Ally Anderson

Ally Anderson
Anderson playing for Brisbane in 2022
Personal information
Full name Alexandra Anderson
Date of birth (1994-03-25) 25 March 1994 (age 30)
Place of birth Brisbane, Queensland
Original team(s) Zillmere (QWAFL)
Draft No. 47, 2016 national draft
Debut Round 1, 2017, Brisbane vs. Melbourne, at Casey Fields
Height 162 cm (5 ft 4 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current club Brisbane
Number 18
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2017– Brisbane 92 (11)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of finals week 3, 2024.
Career highlights
Source: AustralianFootball.com

Alexandra Anderson (born 25 March 1994) 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, three-time AFL Women's All-Australian and three-time Brisbane best and fairest winner. Anderson is the Brisbane games record holder with 92 games.

Early life

Anderson was born in 1994 in Brisbane, Queensland raised by Leigh and Reggie (a paramedic and Aboriginal Gangulu[1] Redcliffe Dolphins rugby league player) from Theodore, Queensland inland from Rockhampton.[2][3][4] Anderson took up rugby league with her sisters at the age of 5 and also took up tennis and swimming.[5] Anderson was educated at Kedron State High School.[6]

Anderson had never seen an AFL game prior to the age of 16 and knew very little of the sport.[5] Anderson began learning of the game after her older sister Mikayla started playing it[5] and was encouraged by her school teacher who was from Melbourne to pursue a career in the sport.[3][7] Anderson played club football for the Zillmere from junior to senior level[8] and represented Queensland at Under 18 level in 2013.[3][9]

AFL Women's career

Anderson playing for Brisbane in 2022

Anderson was recruited by Brisbane with the number 47 pick in the 2016 AFL Women's draft and debuted in the Lions' inaugural game against Melbourne at Casey Fields on 5 February 2017.[10] Anderson went on to play all eight games in her debut season, including the six-point 2017 AFL Women's Grand Final loss to Adelaide.[11] Brisbane signed Anderson for the 2018 season during the trade period in May 2017.[12]

Anderson played all eight games for Brisbane again in 2018, including the 2018 AFL Women's Grand Final loss to the Western Bulldogs, Brisbane's second consecutive grand final loss.[13] Brisbane signed Anderson for the 2019 season during the trade and signing period in May 2018.[14]

Anderson had a career-best season in 2019, capped off by winning the Brisbane best and fairest award[15] and being selected in the 2019 AFL Women's All-Australian team.[16] Following the AFL Women's season, Anderson played for Essendon in the VFL Women's (VFLW).[17][18]

Leading into the 2020 season, womens.afl journalist Sarah Black named Anderson at no. 26 on her list of the top 30 players in the AFLW.[19] She was also selected in the AFL Players Association's 2017–2019 retrospective AFL Women's 22under22 team.[20] Anderson finished the season as one of fourteen players to have played the most AFL Women's matches to that point with 30.[21]

Anderson was named at no. 21 in Sarah Black's 2022 list of the top 30 players in the AFLW.[22] She was named among Brisbane's best players in its loss to Adelaide in round 1[23] and its wins over Geelong in round 4[24] and West Coast in round 8,[25] polling seven coaches' votes in the round 8 match.[26] Anderson and teammate Emily Bates became the first AFLW players to reach the 50-game milestone in Brisbane's round 9 win over North Melbourne, with both among Brisbane's best players.[27]

Leading into the 2023 season, Sarah Black named Anderson at no. 5 on her annual list of the top 30 players in the AFLW.[28]

In 2024, Anderson was named Brisbane's best player in its loss to North Melbourne in week 1[29] and was best afield in its win over Melbourne in week 2 with an AFLW record 43 disposals.[30] She was among Brisbane's best players in wins over Collingwood in week 3,[31] and the Western Bulldogs[32] and West Coast in both week 4 matches.[33]

Statistics

Updated to the end of finals week 3, 2024.[34]

Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
  #  
 Played in that season's 
premiership team
  ±  
 Won that season's 
AFLW B&F
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2017 Brisbane 18 8 0 1 29 29 58 6 26 0.0 0.1 3.6 3.6 7.3 0.8 3.3 0
2018 Brisbane 18 8 1 0 90 53 143 22 40 0.1 0.0 11.3 6.6 17.9 2.8 5.0 1
2019 Brisbane 18 7 1 0 91 56 147 27 35 0.1 0.0 13.0 8.0 21.0 3.9 5.0 3
2020 Brisbane 18 7 0 2 73 55 128 30 17 0.0 0.3 10.4 7.9 18.3 4.3 2.4 2
2021# Brisbane 18 11 2 1 121 83 204 32 39 0.2 0.1 11.0 7.5 18.5 2.9 3.5 9
2022 (S6) Brisbane 18 12 2 4 132 68 200 26 50 0.2 0.3 11.0 5.7 16.7 2.2 4.2 2
2022 (S7) Brisbane 18 13 2 4 178 100 278 42 69 0.2 0.3 13.7 7.7 21.4 3.2 5.3 21±
2023# Brisbane 18 13 1 5 173 143 316 38 84 0.1 0.4 13.3 11.0 24.3 2.9 6.5 12
2024 Brisbane 18 13 2 7 174 166 340 33 79 0.2 0.5 13.4 12.8 26.2 2.5 6.1 8
Career 92 11 24 1061 753 1814 256 439 0.1 0.3 11.5 8.2 19.7 2.8 4.8 58

Honours and achievements

Team

Individual

References

  1. ^ Stanton, Tanisha (3 March 2022). "Brisbane Lions midfielder Ally Anderson set to make history among first AFLW players to reach 50th milestone". ABC News. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  2. ^ QAS Insight Summer 2019-2020 pg 30
  3. ^ a b c Family Pride Gives Lions Star Lift by Terry Malinder for The Chronicle 10 March 2018
  4. ^ Ally Anderson: What it means to be Aboriginal By Ally Anderson on exclusiveinsight.com on 26 November 2018
  5. ^ a b c Top 3 training tips with AFLW legend Ally Anderson! fromYouTube 3 July 2022]
  6. ^ AFLQ congratulates Ally Anderson and four All-Aus Lions 24 November 2022
  7. ^ Kedron State High School - Our School History
  8. ^ "Brisbane Lions AFL Women's Players". Brisbane Lions. Archived from the original on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  9. ^ Zillmere’s Anderson gearing up for nationals from AFL Queensland 14 June 2013
  10. ^ Matthews, Bruce (5 February 2017). "Lions take the points in AFLW wild weather clash". afl.com.au. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  11. ^ Matthews, Bruce (25 March 2017). "Match report: Crows soar to flag in thriller". afl.com.au. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  12. ^ "AFLW: All the clubs' full lists after trade period". afl.com.au. 26 May 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  13. ^ Matthews, Bruce (24 March 2018). "AFLW match report: Dogs take out flag". afl.com.au. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  14. ^ Black, Sarah (7 June 2018). "AFLW: Delisted Docker goes coast to coast". afl.com.au. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  15. ^ Whiting, Michael (12 April 2019). "All Australian Lions midfielder caps off season with B&F". womens.afl. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  16. ^ Navaratnam, Dinny (2 April 2019). "Five Crows, four Roos headline All Australian team". womens.afl. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  17. ^ "New stars join VFLW Dons". essendonfc.com.au. 16 May 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  18. ^ Hustwaite, Megan (13 June 2019). "Anderson: Why I came to Essendon". essendonfc.com.au. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  19. ^ Black, Sarah (12 January 2020). "Sarah Black's top 30: Lions' pocket rocket lands at No.26". womens.afl. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  20. ^ Black, Sarah (26 March 2020). "Crows dominate inaugural 22under22 squad". womens.afl. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  21. ^ Black, Sarah (25 April 2020). "The 30-gamers: Meet members of the AFLW's exclusive club". womens.afl. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  22. ^ Black, Sarah (6 January 2022). "Sarah Black's Top 30 AFLW players". womens.afl. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  23. ^ Australian Associated Press (9 January 2022). "Crows cruise past premiers as key stars suffer big injuries". womens.afl. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  24. ^ Australian Associated Press; Welsh, Sophie (29 January 2022). "Scheer agony and joy: Three-goal haul not enough to topple Lions". womens.afl. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  25. ^ Australian Associated Press; Rogers, Michael (27 February 2022). "Record-breaking Lions hammer hapless Eagles". womens.afl. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  26. ^ "AFLCA votes, R8: Perfect 10 sends Lion to the top, first voteless week for Freo star". womens.afl. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  27. ^ Australian Associated Press (6 March 2022). "Roo'd awakening: Clinical win for Lions over fellow finals aspirant". womens.afl. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  28. ^ Black, Sarah (21 August 2023). "Sarah Black's top 30: Ten best players revealed". afl.com.au. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  29. ^ Whiting, Michael (1 September 2024). "Lions suffer biggest ever defeat as Roos fire warning shot". afl.com.au. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  30. ^ Bastiani, Gemma (7 September 2024). "Lions bounce back with dominant win over Dees". afl.com.au. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  31. ^ Whiting, Michael (13 September 2024). "Rampant Lions have Pies for dinner". afl.com.au. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  32. ^ Whiting, Michael (18 September 2024). "Bulldogs fight but Lions roar after first-quarter blitz". afl.com.au. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  33. ^ Schmook, Nathan (22 September 2024). "Lions looming large after trimming Daisy's Eagles". afl.com.au. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  34. ^ "Ally Anderson – player stats by season". Australian Football. Retrieved 1 September 2024.