Port Adelaide farewelled one of the greats of the NAB AFLW competition on Tuesday, with Erin Phillips announcing her retirement following this Saturday’s match at Alberton Oval. 

Phillips, alongside senior coach Lauren Arnell, addressed a room filled with media, Port Adelaide staff and players and Phillips’ family to celebrate her announcement. 

Read the opening remarks from Arnell and Phillips below.   

Lauren Arnell 

Thanks everyone for coming to recognise and celebrate one of the true greats of our game.  

I feel privileged to have shared the field with Erin Phillips, both as an opposition player and as a coach. It's an honour to know Erin, and to be sitting alongside her today as she announces her upcoming retirement from AFLW football. 

Erin is a true Port Adelaide person. Fierce, relentless, tough and always puts her team first. She is an exemplary leader, an exceptional footballer and above all, a loyal and respected person. 

Erin's achievements in AFLW football are unmatched. Three premierships, three-time All-Australian, two league best and fairest medals and captain of both Port Adelaide and Adelaide Football Clubs. Wearing the number 1 guernsey for two seasons at this club I know has meant so much to her, and to her family.  

Her success across international basketball is also well-documented between conquering the WNBL, 2x WNBA Championships, Europe and is an Olympic silver medallist representing the Opals. Not to mention, an Order of Australia Medal for her services to basketball and football. She is the epitome of an elite cross-code athlete and leader in Australian sport. 

Erin will leave a lasting legacy on Port Adelaide and on the AFLW as a whole. She is a trailblazer of women's sport and an inspiration to aspiring footballers and fans everywhere. 

Personally, I will very much miss Erin’s valued leadership, determination to drive standards, sharp sense of humour and her strong loyalty and support – which will all leave a lasting impact on our AFLW team. 

Congratulations, Erin on a truly remarkable career. On behalf of the Port Adelaide Football Club, we wish you, Tracy, Brooklyn, Blake, Drew and Londyn every success for the next chapter. 

With that said, I’d like to invite Erin to say a few words before we open for questions. 

Erin Phillips  

Thank you so much for coming today. I'll do my best to get through this. 

This Saturday at Alberton will be my last game of football.  

It has been an incredible eight seasons playing this game I have love my whole life.  

But now it's absolutely the right decision to call time. I wish I could physically keep going and give this club more.  But I can honestly say that I have given everything I had left. 

There are so many people I need to thank and I will reach out to those who have helped me and supported me throughout my sporting career over the next few weeks. 

But today I want to thank the AFL, Nicole Livingstone, Andrew Dillon, and in particular, Gillon McLachlan for starting this competition. I'm not sure where I'd be without it. 

I want to thank my management team, TLA. Tom Petroro, Cam Roughead and Adrienne Davies, I can’t thank you enough for your guidance and al you guys do for my family and I. We couldn’t be in better hands. 

To my personal sponsors, Metro Homes, Puma, Chemist Warehouse, INC, I am proud to represent great brands and I look forward to working with you in the future, with wonderful people. 

I want to thank the Adelaide Football Club for giving me the opportunity to start my football career. 

In particular, Phil Harper for everything he did for my family. Going above and beyond to make us feel welcome. My past coaches Bec Goddard and Matthew Clarke, to all my former teammates, Crows members and fans who have always supported me. To have been a captain alongside Chelsea Randall and win three premierships at the Crows will go down as some of the proudest moments of my sporting career.  

Well, it finally ends where it all started. 

I want to thank the Port Adelaide Football Club for bringing me back to Alberton. 

Chris Davies, Matthew Richardson, Juliet Haslam, Rachael Sporn for all your support. My coach Lauren Arnell or your friendship and guidance, our coaching staff, support staff, medical and S&C for the enormous amount of work you put into this team. To our incredible members and fans who support us each week. To experience Never Tear Us Apart from the field is truly one of the most amazing moments you can have being a player at this club. 

To my teammates who are here in this room. I loved being a part of this journey. I am honoured to have been your captain over the past two seasons. I am going to miss having a laugh and a kick with you, bantering about Gemma Houghton most of the time. I have so much belief in this group and I can't wait to see the day I see you guys at the top of the mountain. I’ll be one of the proudest people in the world. To two of my teammates in particular who have followed me for my whole journey, Angela and Justine. I know you'll continue to help lead this team and even though I won't be out there on the field, you'll be a part of me, and my family's lives forever. 

To my sisters, Rachel and Amy and their families for your support. You guys always show up and support me. Travelling interstate or flying overseas to watch me play. I don't think there are more supportive siblings. I know how much you all love coming to support me and this team but I can honestly say I'm glad I won't have to sort out 18 tickets every week. 

Mum and dad who gave me every opportunity to be whatever and whoever I wanted to be. I love you both so much. Being a parent myself now I realise even more the sacrifices that you both made to help me follow my dreams. My mum who spent countless hours taking me to all my trainings and games over the years. You are my biggest fan and never in your eyes have I played a bad game. I can always count on you to make me feel better, even when I had an absolute shocker. 

To my dad, thank you for teaching me this game. For spending time when I'm sure you were tired and sore from training to teach me this game as a young girl. Even when you knew there was no future in it, you taught me anyway. You are the reason why I love this game. I am so proud that I got to play here. Even more proud that I got to wear the same number as you. 

To my wife Tracy who has taken this retirement harder than anybody. She actually did want me to play for another 10 years and I had to remind her that a 10-year deal would take me closer to 50.  

I still can't believe that in 2017 you agreed to pack up our eight-week-old twins and move back to Adelaide and away from your family in the USA. You did it because you knew how much I would regret it if I didn't. You knew how much my passion was aways footy. I couldn’t get through this life without you. You ride the emotional wave that sport brings, often lying awake with me at night  dissecting games with me. I love you so much and I am excited to finally get the chance to support your career. 

Blake, Brooklyn, Drew, Londyn…so many of you I had to write your names down! I love you guys more than anything. I am so happy to have been able to raise you around strong, confident female athletes. On reflection of my career and life this far, you four are and always will be, my greatest achievement. 

Today I sit here feeling an overwhelming amount of gratitude. I got the opportunity to play for two clubs that mean so much to me and my family. I got to witness firsthand the impact that AFLW has had on not just female football, but female sport in this country. It has been incredibly rewarding and something I am extremely proud to be a part of and I'm sure Loz is too. 

So here we are, one more game to go and I cannot wait to run out there with my teammates in front of our fans at Alberton Oval, one last time.