Jesse Wardlaw

Jesse Tawhiao-Wardlaw (usually known as Wardlaw, born 13 January 2000) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for St Kilda in the AFL Women's competition (AFLW). She played for Brisbane from 2019 to season seven (2022).

Jesse Wardlaw
Wardlaw warming up before the season seven Grand Final (2022)
Personal information
Full name Jesse Tawhiao-Wardlaw
Date of birth (2000-01-13) 13 January 2000[1]
Place of birth Ashburton, New Zealand[2]
Original team(s) Coorparoo (QWAFL)[1]
Draft No. 61, 2018 AFL Women's draft
Debut Round 1, 2019, Brisbane vs. Greater Western Sydney, at Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex
Height 185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight 56
Position(s) Forward/Ruck
Club information
Current club St Kilda
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2019–S7 (2022) Brisbane 49 (47)
2023– St Kilda 05 0(4)
Total 54 (51)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of the S7 (2022) season.
Career highlights
Source: AustralianFootball.com

Wardlaw plays as a key forward and led Brisbane's goalkicking for the first time in 2020. Her breakout season as a power forward came in season seven when she won the AFL Women's leading goalkicker award with the highest average goal haul in the league at more than 2 goals a game.[3]

Early life

Wardlaw was born in Ashburton, New Zealand to an Aucklander mother and Christchurch father.[4] Both her mother's parents and father's parents are Māori.[2] She migrated to Australia with her family at the age of 4.[2]

While growing up, Jesse's father would join in kick-to-kick with a rugby league ball.[2] At Slacks Creek State School and John Paul College she participated in cross country and basketball, netball and touch rugby.[5] A talented netballer, Wardlaw was chosen in the Queensland Under 17 and Under 19 state representative sides.[6] Her first introduction to Australian rules was through her friends, who encouraged her to be part of the AFL 9s social non-contact team in the Yeronga competition and the umpire of one of these games Tayla Harris seeing significant potential in her to be successful recommended she play at club level.[6] She started with Coorparoo junior women's before being part of the Brisbane South Under 17 representative team and the Queensland Under 18 side. During this time, Wardlaw was approached by the Brisbane Lions who signed her to their Academy program.[6]

She was playing for Coorparoo in the AFL Queensland Women's League when she was drafted[1] by Brisbane with the 61st pick in the 2018 AFL Women's draft.

AFLW career
Jesse Wardlaw leads Melbourne's Tahlia Gillard in the race to the ball in the Season 7 AFLW Grand Final

She made her debut in the Lions' round 1 game against Greater Western Sydney at Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex on 3 February 2019.[7]

She was nominated for the AFLW Rising Star Award in Round 2, 2020, after kicking three goals in the Lions' win over Geelong. Wardlaw achieved selection in Champion Data's 2021 AFLW All-Star stats team, after coming runner up in the league for average marks inside 50 in the 2021 AFL Women's season, totalling 2.0 a game.[8]

Wardlaw was celebrated by AFL Queensland on International Women's Day 2020 as a cross-coder who plays multiple sports.[6]

At the end of season seven (2022), she was traded to St Kilda as part of a five-club deal.[9]

References
  1. "Brisbane Lions AFL Women's Players". Brisbane Lions. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  2. Culture, swagger and … engineering: There’s more to Jesse Wardlaw than meets the eye by Michael Whiting for AFLW 22 October 2022
  3. AFLW stats - average goals
  4. I would love to represent my country – AFLW star paving the way for Kiwi’s playing AFL
  5. [Lions AFLW draft choice Wardlaw] Albert Logan News
  6. "International Women's Day: Wardlaw celebrated as one of many cross-coders". AFL Queensland. 7 March 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  7. Fielding, Josie (1 February 2019). "AFLW Team: Five Lions set to debut". Brisbane Lions. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  8. Black, Sarah (19 June 2021). "All-Star stats team: Shock leaders, lone Lion makes the cut". womens.afl. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  9. Black, Sarah (17 March 2023). "Seven players, five clubs: Biggest AFLW trade ever in motion". womens.afl. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
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