Hawthorn’s 2023 AFLW season has come to an end, with the side experiencing another year of growth in their second season in the competition.

Read the full season review below. 

Summary

2023 Coach: Bec Goddard 

Leadership group: Tilly Lucas-Rodd (captain), Emily Bates (co-vice-captain), Jasmine Fleming (co-vice-captain), Louise Stephenson, Tamara Luke, Catherine Brown

Ladder position: 14th, three wins, seven losses, 67.3%

League debutants

Mattea Breed 

After being drafted by the Hawks with Pick 4 in the Season Eight supplementary draft, Breed went on to make her debut in Hawthorn’s opening game against Essendon this season.

Starting as a forward, Breed immediately impressed with her aggression, tackling and marking.

As the season went on, she was tested in defence and in the ruck and consistently stood up to the challenge.

Club debutants 

Emily Bates, Greta Bodey and Kristy Stratton 

Bates, Bodey and Stratton all joined Mattea Breed in playing their first game as a Hawk in Round 1.

Bates previously played 66 games for Brisbane while Bodey notched up 42 with the Lions.

Former Pie Stratton suited up for Collingwood 11 times prior to joining the Hawks.

All three players went on to play all 10 games for Hawthorn in 2023, highlighting their consistency and importance to the side. 

Milestones 

Greta Bodey (50 games)

Bodey notched up a fitting 50th milestone game in Cairns - the region where she first discovered her love of football.

Facing Richmond at Cazalys Stadium in Round 8, the clever forward celebrated the milestone with an important first-quarter goal but her team ultimately fell short by 11 points.

Emily Bates (75 games)

Bates became one of the first players to play 75 AFLW games, bringing up the milestone in her team’s Round 9 win over Port Adelaide.

The star midfielder celebrated fittingly with her first goal in brown and gold.

To this day, Bates still has not missed a game of AFLW, highlighting her remarkable consistency across eight seasons in the competition. 

Rising Star nominations

Jasmine Fleming (Round 3)

Fleming received her second Rising Star nomination in as many seasons for her superb performance in the club’s 13-point loss against Fremantle.

The 18-year-old midfielder was instrumental in just her 11th game at the highest level, racking up 18 disposals at 83 per cent efficiency, along with four marks and four tackles.

Fleming's influence was felt right across the field, with six contested possessions and three score involvements.

Charlotte Baskaran (Round 6)

Baskaran received her first Rising Star nomination for her 14 disposals and game-high 12 tackles against St Kilda at RSEA Park.

The 18-year-old also racked up 11 contested possessions in a strong showing. 

Since being drafted by the Hawks with Pick 9 last year, the Aberfeldie product has played every possible game for the brown and gold, along with balancing her Year 12 studies last season.

Lucy Wales (Round 9)

Both of Wales’ Rising Star nominations have come against Port Adelaide, celebrating a victory alongside her individual recognition in both games.

The 20-year-old amassed 20 disposals, including an equal team-high six clearances, along with six tackles and 14 hitouts at Kinetic Stadium. 

Retirements

Akec Makur Chuot

Makur Chuot retired from the AFLW as the first-ever South Sudanese player.

Originally drafted by Fremantle with Pick 139 in the inaugural AFLW draft in 2016, the skilled utility went on to play a total of 40 games for the Dockers, Richmond and Hawthorn.

Beginning her journey as a defender, Makur Chuot flourished following a transition to a new position on the wing at the Hawks, finishing in the top 10 of the club’s best and fairest last season.

Tegan Cunningham

Cunningham hung up the boots after playing 40 games for Melbourne and Hawthorn across five seasons.

The 35-year-old was a two-time leading goalkicker for the Demons and also had a decorated WNBL career prior to playing football.

Tamara Luke

An inaugural leadership group member, Luke retired following four seasons at the highest level with St Kilda and Hawthorn.

While her debut season with Hawthorn was cruelly cut short due to an ACL injury, Luke still made her presence felt around the club and was consequently awarded the AFLW Club Person of the Year in 2022.

She went on to play a further six games in 2023, totalling 15 games across her career. 

Catherine Brown

Brown spent two seasons at the Hawks and played 16 games across her career.

After playing every game in 2022, Brown’s 2023 campaign was cruelly cut short due to an ACL injury.

However, her impact was felt around the group after being elevated to the club’s leadership group this season. 

Bec Goddard 

After two seasons at the helm of the Hawks, inaugural coach Goddard retired from coaching.

Goddard first joined the brown and gold in 2019 as its VFLW senior coach, and also played an important role in helping Hawthorn secure an AFLW licence.

Following the licence being granted, Goddard was appointed as the club’s first AFLW senior coach in August 2021, going on to set up the foundations and steer the club through its first two seasons in the competition.

Prior to her time at Hawthorn, Goddard spent two years as senior coach of Adelaide in 2017 and 2018, which included leading the Crows to premiership success in the competition’s inaugural season.

Best goals

Aine McDonagh (Round 1)

Greta Bodey (Round 5)

Kristy Stratton (Round 10)

Best marks 

Mattea Breed (Round 5) 

Tahlia Fellows (Round 6)

Laura Elliott (Round 9)

Stats

Leading goalkicker: Aine McDonagh (10 goals)

Average disposals: Emily Bates (20.8)

Average tackles: Emily Bates (9.7)

Average intercept possessions: Jenna Richardson (6.8)

Average hit-outs: Tamara Luke (16.4)

What's next?

• Hawthorn Best and Fairest - Wednesday 6 December (book your tickets below!)
• Delisted Free Agency Period (1) - Thursday 7 December - Wednesday 13 December 
• AFLW Trade Period - Thursday 7 December - Thursday 14 December 
• Restricted Free Agency Period - Thursday 7 December - Thursday 14 December 
• Delisted Free Agency Period (2) - Friday 15 December - Saturday 16 December 
• AFLW Draft - Monday 18 December
• Supplemental selection period - Monday 5 February - Friday 1 March 
• Rookie Signing Period - Monday 5 February - Friday 1 March