Pippa McTaggart from WA is told by NAB Ambassadors Joel Selwood and Katie Brennan that she is the 2023 NAB AFL Auskicker of the Year. Picture: AFL Photos

PIPPA McTaggart, from the Mingenew Auskick Centre in Western Australia has been announced as the 2023 NAB AFL Auskicker of the Year and Captain of Team NAB AFL Auskick.

Living on a grain and cattle farm in a small rural town in WA, football has always brought Pippa's family and the local community together – training on a Wednesday evening and travelling on the weekend to play Auskick at half time during local league games.

A huge West Coast Eagles fan, Pippa and her brother Blake have been to one AFL match at Optus Stadium, which happened to be Josh Kennedy's farewell game where he booted eight goals against the Crows in Round 21 last year.

Pippa simply loves football and has fun collecting footy cards and learning all the players' stats!

This year, Team NAB AFL Auskick recruits were revealed during the Seven Network's broadcast, with Pippa being announced during Round 18 of the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership Season, between the Sydney Swans and the Western Bulldogs.

NAB recruited 12 Auskickers to join Team NAB AFL Auskick based on their enthusiasm, passion, teamwork and dedication to Auskick. Each recruit was able to select one lucky teammate to join the team; this year there is a mix of siblings, school friends and Auskick teammates all pulling on their guernsey to represent Team NAB AFL Auskick.

Team NAB AFL Auskick recruits will travel from around Australia to Melbourne next week for an unforgettable three-day experience, including a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend the 2023 Toyota AFL Grand Final and present a medal to a premiership player.

Pippa is the fourteenth Auskicker to be named NAB AFL Auskicker of the Year. Pippa will receive $5,000 thanks to NAB, plus have an AFL and AFLW player as her personal footy mentors in 2023.

Always playing football in her front yard and enjoying her family's tradition of Friday night footy and pizza, nine-year-old Pippa was blown away when Team NAB AFL Auskick coaches Joel Selwood and Tigers' AFLW Captain, Katie Brennan, told her at the MCG she had been named the 2023 NAB AFL Auskicker of the Year.

"A massive congratulations to Pippa as the 2023 NAB AFL Auskicker of the Year. I'm very excited to help you flourish your footy skills over the next 12 months," Brennan said.

Selwood echoed Brennan's sentiments.

"As always, I’ve loved being involved with the NAB AFL Auskicker of the Year program. Pippa has so much to look forward to as the 2023 NAB AFL Auskicker of the Year – kicking off with going to the Brownlow Medal on Monday night and then leading the Auskick team out onto the MCG on Grand Final day!" Selwood said.

NAB AFL Auskick demonstrates NAB’s long tradition of supporting grassroots footy, celebrating thousands of dedicated young footy fans from NAB AFL Auskick centres across Australia.

NAB is a proud supporter of the AFL, NAB AFLW and NAB AFL Auskick. 

2023 NAB AFL Auskicker of the Year Pippa McTaggart travelled from WA to NSW so she could play during half-time at the match between Sydney and the Western Bulldogs at the SCG. Picture: AFL Photos

About Pippa McTaggart

Favourite AFL player? Josh Kennedy when he was playing and now it is Luke Shuey and Elliot Yeo.

What superpower would Pippa like to have? Camouflage – so that when I'm playing a game of footy I can blend in with the crowd and then when my teammate has the ball I can quickly un-camouflage and get the ball.

What makes Pippa a good team player? I think I'm a good team player because in my Auskick team we have lots of younger kids so I like to make sure that during the training and games they get a turn of kicking and handballing the football.

What will Pippa spend her $5000 thanks to NAB on? This is how I would spend the money. $500 to charity, $100 each to mum and dad, $1000 for a holiday with my cousins, $500 for fun stuff like games, Lego and footy cards, $400 for Eagles memberships, $300 to fix my pop’s back, $100 for presents for Blake and Layla. That then leaves $2000 to go in my savings account.

Pippa McTaggart has been named as the 2023 NAB AFL Auskicker of the Year. Picture: AFL Photos

About NAB AFL Auskick:

NAB AFL Auskick invites all children aged 5-12, no matter their knowledge of Australian Football, skill or ability, to participate in the non-contact program.

In weekly sessions kids explore the world of AFL, building football skills and playing in a safe and super fun setting. The NAB AFL Auskick program has been designed to let kids learn through play and fosters a fun environment where kids have the freedom to run, jump, kick, laugh and express themselves.

NAB AFL Auskick starts from the very beginning, teaching all kids the basics of Australian Football whilst building fundamental motor skills and learning what it means to play as part of a team. Recognised across the country as one of the most competitively priced sport programs, NAB AFL Auskick has delighted kids and parents alike for over 20 years.

Since 2006, NAB has sponsored Auskick. During this time NAB has helped over 2.8 million kids be introduced to the great game and develop their footy skills.