Mim Strom

Mim Strom
Strom with Fremantle in March 2021
Personal information
Date of birth (2001-11-07) 7 November 2001 (age 23)
Original team(s) Swan Districts (WAWFL)
Draft No. 21, 2019 AFL Women's draft
Debut Round 1, 2020, Fremantle vs. Geelong, at Fremantle Oval
Height 184 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Ruck
Club information
Current club Fremantle
Number 21
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2020– Fremantle 58 (1)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of the 2024 season.
Career highlights
Source: AustralianFootball.com

Mim Strom (born 7 November 2001) is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Fremantle Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW).

Early life

Originally from the small coastal town of Exmouth,Western Australia, Strom's two older brothers, Zach and Noah, both play in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) for South Fremantle.[1]

Growing up, she was a competitive sports enthusiast, participating in various sports such as netball, basketball and Australian rules football,[2] and playing junior football for the Exmouth Eagles.[3]

In 2019, she played for South Fremantle in the WAFLW, before transferring to the Swan Districts' league side later that year.[4] She played in the inaugural 2019 WAFLW Grand Final for Swan Districts, and was named as one of the best players during the match.[5] Strom represented Western Australia in the 2019 AFL Women's Under-18 Championships.[6]

AFLW career

Strom was drafted by Fremantle with their second selection, 21st overall, in the 2019 AFL Women's draft.[7]

2020: Debut season

After fellow ruckwoman Aine Tighe suffered an ACL injury during the 2020 AFLW pre-season,[8] Strom was tasked with playing as the sole ruck for the Fremantle Dockers in 2020.[9] She was named to make her debut in round one of the 2020 AFLW season against Geelong at Fremantle Oval, with former Fremantle ruckman and great Aaron Sandilands presenting her match guernsey.[10] Strom said of the experience:

"I was presented with my playing jumper for round one by Aaron Sandilands! I don’t think you could ask for a better legend of the game to present your jumper"[11]

She had fourteen hit-outs and collected seven disposals during the match, and was named as one of the Docker's best players in the afl.com match report following the 16-point win.[12] Strom finished her debut year having played all six games of the home and away season,[13] as Fremantle went undefeated to sit atop the AFLW ladder.[14] She gathered 14 hit-outs and 9 disposals in the semi-finals as Fremantle dominated a first-year Suns team to run out 70 point winners at Fremantle Oval.[15] Unfortunately for Strom and her teammates, the season was ultimately cancelled without a winner, due to fears of a potential pandemic stemming from the newly discovered Covid-19 respiratory virus.[16]

2023:

In 2023, she finished third place in Fremantle's Fairest and Best award.[17]

2024: Breaking records

Strom holds the top three records for most hit-outs in a single AFLW game:[18]

  • 56 hit-outs in the 2024 elimination finals  
  • 48 hit-outs in weeks one and eight, 2024 (tied with Jess Allan)
  • 47 hit-outs in week seven, 2024 (tied with Jess Allan and Erin McKinnon)

She set a new league record for hit-outs in round one of the 2024 AFLW season, amassing 48 hit-outs in her 50th game.[19] She would equal this record in week eight,[20] before setting a new league record in the elimination finals with 56 hit-outs, making her the first AFLW player to record 50+ hit-outs in an AFLW match.[21] Mim also holds the record for most hitouts in a season (390).[22] She was awarded the Derby Medal as the player adjudged best and fairest in Western Derby seven.[23]

References

  1. ^ Woodcock, Mitch (9 July 2019). "Rising star Strom thrilled to emulate brothers". The West Australian. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  2. ^ Wakeham, Alison. "Exmouth local & Fremantle Docker Mim Strom draws inspiration from family". midwesttimes.
  3. ^ Beattie, Shannon. "Dockers draft ex-Exmouth junior". pilbaranews.
  4. ^ "Strom siblings looking to etch place in history through WAFL, WAFLW finals". The West Australian.
  5. ^ "WAFLW match review". May 2024.
  6. ^ "Mim Strom AFLW player profile". May 2024.
  7. ^ "AFLW: Strom stoked to keep working with idols". fremantlefc.com.au. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  8. ^ Sports Reporter (31 January 2020). "Blow for Aine Tighe as ACL injury confirmed". leitrimlive.
  9. ^ Bastiani, Gemma (10 August 2020). "How a baptism of fire set young Docker on path to success". afl.com.
  10. ^ Staff Writers (6 February 2020). "Fremantle Dockers champion Aaron Sandilands tells young ruck Mim Strom she will make her AFLW debut this weekend". The West Australian.
  11. ^ "AFLW: Strom earns debut stripes from Sandi".
  12. ^ Schmook, Nathan (9 February 2020). "Match report: Starring role from Duffy sees Dockers fend off Cats". afl.com.
  13. ^ "Mim Strom AFLW statistics".
  14. ^ "AFLW: Fremantle Dockers were robbed in 2020, but now they are back chasing a maiden premiership". The West Australian.
  15. ^ Beveridge, Riley (21 March 2020). "Determined Dockers demolish Suns to book preliminary final berth". afl.com.
  16. ^ Olle, Sarah (22 March 2020). "Cancelled: No 2020 AFLW premier as league calls off women's comp". Fox Sports.
  17. ^ "AFLW Fairest & Best: Stand-out Stannett takes home the trifecta". fremantlefc.com.au.
  18. ^ "Most hitouts in an #AFLW match".
  19. ^ "Exmouth's Mim Strom starred with a career-high outing during her 50-game milestone". midwesttimes.
  20. ^ "AFLW Exmouth superstar Mim Strom dominates again for Dockers, equalling her own competition record".
  21. ^ "The first AFLW player to record 50+ hitouts in a match".
  22. ^ Schmook, Nathan (10 November 2024). "Dockers keep flag dream alive as brave Bombers fall short". afl.com.
  23. ^ Schmook, Nathan (19 October 2024). "7 up! Dockers stretch unbeaten Derby record over Eagles". afl.com.
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