Ally Morphett (born 11 November 2003) is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Sydney Swans in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She previously played for the Greater Western Sydney Giants in 2022 season 6.
| Ally Morphett | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Ally Morphett | ||
| Date of birth | 11 November 2003 | ||
| Original team(s) | Belconnen Magpies | ||
| Draft | No. 37, 2021 | ||
| Debut | Round 1, 2022 season 6, Greater Western Sydney vs. Gold Coast, at Great Barrier Reef Arena | ||
| Height | 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Ruck | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Sydney | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2022 (S6) | Greater Western Sydney | 7 (0) | |
| 2022 (S7)– | Sydney | 16 (4) | |
| Total | 23 (4) | ||
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of the 2023 season. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Source: AustralianFootball.com | |||
A very tall player at 188cm, Morphett is a ruck noted for her physicality at the contest, long kick and strong marking ability.[1]
Early life
editMorphett grew up on a farm at Gumly Gumly, a small town on the outskirts of Wagga Wagga in the New South Wales Riverina.[2] She participated in the sport of Barrel racing as a teenager including winning a junior national title.[3] After taking up Australian rules at Wagga High School, she played locally for East Wagga-Kooringal before joining the Belconnen Magpies in the AFL Canberra competition for whom she was awarded best-on-ground in a grand final victory aged 16 in 2020.[4] As a junior, Morphett played representatively for the Murray Bushrangers in the NAB League Girls and the Giants academy, and was captain of the Allies at the 2021 Under-19 national championships.[5]
AFL Women's career
editGreater Western Sydney (2022 season 6)
editMorphett was drafted by Greater Western Sydney with pick 37 in the 2021 AFL Women's draft, the first selection in the NSW pool.[5] She debuted for the Giants in round one of 2022 season six and played each of their first seven games that season, without making any significant impact.[1] She was then traded to expansion side Sydney at the end of the season in exchange for pick 29 in the 2022 draft.[6]
Sydney (2022 season 7–present)
editA passionate Swans supporter growing up, Morphett made her debut for the club in its inaugural AFLW game against St Kilda at North Sydney Oval. She played nine games in season 7 (2022) as the side's number one ruck and competed strongly but was not dominant. In the subsequent off-season, Morphett lost almost 10kg having worked hard on her fitness, and she has credited this work and a challenge from coach Scott Gowans for her form the following season.[1][2]
Morphett produced a breakout performance in round one of 2023 with 18 disposals, 29 hitouts and a goal in the Swans' maiden AFLW victory against her former side at North Sydney Oval, earning her a rising star nomination and the maximum 10 AFLCA votes.[2] Following this, Morphett quickly established herself as the dominant ruck in the competition including another starring performance in a win over West Coast in round four before a wrist injury prematurely ended her season after just seven games.[7] She was the leading ruck in the competition for disposals, hitouts, clearances and contested possessions per game.[8]
Morphett earned selection as the All-Australian ruck for 2023 and was runner-up by a solitary vote for the Rising Star award despite her injury.[9][10] She was also named in the AFL Players Association's 22under22 team.[11] In November, she re-signed with Sydney for a further four years amid reports of a lucrative contract offer from the Western Bulldogs.[7]
References
edit- ^ a b c Burns, Connor (7 October 2023). "'I feel as though everyone's quite shocked': Inside Ally Morphett's rapid rise in the AFLW". House of Footy. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ a b c "Honest talks spark morphed Swan, what is barrel racing?". afl.com.au/aflw. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ Harrington, Grace (9 February 2022). "Morphett barreling toward a career in football". AFL Players' Association Limited. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ Tuxworth, John (13 October 2020). "Wagga schoolgirl Ally Morphett named best on ground in Belconnen's AFL Canberra grand final win". Daily Advertiser. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ a b Malone, Matt (27 July 2021). "Wagga footballer Ally Morphett selected by Greater Western Sydney (GWS) Giants with their first pick". Daily Advertiser. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ "Morphett Trade Complete". gwsgiants.com.au. 2 June 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ a b McKirdy, Lachlan (23 November 2023). "Swans star turns down one of AFLW's richest deals". The Australian.
- ^ "AFLW Stats". afl.com.au/aflw. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ "2023 AFLW All Australian team and All Australian umpires". afl.com.au/aflw. 27 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ "Giants gun edges out young Swan to win Rising Star award". afl.com.au/aflw. 27 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ "STAR CYGNETS LEAD FINAL 22UNDER22". AFL Players' Association Limited. 21 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
External links
edit- Ally Morphett's profile on the official website of the Sydney Swans
- Ally Morphett at AustralianFootball.com