After an absolutely cracking inaugural women’s Australian Football League season, the players celebrated their achievements at the awards night – but not before some controversy.
Football commentator Garry Lyon had a dig at Adelaide Crows co-captain Erin Phillips for taking her brand-spanking new four-month old twins on the pitch to celebrate the iconic win.
“I was worried and concerned with Erin Phillips taking out her two young babies one in either arms,” Lyon said on SEN.
Which is weird because not only do AFL players regularly take bubs on the ground, but Lyons himself has taken his children on the ground.
He defended his own lap of glory with his kids by deeming his children, who were six, three, and one at the time, “old enough to look after themselves” – which is exactly how every parent would describe their child who hadn’t hit double digits yet.
But enough about a man telling women what they should do – this is all about the trailblazing players.
None more so than Phillips herself, whose team won the first-ever AFLW premiership.
The co-captain celebrated winning Best & Fairest, as well as being voted MVP by her peers, winning Goal of the Year award and being named vice captain of the All-Australian team, by kissing her wife.
The photo is easily the most heart-warming thing we’ve seen this year.
After winning the award, Phillips told the Melbourne gala dinner being a part of the AFLW has meant “everything”.
“When I was 13 years old I was told I wasn’t allowed to play footy anymore with the boys. So to have this 17 years later; it’s alright.”
The league is phenomenal for teaching young girls that they don’t have to give up sport just because they’re not a boy.
Well, except for the fact they have to keep their day jobs because salaries are $5000 a year for most players.
Which also means they can only train, as professional athletes, for nine hours a week because otherwise they wouldn’t be earning the minimum hourly wage.
And because literally no-one could even come close to living on that, it gets taxed at a higher rate because it’ll be their second income.
Oh, and they have to pay for their own health insurance…
A massive congratulations to Erin Phillips and every other woman in the league, now let’s keep pushing for total equality in sport.
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