Brisbane Lions’ Tahlia Hickie has been rewarded with the Round Nine NAB AFL Women’s Rising Star nomination after a consistent season of football where she has been a key player in driving the Lions to a finals appearance.
Hickie was one of her side’s best collecting 16 disposals, taking four marks, laying six tackles with 15 hitouts and three clearances in her side’s narrow loss to Melbourne at Casey Fields on Saturday.
The Lions’ ruck has played every match this year averaging almost nine disposals, three tackles, two clearances and 13 hitouts.
Hickie was drafted from the Lions’ Academy with selection 28 at the 2019 NAB AFL Women’s Draft. Hickie suffered two serious injuries in the space of two years prior to being drafted by the Lions. She started her football journey with the Coorparoo Football Club in Brisbane before playing seniors in the QAFLW.
Lions AFLW Senior Coach Craig Starcevich said Hickie had gone from strength to strength this season.
“Tahlia’s big improvement came across QAFLW last year where she got a lot of minutes in the ruck and really blossomed”
“Unfortunately, in her draft year she had a benign tumour cut out of her leg and was not able to be drafted, instead she had to do things the hard way and was drafted at 19.
“We’ve been really impressed with her tenacity to come back from something like that and her performances this year have been testament to both her talent and her attitude.”
Hickie is Brisbane’s third Rising Star nomination this year, with the winner to be announced at the W Awards on April 20.
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
NAB has been supporting footy from grassroots to the elite level since 2002.
