ADELAIDE superstar Erin Phillips has re-signed for the 2021 NAB AFLW season on day five of the Sign and Trade Period, where no trades took place.
Phillips, 35, played two of a possible six games in 2020 in her comeback from a torn ACL.
The champion onballer and Crows co-captain has twice won the AFLW's best and fairest award, been awarded best on ground in the Grand Final in 2017 and 2019 and has two AFLPA MVP awards under her belt.
"I love the club, I love my teammates, it's my second family," Phillips told afc.com.au.
"2020 wasn't the greatest season for us, but I'm excited for a fresh start and to come into the 2021 season injury free.
"It didn’t sit right (to retire), to be honest. I felt it would have been a premature end for everyone and it wasn't something I felt ready to do.
"I go into every season now year-by-year, playing each one like it's my last. I'm really excited about this one."
Eight other Adelaide players – Ailish Considine, Chelsea Biddell, Hannah Button (nee Martin), Maddi Newman, Renee Forth, Montana McKinnon, Rhiannon Metcalfe and Caitlin Gould – also re-signed.
Earlier this week, the Crows added forward Jess Sedunary (St Kilda), midfielder Hannah Munyard (Western Bulldogs) and defender Lisa Whiteley (GWS) to their list.
Brisbane has announced three changes to its list.
Rookie Brianna McFarlane and ruck Hannah Hillman have been delisted (McFarlane's two seasons on the list were destroyed by shoulder injuries), while former under-18 Queensland captain Arianna Clarke has stepped away from the second year of her contract and football in general.
"Ari will step away from football indefinitely to focus on a new career goal and pursue a better work life balance," Brisbane women's CEO Bree Brock said.
"We are sad to see Ari go as she still has so much potential, but we understand her reasoning and respect her wishes."
In other news, Geelong has let go of its head of women's football, Simone Bellears, as it grapples with the financial fallout of COVID-19.
The Cats have said they expect to end the year with a shortfall of $3.5 million, and will need to reduce spending by $6 million in 2021.
"As we look forward, we have taken the painful decision that some staff will be redundant in our business as we reshape our plans going forward," a Geelong statement said.
"This is incredibly painful for those individuals impacted directly, and for everyone associated with the club.
"We have spent the past three months working through every way in which we could protect people’s jobs. We believe we have kept the number of redundancies to the smallest number possible.
"Clubs are ultimately about people. People are at the heart of the Geelong football club. To see good people leave our club is heart breaking. We all wish it wasn’t the case, but we have to face the new reality caused by the COVID-19 crisis."
