IN a new exciting collaborative countdown, the Draft Central has teamed up with other independent media organisations to bring a 2022 AFL Women’s Top 50 Countdown. Every weekday from now until December 17, a new player will be named starting from 50th down to 1st, stemming from a combined eight Top 50 submissions. Among those who submitted Top 50s include Siren Sport‘s Gemma Bastiani, Women’s Australian Rules Football (WARF) Radio‘s Peter Holden, and a combined Outer Sanctum team’s Top 50.

Today we continue our countdown with number 48, Brisbane Women’s Courtney Hodder.

Courtney Hodder

Brisbane

League/s: AFLW

Season/s: 2021, 2022, S7, 2023, 2024

• Games [tot]: 48

• Goals [tot]: 32

• Disposals [avg]: 9

• Marks [avg]: 0.9

• Tackles [avg]: 4.6

• Cont. Poss: 5.5

• Uncont. Poss: 3.3

• Clearances: 2

• Inside 50s: 1.4

• Rebound 50s: 0.2

Without a doubt, Courtney Hodder is one of the most exciting and talented players to grace the AFL Women’s field. Juggling her love for Australian rules football with her rugby union, Hodder was always touted as a top player from a young age. A broken leg ruled her out of her draft-eligible AFL Women’s Under 18 Championships (2018), and her subsequent draft. She focused on her rugby union in 2020, representing the Queensland Reds, having also pulled on the green and gold for Australia twice in 2019. But by August, 2020 it was announced she was going to get her chance with the Brisbane Lions.

Taken as a rookie selection due to her cross-code nature, Hodder immediately won fans’ hearts with her ability to just kick goals from just about anywhere. She conjured up magic every time she touched the ball with speed, evasion and goal sense just a few of her traits that caught the eye. Though on paper it was nine goals in 11 games, she could have clean-sweeped the Goal of the Year nominations herself. She picked it up anyway as expected, and then produced some more magic for the opening goal of the 2021 grand final, setting the tone for the Lions that day.

Standing at just 152cm, Hodder was not afraid to take down much larger opponents, averaging 5.4 tackles to go with her 7.7 disposals and eight majors. She also almost managed a couple of inside 50s a game and was dangerous across the forward half. Despite only playing one season thus far, Hodder was the third player to make it onto three of the eight lists, including a couple of Top 25 entries, indicating that she will continue to rise and create many more memories.

DRAFT CENTRAL’S 2022 AFL WOMEN’S TOP 50

#50 Ash Brazill(Collingwood) | Article
#49 Tayla Harris (Melbourne) | Article
#48 Courtney Hodder (Brisbane)

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Picture Credit: James Elsby/AFL Photos