Sophie Alexander (footballer) explained

Sophie Alexander
Birth Date:25 May 1993
Originalteam:Redan (VWFL)
Draftpick:No. 29, 2018 AFLW draft
Debutdate:Round 1, 2019
Debutstadium:GMHBA Stadium
Height:178 cm
Position:Forward
Guernsey:24
Years1:2019–2022 (S6)
Games Goals1:31 (16)
Years2:2022 (S7)–
Games Goals2:21 (11)
Games Goalstotal:52 (27)
Statsend:the 2023 season

Sophie Alexander (born 25 May 1993) is an Australian rules footballer playing for Essendon in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She was a basketballer in the South East Australian Basketball League before taking up football in the Victorian Women's Football League. Alexander spent a year in Collingwood's VFL Women's (VFLW) team before ascending to the senior list through the 2018 AFLW draft, where she played until the end of the 2022 AFL Women's season 6.

Sporting career

Alexander played basketball for the Ballarat Rush in the South East Australian Basketball League. After five years with the Rush, she took up football in 2016 with Redan Football Club in the Victorian Women's Football League, playing six matches. Alexander also started playing for the Horsham Lady Hornets in the Country Basketball League.[1] In 2017, she played 13 games with the Eastern Devils in the VFL Women's, playing in the forward line and midfield. Coach Brendan Major noted her ability to score from outside the 50-metre arc, a rarity in women's football.[2] Alexander was invited to the 2017 AFLW draft combine but was not selected in the 2017 draft.[3] She joined Collingwood's VFLW side in 2018 and was named in the VFLW Team of the Year on the interchange bench. Alexander was also the club's leading goalkicker.[4]

For the 2018 AFLW draft, Collingwood was granted two chances to pre-select recruits to compensate for losing players to injury and rival clubs, using a similar bidding mechanism to the father–daughter rule. Collingwood chose Alexander and Erica Fowler; an unspecified club bid on Alexander, requiring Collingwood to match the bid with its next available selection: pick 29.[5] Alexander kicked the first goal of the 2019 AFLW season in her opening round debut; however, she was concussed in the third quarter after a marking contest.[6]

In May 2022, Alexander left Collingwood to join expansion club Essendon.[7]

Personal life

Alexander is from Ballarat, Victoria, and studied paramedicine and nursing at university.

Statistics

Statistics are correct the end of the 2022 (S6) season.[8]

|- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2019|style="text-align:center;"|| 24 || 4 || 1 || 2 || 17 || 5 || 22 || 7 || 5 || 0.3 || 0.5 || 4.3 || 1.3 || 5.5 || 1.8 || 1.3|- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2020|style="text-align:center;"|| 24 || 5 || 3 || 2 || 12 || 8 || 20 || 8 || 5 || 0.6 || 0.4 || 2.4 || 1.6 || 4.0 || 1.6 || 1.0|- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2021|style="text-align:center;"|| 24 || 11 || 6 || 10 || 40 || 38 || 78 || 22 || 11 || 0.5 || 0.9 || 3.6 || 3.5 || 7.1 || 2.0 || 1.0|- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2022 (S6)|style="text-align:center;"|| 24 || 11 || 6 || 5 || 37 || 25 || 62 || 20 || 10 || 0.5 || 0.5 || 3.4 || 2.3 || 5.6 || 1.8 || 0.9|- class="sortbottom"! colspan=3| Career! 31! 16! 19! 106! 76! 182! 57! 31! 0.5! 0.6! 3.4! 2.5! 5.9! 1.8! 1.0|}

Notes and References

  1. News: Scully . Sarah . Horsham's Lady Hornets to kickstart season against Stawell . 16 March 2019 . The Weekly Advertiser . 12 October 2016.
  2. News: Prime . Toby . Eastern Devils midfielder Sophie Alexander hoping to be selected in AFLW draft . 14 March 2019 . Monash Leader . . 16 October 2017.
  3. News: O'Connor . Tim . Bruton selected by Western Bulldogs in AFL Women's Draft . 14 March 2019 . . . 18 October 2017.
  4. News: McGowan . Marc . The techniques helping a Magpie fight mental illness . 14 March 2019 . womens.afl . . 1 February 2019.
  5. News: Black . Sarah . AFLW: Depleted Pies sign duo under compo rules . 14 March 2019 . AFL.com.au . . 12 October 2018.
  6. News: Crabtree . Richard . Sophie Alexander's whirlwind AFLW debut . 14 March 2019 . The Wimmera Mail-Times . . 3 February 2019.
  7. Web site: Alexander another coup for AFLW Bombers. Telstra Media. Essendon. 3 May 2022.
  8. Web site: Sophie Alexander – Player Stats By Season. Australian Football. 3 May 2022.