Brisbane Lions livewire Courtney Hodder is responsible for the highlight of the AFLW Round 8 after she spoiled a Kangaroos defender, kept her feet and snapped a goal on her right foot to seal a 15-point win over North Melbourne at the Gabba on Saturday.
Hodder collect eight disposals, laid eight tackles and kicked one of the goals of the year.
The cross-code talent grew up in Western Australia earning three Under-18 Australian honours before switching to rugby and scoring six tries in a single game for WA in the Super W season in 2018. She moved to Queensland and represented the Queensland Reds and was rewarded with selection for Australia A.
Brisbane Lions signed her as an other-sport rookie in 2020 NAB AFL Women’s Rookie Draft.
West Coast midfielder Isabella Lewis has also been rewarded with the Round Eight NAB AFL Women’s Rising Star nomination after a strong midfield performance in her side’s narrow loss to Richmond at the Swinburne Centre yesterday.
The hard-working midfielder collected a career-high 18 disposals, took two marks and laid five tackles to lift the Eagles’ second-half challenge in wet and windy conditions at Punt Road.
Lewis was taken with selection number three in the 2020 NAB AFL Women’s Draft despite an interrupted season for Claremont in the WAFLW. Lewis grew up competing at a national level in trampolining which helped her build up her core strength and agility but always knew footy was her passion.
Lewis has managed to play every game in her first season of AFLW.
All AFLW players 21 years and under as at 1 January 2021 and who have not previously been nominated as a rising star qualify for consideration for the award.
Two players will be nominated each week of the NAB AFL Women’s Competition. Each of the 18 NAB AFL Women’s Rising Star nominees throughout the season will be awarded $500 prize money from NAB to acknowledge their great achievement. In addition, NAB will continue to support the development of future footy stars by awarding junior clubs of each nominee with a NAB Club Recognition Award pack of practical and financial resources, valued at $2000.
The overall NAB AFL Women’s Rising Star winner will be awarded $20,000 from NAB and a private banker to assist with securing their financial future.
NAB is proud to support the development of female footballers throughout the country from NAB AFL Auskick through to the NAB AFL Women’s Competition.
The NAB AFL Women’s Rising Star is part of the NAB AFL Women’s Rising Stars Program.
The NAB AFL Women’s Rising Stars Program consists of the following elements:
• NAB League
• NAB AFL Women’s Rising Star
• NAB AFL Women’s Draft
• NAB AFL Women’s Draft Combine
• NAB AFL Women’s Under-18 Championships
• NAB AFL Women’s Academy
