Tahlia Randall Explained

Tahlia Randall
Fullname:Tahlia Randall
Birth Date:29 May 1998
Birth Place:Buderim, Queensland
Originalteam:Wilston Grange (QWAFL)
Draftpick:No. 15, 2016 national draft
Debutdate:Round 1, 2017
Debutstadium:Casey Fields
Height:175cm
Position:Key defender / key forward
Guernsey:16
Years1:2017–2018
Games Goals1:15 (0)
Years2:2019–
Games Goals2:61 (43)
Games Goalstotal:76 (43)
Statsend:the 2023 season
Careerhighlights:
  • North Melbourne equal games record holder
  • North Melbourne leading goalkicker: 2022 (S7)
  • AFLW Mark of the Year: 2022 (S6)
  • AFL Women's Rising Star nominee: 2018

Tahlia Randall (born 29 May 1998) is an Australian rules footballer playing for the North Melbourne Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). Randall previously played for the Brisbane Lions in 2017 and 2018, where she received a nomination for the 2018 AFL Women's Rising Star award in round 6 of the 2018 season. She won the AFLW Mark of the Year in 2022 season 6, and is also North Melbourne's equal games record holder with 48 games for the club.

Early life

Randall was born in Buderim, Queensland and is of New Zealand descent through her mother,[1] Jenny.[2] She attended Kuluin State School and Mountain Creek State High School. She grew up supporting the, and her favourite player was Simon Black.[3] Randall played junior football for the Kawana and Nambour/Maroochydore youth girls teams, and played school football for Mountain Creek, until graduating.[4] She then played for the Wilston Grange Football Club in the Queensland Women's Australian Football League (QWAFL) in 2016 before being drafted.

AFL Women's career

Brisbane (2017–2018)

Randall was drafted by with its second selection and fifteenth overall in the 2016 AFL Women's draft.[5] Randall made her AFL Women's debut in the Lions' inaugural match against at Casey Fields in round 1 of the 2017 season.[6] She went on to play seven games in her debut season, playing predominantly as a key defender, missing only the round 4 win over due to a shoulder injury.[7] Randall played in the six-point 2017 AFL Women's Grand Final loss to .[8] Brisbane signed Randall for the 2018 season during the trading and signing period in May 2017.[9]

After making a permanent move to the ruck in her second season, Randall had an impressive start to the 2018 season, achieving selection in the team of the week in rounds 2[10] and 4.[11] She later received a nomination for the 2018 AFL Women's Rising Star award after recording seven disposals, three marks and nine hit-outs in Brisbane's round 6 loss to in heavy rain.[12] Randall went on to play in the 2018 AFL Women's Grand Final loss to the, Brisbane's second consecutive grand final loss.[13] She finished the season with the third-most hit-outs in the competition (140), after leading the statistic earlier in the season.

North Melbourne (2019–present)

On 11 May 2018, after appearing at her junior club Kawana only days earlier as part of her AFL Women's Rising Star nomination,[14] Randall was signed by at the beginning of the trading and signing period ahead of the club's inaugural season in the AFL Women's, along with teammate Jamie Stanton,[15] and teammates Kaitlyn Ashmore and Brittany Gibson later joined them.[16] She remained in the number 16 guernsey that she previously wore for Brisbane. Randall later played for Gold Coast in the inaugural AFL Women's Winter Series in June and July.[17]

Randall returned to her familiar position as a defender at her second club, and made her North Melbourne debut in the club's inaugural match against at North Hobart Oval in round 1 of the 2019 season.[18] Randall was twice cited by Match Review Officer Michael Christian during the season; she was offered a reprimand for an incident in round 2[19] and a $400 fine for an incident in round 5.[20] Randall signed a two-year contract with North Melbourne during the trade and sign period in April 2019.[21]

Randall had a good start to the 2021 season, achieving selection in womens.afls Team of the Week in round 1 after accumulating nine spoils.[22] She kicked her first career goal the following week against,[23] and was again named in the Team of the Week.[24] It was revealed she signed on with the club for two more seasons on 17 June 2021, tying her to the club until the end of 2023.[25] Randall achieved selection in Champion Data's 2021 AFLW All-Star stats team, after leading the league for average spoils in the 2021 AFL Women's season, totalling 3.7 a game.[26]

Randall's pack mark in the third quarter of North Melbourne's win over Greater Western Sydney in round 3 of 2022 season 6 was voted by fans as mark of the round.[27]

Statistics

Updated to the end of the 2022 season 6.[28]

|- style=background:#EAEAEA| 2017 || || 16| 7 || 0 || 0 || 32 || 11 || 43 || 14 || 12 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 4.6 || 1.6 || 6.1 || 2.0 || 1.7 || 0|-| 2018 || || 16| 8 || 0 || 0 || 37 || 16 || 53 || 9 || 24 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 4.6 || 2.0 || 6.6 || 1.1 || 3.0 || 0|- style=background:#EAEAEA| 2019 || || 16| 7 || 0 || 0 || 39 || 10 || 49 || 17 || 18 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 5.6 || 1.4 || 7.0 || 2.4 || 2.6 || 0|-| 2020 || || 16| 7 || 0 || 0 || 45 || 10 || 55 || 18 || 14 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 6.4 || 1.4 || 7.9 || 2.6 || 2.0 || 0|- style=background:#EAEAEA| 2021 || || 16| 10 || 1 || 0 || 64 || 19 || 83 || 26 || 16 || 0.1 || 0.0 || 6.4 || 1.9 || 8.3 || 2.6 || 1.6 || 1|-| 2022 (S6) || || 16| 11 || 9 || 9 || 46 || 16 || 62 || 20 || 29 || 0.8 || 0.8 || 4.2 || 1.5 || 5.7 || 1.8 || 2.6 || 0|- class=sortbottom! colspan=3 | Career! 50 !! 10 !! 9 !! 263 !! 82 !! 345 !! 104 !! 113 !! 0.2 !! 0.2 !! 5.3 !! 1.6 !! 6.9 !! 2.1 !! 2.3 !! 1|}

Honours and achievements

Team

Individual

Notes and References

  1. News: Kiwi defender relishing new role at North Melbourne. AFL New Zealand. 23 February 2022. 3 March 2022.
  2. News: Nolan. Alex. VIDEO: Coast gets behind Lions for AFLW grand final. The Courier-Mail. 24 March 2017. 3 March 2022.
  3. Web site: Black. Sarah. 10 questions with ... Kangaroo Tahlia Randall. womens.afl. 28 December 2020. 28 December 2020.
  4. Web site: Brisbane Lions Cup – Secondary Girls. SportsTG. 24 September 2014. 13 August 2017.
  5. News: Black. Sarah. As it happened: 2016 AFL Women's Draft. afl.com.au. 12 October 2016. 13 September 2017.
  6. News: Matthews. Bruce. Lions take the points in AFLW wild weather clash. afl.com.au. 5 February 2017. 13 February 2018.
  7. News: de Haer. Katie. Randall returns for top of the table clash. lions.com.au. 2 March 2017. 4 March 2019.
  8. News: Matthews. Bruce. Match report: Crows soar to flag in thriller. afl.com.au. 25 March 2017. 13 September 2017.
  9. Web site: AFLW: All the clubs' full lists after trade period. afl.com.au. 26 May 2017. 5 June 2017.
  10. News: Black. Sarah. Buxton. Aaron. AFLW Team of the Week: Demons dominate. afl.com.au. 13 February 2018. 13 February 2018.
  11. News: Navaratnam. Dinny. AFLW Team of the Week: Six Dogs make it. afl.com.au. 27 February 2018. 27 February 2018.
  12. News: Black. Sarah. AFLW: Crow and Lion win Rising Star nominations. afl.com.au. 13 March 2018. 13 March 2018.
  13. News: Matthews. Bruce. AFLW match report: Dogs take out flag. afl.com.au. 24 March 2018. 24 March 2018.
  14. News: Best yet to come from AFLW rising star. Sunshine Coast Daily. 8 May 2018. 11 May 2018.
  15. Web site: Black. Sarah. AFLW: Roos, Cats start list builds ahead of '19. https://web.archive.org/web/20180511150349/http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-05-11/aflw-roos-cats-start-list-builds-ahead-of-debuts. dead. 11 May 2018. afl.com.au. 11 May 2018. 11 May 2018.
  16. News: Black. Sarah. AFLW: Cats, Roos land big fish as '19 lists take shape. https://web.archive.org/web/20190129010002/http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-05-21/aflw-roos-cats-start-list-builds-ahead-of-debuts.mobileapp. dead. 29 January 2019. afl.com.au. 17 May 2018. 2 November 2018.
  17. News: Wingard. Ant. Brisbane and Gold Coast head south for a Winter Series. AFL Queensland. 7 June 2018. 28 January 2019.
  18. News: Warren. Stu. Match report: Roos thrash Blues on memorable debut. womens.afl. 3 February 2019. 4 March 2019.
  19. News: Black. Sarah. Giant sent straight to Tribunal for off-the-ball bump. womens.afl. 11 February 2019. 4 March 2019.
  20. News: Black. Sarah. Roos defender charged with rough conduct on Crows star. womens.afl. 4 March 2019. 4 March 2019.
  21. News: Black. Sarah. AFLW Sign and Trading Period wrap: Lion becomes a Tiger. womens.afl. 16 April 2019. 16 April 2019.
  22. News: Black. Sarah. AFLW Team of the Week, round one. womens.afl. 2 February 2021. 2 February 2021.
  23. News: Cleary. Mitch. Kangas overwhelm young Saints to remain unbeaten. womens.afl. 7 February 2021. 10 February 2021.
  24. News: Black. Sarah. AFLW Team of the Week, round two. womens.afl. 9 February 2021. 10 February 2021.
  25. Web site: AFLW: Roos eye the future. Zanardo. Karla. 19 June 2021. North Media. 17 June 2021.
  26. Web site: All-Star stats team: Shock leaders, lone Lion makes the cut. womens.afl. 19 June 2021. 19 June 2021. Black. Sarah.
  27. Web site: Toyota AFLW Mark of the Year: Round Three winner - Tahlia Randall. YouTube. 28 January 2022. 30 January 2022.
  28. Web site: Tahlia Randall – player stats by season. Australian Football. 8 January 2022.