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 8, Melbourne‘s Karen Paxman.

Paxy Paxman

Melbourne

League/s: AFLW

Season/s: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, S7, 2023

• Games [tot]: 71

• Goals [tot]: 26

• Disposals [avg]: 19.8

• Marks [avg]: 2.8

• Tackles [avg]: 3.6

• Cont. Poss: 7.8

• Uncont. Poss: 11

• Clearances: 3

• Inside 50s: 3.2

• Rebound 50s: 1.5

Karen Paxman is the quiet type who lets her football do the talking, and her football has said a lot over the years.

Originally selected as Melbourne’s sole priority pick back in 2016, Paxman has developed a reputation as a tough and reliable ball winner, averaging 21 disposals a game across her career. She can even sneak forward and kick goals, having kicked 12 of them in her career.

Paxman is one of only two players in the history of AFLW to make the All-Australian side every year since AFLW began. She was also named captain of the 2020 All-Australian side.

Paxman also won the Melbourne Best and Fairest in 2019 and tied for the 2021 award with Tyla Hanks.

She is also a Victorian representative, having played in the side that comfortably defeated the Allies in the 2017 State of Origin match.

Paxman is also a recognised leader at the Dees, having once again been named as Melbourne’s vice captain under Daisy Pearce for the 2022 season. This is a role she also held in 2021, 2020, 2018 and 2017, and was a member of the leadership group in 2019 under co-captains Elise O’Dea and Shelley Scott.

Paxman produced an above-average statistical season in 2021. She averaged 22 disposals a game in 2021, which as mentioned previously is higher her then career average of 21.

Breaking that down individually, both her average kicks per game (15.1) and her average handballs per game (7.4) are above her career averages (14 and 7 respectively). Her average marks rose from 2.9 to 3.3, and her tackles rose from 3.6 to 4.

There was an unanimous consensus from all who contributed to this countdown that Paxman deserved a place in their top 50. She finished anywhere between fifth and 16th, with many ranking her in the bottom half of their top 10.

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) | ARTICLE
#31 Janelle Cuthbertson (Fremantle) | ARTICLE
#30 Emily Bates (Brisbane) | ARTICLE
#29 Katie Brennan (Richmond) | ARTICLE
#28 Gemma Houghton (Fremantle) | ARTICLE
#27 Kate Hore (Melbourne) | ARTICLE
#26 Ellie McKenzie (Richmond) | ARTICLE
#25 Ruby Schleicher (Collingwood) | ARTICLE
#24 Ash Riddell (North Melbourne) | ARTICLE
#23 Ally Anderson (Brisbane) | ARTICLE
#22 Brittany Bonnici (Collingwood) | ARTICLE
#21 Darcy Vescio (Carlton) | ARTICLE
#20 Lauren Pearce (Melbourne) | ARTICLE
#19 Jaimee Lambert (Collingwood) | ARTICLE
#18 Isabel Huntington (Western Bulldogs) | ARTICLE
#17 Tyla Hanks (Melbourne) | ARTICLE
#16 Chelsea Randall (Adelaide) | ARTICLE
#15 Monique Conti (Richmond) | ARTICLE
#14 Kate Lutkins (Brisbane) | ARTICLE
#13 Georgia Patrikios (St Kilda) | ARTICLE
#12 Emma Kearney (North Melbourne) | ARTICLE
#11 Erin Phillips (Adelaide) | ARTICLE
#10 Anne Hatchard (Adelaide) | ARTICLE
#9 Chloe Molloy (Collingwood) | ARTICLE
#8 Karen Paxman (Melbourne)