Meg Hutchins

Meg Hutchins (born 3 February 1982) is an Australian rules footballer who played for the Collingwood Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW).

Meg Hutchins
Hutchins playing for Collingwood in February 2018
Personal information
Full name Meg Hutchins
Date of birth (1982-02-03) 3 February 1982
Place of birth Melbourne, Victoria
Original team(s) Eastern Devils (VFLW)
Draft Priority signing 2016: Collingwood
Debut Round 1, 2017, Collingwood vs. Carlton, at IKON Park
Height 174 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Defender
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2017–2018 Collingwood 12 (3)
International team honours
Years Team Games (Goals)
2006 Australia
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of the 2018 season.
Career highlights
  • Helen Lambert Medal: 2004
  • 6× All-Australian: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011
  • Eastern Devils leading goalkicker: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
  • VWFL Best First Year Player: 2003
Source: AustralianFootball.com

Early life and state football

In her early teens, she reverted to other sports when football was no longer an option due to league rules and a lack of girls' sides. She played hockey and basketball before becoming an elite rower. At the age of 21, she returned to football with VWFL club Eastern Devils, and was their leading goalkicker between 2005 and 2008, before switching to defence and playing as a key defender for eight seasons. She represented Western Bulldogs in four exhibition matches. While playing for them against Western Australia in early June at Etihad Stadium, she tore the lateral meniscus in her right knee, leading to her not playing for the rest of the season.[1][2]

During her time at the Eastern Devils, Hutchins was also co-captain of the club,[3] won the Helen Lambert Medal as the VWFL best and fairest, and was selected as All-Australian six times.[4]

In May 2017, after returning to the Eastern Devils for the off-season between the 2017 and 2018 AFLW seasons, Hutchins made her 200th appearance for the club.[5]

AFL Women's career

"I've absolutely loved every minute at the Bulldogs, and the people I've met. I'm in this position now, because of the football I've played, and they've given me the opportunity to play that football. I don't want to do the wrong thing by them, but they understand that if I'm putting in all this work to put together a football program at Collingwood, then it would be a bit of a conflict of interest."

—Hutchins speaking in 2016 about playing for Collingwood.[1]

In March 2016, Collingwood chief executive officer Gary Pert was approached by Hutchins, who offered the benefit of her experience and acted as an advisor to the Collingwood board, supervising the recruitment and development of players, coaches and staff. Collingwood created a job for her, named Women's Football Operations Manager.[1]

In August 2016, Hutchins joined Collingwood as a priority pick,[6] fulfilling her childhood dream of playing for Collingwood in the AFL.[7] She made her debut in round 1, 2017, in the inaugural AFLW match at IKON Park against Carlton.[8] Following the match, she said that Collingwood were "outworked" by Carlton with them winning the handballs count. She also spoke of the mixed emotions, as on one hand, as a competitor, she was bitterly disappointed with the loss but on the other hand, as a female footballer, she was incredibly proud of what begun.[9]

Collingwood re-signed Hutchins for the 2018 season during the trade period in May 2017.[10]

She was delisted by Collingwood at the end of the 2018 season after the club announced they would not give her a contract for the 2019 season, she subsequently joined Hawthorn's Victorian Football League Women's team.[11] Hutchins announced her retirement as an AFLW player on 12 June 2018, but will continue with Hawthorn in the VFLW.[12]

International rules football

Hutchins was a member of the Australia women's international rules football team that played against Ireland in the 2006 Ladies' International Rules Series.[13][14][15][16]

Statistics
Statistics are correct to the end of the 2018 season.[17]
Legend
  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
2017 Collingwood 257005713701680.00.08.11.910.02.31.1
2018 Collingwood 2553122931860.60.24.41.86.21.61.2
Career 12 3 1 79 22 101 24 14 0.3 0.1 6.6 1.8 8.4 2.0 1.2

References
  1. O'Connor, Callum (14 June 2016). "Collingwood Football club jumps when Meg Hutchins comes knocking at the door". Monash Leader.
  2. Matthews, Bruce (2 August 2016). "Hutchins' double act for Magpies women". AFL. Telstra Media.
  3. Prime, Toby (10 October 2016). "Eastern Devils likely to feature heavily in inaugural AFL Women's Draft". Monash Leader.
  4. Lane, Samantha (7 April 2016). "Collingwood make history, side by side". Brisbane Times.
  5. Prime, Toby (16 May 2017). "Eastern Devils defender Meg Hutchins joins good friend Brooke Fox in the 200-game club". Monash Leader.
  6. Matthews, Bruce (20 August 2016). "Meg Hutchins joins Pies under new women's priority pick rules". AFL. Telstra Media.
  7. Sewell, Eliza (15 June 2016). "Meg Hutchins can't wait to suit up in the national women's football league". Herald Sun.
  8. "Match Centre - Carlton vs. Collingwood". AFL. Telstra Media. 3 February 2017. Archived from the original on 4 February 2017.
  9. Cherny, Daniel (4 February 2017). "Collingwood 'outworked' by Carlton in AFLW opener says Meg Hutchins". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  10. "AFLW: All the clubs' full lists after trade period". AFL. Telstra Media. 26 May 2017.
  11. "AFLW: Magpie flies to Hawks' new nest". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. 5 April 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  12. Bacic, Angela (13 June 2018). "Hutchins retires from footy". The Women's Game. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  13. "Reliving the one and only Women's International Rules series 10 years on". girlsplayfooty.com. 15 November 2016. Archived from the original on 16 March 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  14. "Brave Aussie ladies like ewes to the slaughter in Ireland". www.worldfootynews.com. 14 November 2006. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
  15. "Ireland v Australia – Ladies International Rules Series 1st Test Photos". www.sportsfile.com. 31 October 2006. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  16. "Ireland v Australia – Ladies International Rules Series 2nd Test Photos". www.sportsfile.com. 4 November 2006. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  17. "Meg Hutchins - Player Stats By Season". Australian Football. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
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