Nikki Nield | |
Nickname: | Turbo |
Birth Date: | 11 December 2000 |
Birth Place: | Adelaide, South Australia |
Originalteam: | Christies Beach (AdelFL) South Adelaide (SANFLW) |
Draftpick: | No. 8, 2018 AFL Women's draft |
Debutdate: | Round 6, 2019 |
Debutstadium: | Peter Motley Oval |
Height: | 164 cm |
Position: | Midfielder |
Years1: | 2019–2022 (S6) |
Games Goals1: | 21 (2) |
Years2: | 2022 (S7)– |
Games Goals2: | 9 (1) |
Games Goalstotal: | 30 (3) |
Statsend: | the 2023 season |
Careerhighlights: |
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Nikki Nield (Gore, born 11 December 2000) is an Australian rules footballer playing for Fremantle in the AFL Women's (AFLW) competition. She previously played for Adelaide.
Nield played Australian rules football since the age of 11, first at McLaren and then joined Christies Beach She captained Christies Beach under-14 boys' team in 2014 and in 2016 joined their senior South Australian Women's Football League (SAWFL) side, helping them claim the Adelaide Footy League Division 2 premiership in 2017.[1] In 2018, Nield joined SANFL Women's League (SANFLW) club South Adelaide. She had a very successful first season, averaging 19.5 disposals over eight games, as well as collecting 21 disposals and laying eight tackles in the Grand Final victory over Norwood. In round 4, after collecting 20 disposals, she was nominated for the Breakthrough Player Award, winning the award at the end of the season.[2] Furthermore, she was selected for the 2018 SANFLW Team of the Year and won South Adelaide's best and fairest award.[3] Nield represented South Australia at the 2018 AFL Women's Under 18 Championships and was selected for the initial squad of the All-Australian team.[4] In 2019, Gore averaged 18 disposals over seven games, laying 48 tackles during the SANFLW season, helping South Adelaide claim back-to-back premierships.[5] Gore also played two games for NT Thunder during the 2018 VFL Women's (VFLW) season.[6]
In 2024, Nield won the SANFL Women's League Best and Fairest Award with 27 votes, with South Adelaide qualifying for another Grand Final.[7]
Nield was drafted by Adelaide with their first selection and eighth overall in the 2018 AFL Women's draft. Adelaide's general manager of football, Phil Harper, said that she "is a real competitor who loves the contest, tackles hard, and has an enormous work rate."[8] She made her debut in the 32 point win over at Peter Motley Oval in round 6 of the 2019 season.[9] [10]
In June 2022, Nield was traded to Fremantle.[11]
Nield was born in Christies Beach in Adelaide.[12] She has a twin sister, named Amy, who is a surfer. Both twins had started out surfing, but Gore changed to football due to not enjoying the individual aspect of surfing.[13] Both twins studied at Tatachilla Lutheran College until year nine, when they took up online schooling.[14]