| Ash Riddell | |
| Fullname: | Ashleigh Riddell |
| Birth Date: | 7 March 1996 |
| Originalteam: | (VFLW) |
| Draftpick: | 2018 free agent signing |
| Debutdate: | Round 1, 2019 |
| Debutstadium: | North Hobart Oval |
| Height: | 158cm |
| Position: | Midfielder |
| Guernsey: | 7 |
| Years1: | 2019– |
| Games Goals1: | 56 (8) |
| Statsend: | the 2023 season |
| Careerhighlights: | |
Ashleigh Riddell (born 7 March 1996) is an Australian rules footballer playing for the North Melbourne Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). Riddell is a three-time AFL Women's All-Australian and won the North Melbourne best and fairest award in season 6.
Riddell played junior football in Melbourne's north-east for the Eltham Panthers, crossing to basketball as a teenager due to "a greater long-term pathway".[1] [2] Following the AFL's decision to launch a new women's competition, she returned to football in 2016, playing for Fitzroy in the third division of the now-defunct Victorian Women's Football League (VWFL). Riddell then joined in 2017 and was selected in the VFL Women's (VFLW) Team of the Year.[3] She was invited to the first AFLW Draft Combine,[4] but her rapid rise in the sport stalled when she was passed over at the 2017 AFL Women's draft.
With Diamond Creek not holding a VFLW licence for 2018, Riddell was persuaded by coach Scott Gowans to move to North Melbourne's affiliate women's team, . She was appointed captain in her first season at the club and was again named in the VFLW Team of the Year.[5]
Riddell was signed by North Melbourne as a free agent during the expansion club signing period of the 2018 AFL Women's draft.[6] She made her debut in the club's inaugural match, a 36-point victory over at North Hobart Oval in the opening round of the 2019 season.[7] Her season was cut short due to an ankle injury sustained the following week in North Melbourne's win over when opponent Nicola Barr made an illegal shepherd behind play; Barr received a one-match suspension as a result.[8]
Riddell was named in the 2020 AFL Women's All-Australian team after a standout season in which she led the competition for kicks.[9] [10] Leading into the 2021 season, womens.afl journalist Sarah Black named Riddell at no. 17 on her list of the top 30 players in the AFLW.[11] She had another strong season in 2021, finishing third in her club's best and fairest count for the second consecutive year.[12] At the end of the season, she re-signed with North Melbourne for two more seasons.[13]
Riddell was named at no. 14 in Sarah Black's 2022 season 6 list of the top 30 players in the AFLW.[14] She was best afield in North Melbourne's round 1 win over,[15] equalling the AFLW record for most disposals in a match with 35;[16] she also won the maximum ten coaches' votes[17] and was named in womens.afls Team of the Week for round 1.[18] Riddell was North Melbourne's best player in its loss to in round 2[19] and was best afield in North Melbourne's win over Greater Western Sydney in round 3;[20] she again polled the maximum ten coaches' votes to top the leaderboard after round 3[21] and was selected in womens.afls Team of the Week for that round.[22] She was best afield in North Melbourne's win over in round 4,[23] polling seven coaches' votes[24] and again achieving selection in womens.afls Team of the Week,[25] and was among North Melbourne's best players in its win over in round 5.[26] At the halfway point of the season, Riddell led the competition for disposals with 139, at an average of 27.9 a game.[27] She was among North Melbourne's best players in its win over in round 6,[28] polling six coaches' votes,[29] and was selected in womens.afls Team of the Week for that round.[30] Riddell was again among North Melbourne's best players in its round 7 win over,[31] polling six coaches' votes[32] and was selected in womens.afls Team of the Week for round 7.[33] She was North Melbourne's best player in its losses to in round 8[34] and in round 9;[35] she polled nine coaches' votes in the round 8 match, the equal-most for the match,[36] and was selected in womens.afls Team of the Week for that round.[37] Riddell was best afield in North Melbourne's win over in round 10, breaking the record for most disposals in an AFLW match with 42;[38] she polled the maximum ten coaches' votes to finish equal-second behind Emily Bates in that year's AFLW champion player of the year award,[39] and was selected in womens.afls Team of the Week for round 10.[40] She was named in Champion Data's 2022 season 6 AFLW All-Star stats team after leading the competition for disposals with 29.9 a game, recording at least 30 disposals in six games.[41] Riddell was North Melbourne's best player in its qualifying final loss to Fremantle.[42]
Despite reports of a "big offer"[43] to join expansion club Sydney,[44] Riddell re-signed with North Melbourne in June 2022 for a further two seasons.[45]
Updated to the end of the 2023 season.[46]
|-| 2019 || || 7| 2 || 1 || 1 || 20 || 6 || 26 || 3 || 9 || 0.5 || 0.5 || 10.0 || 3.0 || 13.0 || 1.5 || 4.5 || 2|-| 2020 || || 7| 7 || 1 || 4 || bgcolor=CAE1FF | 112† || 37 || 149 || 23 || 32 || 0.1 || 0.6 || bgcolor=CAE1FF | 16.0† || 5.3 || 21.3 || 3.3 || 4.6 || 1|-| 2021 || || 7| 10 || 3 || 5 || 141 || 77 || 218 || 32 || 45 || 0.3 || 0.5 || 14.1 || 7.7 || 21.8 || 3.2 || 4.5 || 10|-| 2022 (S6) || || 7| 11 || 0 || 4 || 191 || bgcolor=CAE1FF | 131† || bgcolor=CAE1FF | 322† || 41 || 44 || 0.0 || 0.4 || bgcolor=CAE1FF | 17.4† || 11.9 || bgcolor=CAE1FF | 29.3† || 3.7 || 4.0 || 17|-| 2022 (S7) || || 7| 13 || 1 || 4 || 199 || 90 || 289 || 37 || 53 || 0.1 || 0.3 || 15.3 || 6.9 || 22.2 || 2.8 || 4.1 || 7|-| 2023 || || 7| 13 || 2 || 5 || 226 || 162 || bgcolor=CAE1FF | 388† || 48 || 69 || 0.2 || 0.4 || 17.4 || 12.5 || bgcolor=CAE1FF | 29.8† || 3.7 || 5.3 || 16|- class=sortbottom! colspan=3 | Career! 56 !! 8 !! 23 !! 889 !! 503 !! 1392 !! 184 !! 251 !! 0.1 !! 0.4 !! 15.9 !! 9.0 !! 24.9 !! 3.3 !! 4.5 !! 53|}