaide games record holder with 81 games.
Emma Michelle Kearney is an Australian rules footballer and former cricketer. A decorated midfielder in the AFL Women's (AFLW) competition, Kearney won the league's best and fairest award while playing for the ‹See Tfd›Western Bulldogs in 2018 and has captained ‹See Tfd›North Melbourne since 2019. She previously played cricket for the Melbourne Stars in the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) and for Victoria in the Women's National Cricket League (WNCL).
Dana Hooker is an Australian rules footballer playing for the West Coast Eagles in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She previously played for the Fremantle Football Club from 2017 to 2019. Hooker is a dual AFL Women's All-Australian, and was the inaugural Fremantle fairest and best winner in 2017 and inaugural West Coast Club Champion in 2020.
Alexandra Anderson is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Brisbane Lions in the AFL Women's (AFLW). Anderson won the 2022 AFL Women's season 7 best and fairest award, and is a dual AFL Women's premiership player, dual AFL Women's All-Australian and three-time Brisbane best and fairest winner. Anderson is the AFL Women's equal games record holder and Brisbane games record holder with 82 games.
Alicia Eva is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Greater Western Sydney Giants in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She previously played for the Collingwood Football Club in 2017. Eva was selected in the AFL Women's All-Australian team and won the Gabrielle Trainor Medal in her first season at the Giants in 2018. She served as Greater Western Sydney captain from 2020 to 2023.
Ebony Antonio is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Fremantle Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). Antonio represented The Allies in the inaugural AFL Women's State of Origin match in 2017, and won AFL Women's All-Australian selection and the Fremantle fairest and best award in 2018. She also won the Goal of the Year and shared the Western Derby Medal with Kiara Bowers in 2022 season 6.
Jasmine Garner is an Australian rules footballer with ‹See Tfd›North Melbourne in the AFL Women's (AFLW) competition. Garner scored the AFLW's first-ever goal while playing for ‹See Tfd›Collingwood in the league's inaugural match in 2017.
Brooke Lochland is an Australian rules footballer and former speed skater. Lochland currently plays for the Sydney Swans in the AFL Women's (AFLW), having previously played for the Western Bulldogs from 2017 to 2022 season 6. In 2018, she played in the Bulldogs' AFL Women's premiership team, was the AFL Women's leading goalkicker for that season and was named in the 2018 AFL Women's All-Australian team.
Kirsty Maree Lamb is an Australian rules footballer playing for Port Adelaide in the AFL Women's (AFLW) competition. She has previously played for the Western Bulldogs Lamb previously played cricket for Victoria in the Women's National Cricket League (WNCL) and for the Melbourne Renegades in the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL).
Isabel Huntington is an Australian rules footballer playing for Greater Western Sydney in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She was drafted to the Western Bulldogs with the first pick in the 2017 AFL Women's draft.
Ashleigh Riddell is an Australian rules footballer playing for the North Melbourne Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). Riddell is a three-time AFL Women's All-Australian and won the North Melbourne best and fairest award in season 6.
Madison Prespakis is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Essendon Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She previously played for the Carlton Football Club from 2019 to season 6. A midfielder who won multiple accolades at junior level and played in the VFL Women's (VFLW) as a teenager, Prespakis won the 2019 AFL Women's Rising Star award in her debut season and the 2020 AFL Women's best and fairest award in her second season. She is a three-time AFL Women's All-Australian, three-time Carlton best and fairest winner and was the inaugural Essendon best and fairest winner in season 7, and is Essendon's equal games record holder with 23 games.
The 2021 AFL Women's season was the fifth season of the AFL Women's (AFLW) competition, the highest-level senior women's Australian rules football competition in Australia. The season featured 14 clubs and ran from 28 January to 17 April, comprising a nine-round home-and-away season followed by a three-week finals series featuring the top six clubs.
Jess Fitzgerald is an Australian rules footballer playing for Western Bulldogs in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She was drafted with the second selection in the 2020 AFL Women's draft by the ‹See Tfd›Western Bulldogs.
2022 AFL Women's season 6 was the sixth season of the AFL Women's (AFLW) competition, the highest-level senior women's Australian rules football competition in Australia. The season featured 14 clubs and ran from 7 January to 9 April, comprising a ten-round home-and-away season followed by a three-week finals series featuring the top six clubs. It was the first of two seasons to take place in the 2022 calendar year, with the competition's seventh season held from August to November.
The 2021 season was the Western Bulldogs's fifth season in the AFL Women's (AFLW) competition. Nathan Burke was the team's coach for the second consecutive season, and Ellie Blackburn was the team's captain for the third consecutive season. The Western Bulldogs finished the home-and-away season eighth on the ladder and with a win–loss record of 5–4, meaning they missed out on qualifying for finals.
2022 AFL Women's season 7 was the seventh season of the AFL Women's (AFLW) competition, the highest-level senior women's Australian rules football competition in Australia. The season featured 18 clubs, marking the first time all Australian Football League (AFL) clubs participated in the competition, and ran from 25 August to 27 November, comprising a ten-round home-and-away season followed by a four-week finals series featuring the top eight clubs. It was the second AFL Women's season to take place in the 2022 calendar year and the first to have an August start date. AFL clubs ‹See Tfd›Essendon, ‹See Tfd›Hawthorn, ‹See Tfd›Port Adelaide and ‹See Tfd›Sydney featured for the first time in season 7.