| Jessica Fitzgerald | |
| Birth Date: | 8 March 2002 |
| Originalteam: | Northern Knights (NAB League Girls) |
| Draftpick: | No. 2, 2020 national draft |
| Debutdate: | 29 January 2021 |
| Debutstadium: | Moorabbin Oval |
| Height: | 176 cm |
| Position: | Inside midfielder / Wing |
| Guernsey: | 23 |
| Years1: | 2021– |
| Games Goals1: | 40 (8) |
| Statsend: | the 2023 season |
Jess Fitzgerald (born 8 March 2002) is an Australian rules footballer playing for in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She was drafted with the second selection in the 2020 AFL Women's draft by the .[1] [2] [3]
Growing up in Bundoora, Victoria,[4] Fitzgerald played with the St Mary's Greensborough Kookaburras in the Yarra Junior Football League (YJFL) for four years from 2015 to 2018, amassing a total of 55 games with the team.[5] She won the league best and fairest in the Under 15 Girls division in 2017.[6] Fitzgerald attended school at Maribyrnong College, a specialist sports school.[4] She began playing for the Northern Knights in 2018, as part of a development pathway from the YJFL to senior football. She played 11 games for the Knights in 2019, kicking 3 goals and averaging 14.1 disposals a game.[7] Fitzgerald was awarded the best on ground award for the Grand Final,[8] [9] [10] after she collected 16 disposals, four marks, five tackles and a behind. After the team's win, she stated "I'm not too much about the individual achievements, more about the team, I'll take it I guess, but really happy with the win."[11] She also played for Vic Metro in the 2019 AFL Women's Under 18 Championships,[12] playing two games, kicking a goal and averaging 14 disposals.[7] She also played for the Northern Knights in 2020 but their season was cut short due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the short season, she played 3 games and kicked 2 goals, both coming in the same match against the Dandenong Stingrays, while also averaging 18.7 disposals.[13] She was named the co-captain of the team alongside future No.1 pick Ellie McKenzie.[14] [15]
Fitzgerald debuted for the in the 1st round of the 2021 AFL Women's season, in the team's 9 point loss to .[16] [17] [18] On her debut, she collected 10 disposals, 1 mark and 3 tackles.[19] The very next game in Round 2, in the team's thrilling one-goal win over, she was one of the Bulldogs' best on ground.[20] [21] [22] In that game, she kicked her first goal, a running goal from 20 metres out, and also tallied up 15 disposals, 4 marks and a tackle.[23] She won a rising star nomination for her performance in that game, alongside player Tyla Hanks.[24] Her very next game saw her pick up arguably the best goal of the ' round 3 15 point win over, where she booted a 50m long bomb goal.[25] [26] A 2 goal performance in the ' upset win over saw her named as one of the team's best,[27] also collecting 12 disposals, a game-high 7 tackles and a behind.[28] After having a relatively quiet end to the season, Fitzgerald won team's the Best Young Player Award.[29] It was revealed that Fitzgerald had signed a contract extension with the club on 16 June 2021, after playing every game possible for the club that season.[30]
Statistics are correct to round 6 end of the 2023 season.[31] |- style="background-color: #eaeaea"! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2021|style="text-align:center;"|| 23 || 9 || 5 || 6 || 47 || 44 || 91 || 13 || 37 || 0.6 || 0.7 || 5.2 || 4.9 || 10.1 || 1.4 || 4.1 || 1|-! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2022 (S6)|style="text-align:center;"|| 23 || 10 || 2 || 1 || 56 || 58 || 114 || 15 || 39 || 0.2 || 0.1 || 5.6 || 5.8 || 11.4 || 1.5 || 3.9 || 0|- style="background-color: #eaeaea"! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2022 (S7)|style="text-align:center;"|| 23 || 11 || 0 || 0 || 88 || 71 || 159 || 18 || 47 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 8.0 || 6.5 || 14.5 || 1.6 || 4.3 || 1|-| 2023 || || 23| 6 || 1 || 3 || 62 || 28 || 90 || 14 || 21 || 0.2 || 0.5 || 10.3 || 4.7 || 15.0 || 2.3 || 3.5 || |- class="sortbottom"! colspan=3| Career! 36! 8! 10! 253! 201! 454! 60! 144! 0.2! 0.3! 7.0! 5.6! 12.6! 1.7! 4.0! 2|}
Fitzgerald supported the Collingwood Football Club in her youth.[32] She cited her favourite AFL player to watch as forward Cody Weightman, and her favourite AFLW player to watch as either Kirsty Lamb or Jaimee Lambert.[4]