ADELAIDE premiership star Erin Phillips has won the AFL Players Association MVP award after an outstanding season for the Crows. 

Phillips claimed the peer-voted award with 204 votes, ahead of star Melbourne midfielder Karen Paxman (149 votes) and the League's leading goal-kicker, Carlton's Darcy Vescio (132).

Phillips, named best on ground in the AFLW Grand Final on Saturday after leading her team to victory against the Brisbane Lions in a thriller at Metricon Stadium, said she was humbled to receive the award. 

Phillips, who will return to America on April 20 to resume her basketball career with the WNBA's Dallas Wings, hurt her quad during pre-season but gradually improved to become the competition's standout player at season's end. 

"I had no expectations. I haven't played for a long time. I really wanted to enjoy this year and not take it for granted. It's something that I never thought would come around," she said.

Phillips heaped praise on teammate Chelsea Randall, who was voted most courageous, and Melbourne's Daisy Pearce, who was voted best captain.

Phillips said Pearce compared favourably to elite sportswomen she had competed against playing basketball overseas. 

"She's the best of the best of them," Phillips said of the Demons' skipper.

"She's the face of footy and I knew who she was being away from the game and living overseas in America. She's a pioneer of our game."

Phillips took a punt to play the game her father Greg starred in for Port Adelaide and Collingwood in the '80s, given she will return to fulfil the final year of her basketball contract in 2017.

"I would have had more regrets not to be part of the competition. I was quite prepared to face whatever happened," she said.