IN a new exciting collaborative countdown, Rookie Me 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 32, Carlton Women’s Kerryn Harrington.

Kerryn Peterson

Carlton, Carlton VFLW

League/s: AFLW, Vflw

Season/s: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, S7, 2023, 2024

• Games [tot]: 56

• Goals [tot]: 4

• Disposals [avg]: 13.3

• Marks [avg]: 3.1

• Tackles [avg]: 2.7

• Cont. Poss: 4.7

• Uncont. Poss: 7.1

• Clearances: 0.4

• Inside 50s: 0.9

• Rebound 50s: 2.8

Considering she was once a former basketballer at WNBL level, it is hard to believe just how far Harrington came to be one of the best defenders at AFL Women’s level. After representing Australia at international level in basketball and having an established WNBL career right up until 2017, it was a surprise when the Blues signed up Harrington as a rookie in 2017 for the upcoming 2018 season. There, she played six games becoming a regular in defence, averaging 7.2 disposals, 2.2 marks and 3.3 tackles. But the best was yet to come.

Over the next three seasons, Harrington would become one of the best defenders in the competition, averaging no less than 13 disposals, and taking up to 4.4 marks per season, and even have as many as 3.8 rebound 50s, showcasing her ability to create drive out of defence. The 173cm talent came into the system older than most in her 26th year, and whilst she turns 30 next March, has shown no signs of slowing down. Whilst she won her first All-Australian jacket in 2019, her 2020 year was even better, grabbing her second consecutive AA blazer, and being nominated the Defender of the Year for the league.

Last season, she finished on the podium in Carlton’s best and fairest, and whilst she missed out on a third straight All-Australian, made the squad of 40 once again. Her past three years have been as reliable as they come, with the defensive general earning her spot in at number 32 alongside a host of other great defenders. From a Top 50 list perspective, Harrington featured in six of them, including a couple inside the Top 30, another few between 30-40.

ROOKIE ME CENTRAL’S 2022 AFL WOMEN’S TOP 50

#50 Ash Brazill(Collingwood) | ARTICLE
#49 Tayla Harris (Melbourne) | ARTICLE
#48 Courtney Hodder (Brisbane) | ARTICLE
#47 Eden Zanker (Melbourne) | ARTICLE
#46 Kirsty Lamb (Western Bulldogs) | ARTICLE
#45 Tyanna Smith (St Kilda) | ARTICLE
#44 Breanna Koenen (Brisbane) | ARTICLE
#43 Dana Hooker (West Coast) | ARTICLE
#42 Georgie Prespakis (Geelong) | ARTICLE
#41 Breann Moody (Carlton) | ARTICLE
#40 Hayley Miller (Fremantle) | ARTICLE
#39 Emma King (North Melbourne) | ARTICLE
#38 Dakota Davidson (Brisbane) | ARTICLE
#37 Meghan McDonald (Geelong) | ARTICLE
#36 Stacey Livingstone (Collingwood) | ARTICLE
#35 Daisy Pearce (Melbourne) | ARTICLE
#34 Rebecca Beeson (GWS) | ARTICLE
#33 Sarah Allan (Adelaide) | ARTICLE
#32 Kerryn Harrington (Carlton)

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Picture credit: AFL Photos

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