Sophie Alexander (born 25 May 1993) is an Australian rules footballer playing for Essendon in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She was a basketballer in the South East Australian Basketball League before taking up football in the Victorian Women's Football League. Alexander spent a year in Collingwood's VFL Women's (VFLW) team before ascending to the senior list through the 2018 AFLW draft, where she played until the end of the 2022 AFL Women's season 6.
| Sophie Alexander | |||
|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Alexander post-match with Essendon in 2023 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Date of birth | 25 May 1993 | ||
| Original team(s) | Redan (VWFL) | ||
| Draft | No. 29, 2018 AFLW draft | ||
| Debut | Round 1, 2019, Collingwood vs. Geelong, at GMHBA Stadium | ||
| Height | 178 cm (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Essendon | ||
| Number | 24 | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2019–2022 (S6) | Collingwood | 31 (16) | |
| 2022 (S7)– | Essendon | 21 (11) | |
| Total | 52 (27) | ||
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of the 2023 season. | |||
| Source: AustralianFootball.com | |||
Early sporting career
editAlexander played basketball for the Ballarat Rush in the South East Australian Basketball League. After five years with the Rush, she took up football in 2016 with Redan Football Club in the Victorian Women's Football League, playing six matches.[1] Alexander also started playing for the Horsham Lady Hornets in the Country Basketball League.[2] In 2017, she played 13 games with the Eastern Devils in the VFL Women's, playing in the forward line and midfield. Coach Brendan Major noted her ability to score from outside the 50-metre arc, a rarity in women's football.[1] Alexander was invited to the 2017 AFLW draft combine[1] but was not selected in the 2017 draft.[3] She joined Collingwood's VFLW side in 2018 and was named in the VFLW Team of the Year on the interchange bench.[4] Alexander was also the club's leading goalkicker.[5]
AFL Women's career
edit
Collingwood (2019–2022)
editFor the 2018 AFLW draft, Collingwood was granted two chances to pre-select recruits to compensate for losing players to injury and rival clubs, using a similar bidding mechanism to the father–daughter rule. Collingwood chose Alexander and Erica Fowler; an unspecified club bid on Alexander, requiring Collingwood to match the bid with its next available selection: pick 29.[4] Alexander kicked the first goal of the 2019 AFLW season in her opening round debut; however, she was concussed in the third quarter after a marking contest.[6]
Essendon (2022–present
editIn May 2022, Alexander left Collingwood to join expansion club Essendon.[7]
Statistics
edit- Statistics are correct the end of the 2022 (S6) season.[8]
G
|
Goals | K
|
Kicks | D
|
Disposals | T
|
Tackles |
B
|
Behinds | H
|
Handballs | M
|
Marks |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | ||||
| 2019 | Collingwood | 24 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 5 | 22 | 7 | 5 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 4.3 | 1.3 | 5.5 | 1.8 | 1.3 |
| 2020 | Collingwood | 24 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 8 | 20 | 8 | 5 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 4.0 | 1.6 | 1.0 |
| 2021 | Collingwood | 24 | 11 | 6 | 10 | 40 | 38 | 78 | 22 | 11 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 7.1 | 2.0 | 1.0 |
| 2022 (S6) | Collingwood | 24 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 37 | 25 | 62 | 20 | 10 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 5.6 | 1.8 | 0.9 |
| Career | 31 | 16 | 19 | 106 | 76 | 182 | 57 | 31 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 3.4 | 2.5 | 5.9 | 1.8 | 1.0 | ||
Personal life
editAlexander is from Ballarat, Victoria, and studied paramedicine and nursing at university.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b c Prime, Toby (16 October 2017). "Eastern Devils midfielder Sophie Alexander hoping to be selected in AFLW draft". Monash Leader. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- ^ Scully, Sarah (12 October 2016). "Horsham's Lady Hornets to kickstart season against Stawell". The Weekly Advertiser. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ O'Connor, Tim (18 October 2017). "Bruton selected by Western Bulldogs in AFL Women's Draft". The Courier. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- ^ a b Black, Sarah (12 October 2018). "AFLW: Depleted Pies sign duo under compo rules". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- ^ a b McGowan, Marc (1 February 2019). "The techniques helping a Magpie fight mental illness". womens.afl. Telstra Media. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- ^ Crabtree, Richard (3 February 2019). "Sophie Alexander's whirlwind AFLW debut". The Wimmera Mail-Times. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- ^ "Alexander another coup for AFLW Bombers". Essendon. Telstra Media. 3 May 2022.
- ^ "Sophie Alexander – Player Stats By Season". Australian Football. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
External links
edit
- Sophie Alexander's profile on the official website of the Essendon Football Club
- Sophie Alexander at AustralianFootball.com
