Jessica Fitzgerald
Personal information
Date of birth (2002-03-08) 8 March 2002
Original team(s) Northern Knights (NAB League Girls)
Draft No. 2, 2020 national draft
Debut 29 January 2021, Western Bulldogs vs. St Kilda, at Moorabbin Oval
Height 176 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Inside midfielder / Wing
Club information
Current club Western Bulldogs
Number 23
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2021– Western Bulldogs 40 (8)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of the 2023 season.
Source: AustralianFootball.com

Jess Fitzgerald (born 8 March 2002) is an Australian rules footballer playing for Western Bulldogs in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She was drafted with the second selection in the 2020 AFL Women's draft by the Western Bulldogs.[1][2][3]

Early football

Growing up in Bundoora, Victoria,[4] Fitzgerald played with the St Mary's Greensborough Kookaburras in the Yarra Junior Football League (YJFL) for four years from 2015 to 2018, amassing a total of 55 games with the team.[5] She won the league best and fairest in the Under 15 Girls division in 2017.[6] Fitzgerald attended school at Maribyrnong College, a specialist sports school.[4] She began playing for the Northern Knights in 2018, as part of a development pathway from the YJFL to senior football. She played 11 games for the Knights in 2019, kicking 3 goals and averaging 14.1 disposals a game.[7] Fitzgerald was awarded the best on ground award for the Grand Final,[8][9][10] after she collected 16 disposals, four marks, five tackles and a behind. After the team's win, she stated "I'm not too much about the individual achievements, more about the team, I'll take it I guess, but really happy with the win."[11] She also played for Vic Metro in the 2019 AFL Women's Under 18 Championships,[12] playing two games, kicking a goal and averaging 14 disposals.[7] She also played for the Northern Knights in 2020 but their season was cut short due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the short season, she played 3 games and kicked 2 goals, both coming in the same match against the Dandenong Stingrays, while also averaging 18.7 disposals.[13] She was named the co-captain of the team alongside future No.1 pick Ellie McKenzie.[14][15]

AFLW career

Fitzgerald debuted for the Western Bulldogs in the 1st round of the 2021 AFL Women's season, in the team's 9 point loss to St Kilda.[16][17][18] On her debut, she collected 10 disposals, 1 mark and 3 tackles.[19] The very next game in Round 2, in the team's thrilling one-goal win over Carlton, she was one of the Bulldogs' best on ground.[20][21][22] In that game, she kicked her first goal, a running goal from 20 metres out, and also tallied up 15 disposals, 4 marks and a tackle.[23] She won a rising star nomination for her performance in that game, alongside Melbourne player Tyla Hanks.[24] Her very next game saw her pick up arguably the best goal of the Western Bulldogs' round 3 15 point win over Geelong, where she booted a 50m long bomb goal.[25][26] A 2 goal performance in the Western Bulldogs' upset win over Melbourne saw her named as one of the team's best,[27] also collecting 12 disposals, a game-high 7 tackles and a behind.[28] After having a relatively quiet end to the season, Fitzgerald won team's the Best Young Player Award.[29] It was revealed that Fitzgerald had signed a contract extension with the club on 16 June 2021, after playing every game possible for the club that season.[30]

Statistics

Statistics are correct to round 6 end of the 2023 season.[31]
Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2021 Western Bulldogs 2395647449113370.60.75.24.910.11.44.11
2022 (S6) Western Bulldogs 231021565811415390.20.15.65.811.41.53.90
2022 (S7) Western Bulldogs 231100887115918470.00.08.06.514.51.64.31
2023Western Bulldogs23 61362289014210.20.510.34.715.02.33.5
Career 36 8 10 253 201 454 60 144 0.2 0.3 7.0 5.6 12.6 1.7 4.0 2

Personal life

Fitzgerald supported the Collingwood Football Club in her youth.[32] She cited her favourite AFL player to watch as Western Bulldogs forward Cody Weightman, and her favourite AFLW player to watch as either Kirsty Lamb or Jaimee Lambert.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "AFLW Draft, Pick 2 - Jessica Fitzgerald". Western Bulldogs Media. 6 October 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  2. ↑ "Best mates to go separate ways after being claimed at pointy end of AFLW draft". The Guardian. 7 October 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  3. ↑ Murray, Tara (19 October 2020). "Stunned Fitzgerald a Bulldog". Star Weekly. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 Black, Sarah (24 November 2021). "'I used to want to be Reece Mastin': 10 questions with Jess Fitzgerald". womens.afl. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  5. ↑ "Flying into the Kennel – Jess Fitzgerald". YJFL Media. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  6. ↑ Gatt, Chris (23 August 2017). "The Grand Final has arrived..." St Mary's Greensborough Kookaburras Media. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  7. 1 2 "Jessica Fitzgerald". Aussie Rules Draft Central. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  8. ↑ "Stunned Fitzgerald shines on the big stage". Herald Sun. 28 May 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  9. ↑ "Fitzgerald, Knights rebound from defeat". AFL Media. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  10. ↑ Murray, Tara (6 October 2020). "Ellie McKenzie taken at pick one". Star Weekly. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  11. ↑ Williams, Peter (27 May 2019). "2019 NAB League Girls Grand Final". Aussie Rules Draft Central. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  12. ↑ "2020 draft prospects: Jess Fitzgerald". AFL Women's Media. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  13. ↑ Alvaro, Michael (30 June 2020). "AFLW U18s Ones to Watch: Jessica Fitzgerald (Northern Knights/Vic Metro)". Aussie Rules Draft Central. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  14. ↑ Murray, Tara (21 September 2020). "Fitzgerald stays switched on". Star Weekly. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  15. ↑ Docherty, Alex (30 September 2020). "The Doc's AFLW draft preview - Part One". The Mongrel Punt. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  16. ↑ Burt, Sarah (29 January 2021). "Saints edge Dogs in battle of the Burkes". The Age. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  17. ↑ Cleary, Mitch (28 January 2021). "TEAMS: Burke v Burke battle locked in, top Dog to debut". AFL Women's Media. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  18. ↑ "Bulldogs' first game triple treat". Western Bulldogs Media. 27 January 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  19. ↑ "St Kilda vs Western Bulldogs - Player Stats". australianfootball.com. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  20. ↑ Waterworth, Ben (5 February 2021). "An AFLW epic: Dogs overcome horror miss - and Tayla's 50m bomb - to claim thrilling win". Fox Sports. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  21. ↑ Black, Sarah (5 February 2021). "Late Bulldog blitz leaves flag fancies winless". AFL Women's Media. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  22. ↑ Ractliffe, Damien (5 February 2021). "McLeod makes amends as Bulldogs overcome Blues in emotional win". The Age. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  23. ↑ "Western Bulldogs vs Carlton - Player Stats". australianfootball.com. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  24. ↑ Black, Sarah (8 February 2021). "Dog, Dee ball-winning mids named R2 Rising Stars". AFL Women's Media. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  25. ↑ Cleary, Mitch (12 February 2021). "Dogs see off gallant Cats with late burst". AFL Women's Media. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  26. ↑ "Western Bulldogs beat Geelong in AFLW as Ellie Blackburn, Jess Fitzgerald steal the show". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 13 February 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  27. ↑ Twomey, Callum (21 February 2021). "Clinical Dogs hand wasteful Dees first loss". AFL Women's Media. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  28. ↑ "Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne - Player Stats". australianfootball.com. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  29. ↑ "Blackburn claims second Bulldogs' best and fairest". Western Bulldogs Media. 24 April 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  30. ↑ "25 Bulldogs locked in for AFLW 6.0". 16 June 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  31. ↑ "Jessica Fitzgerald- Player Stats By Season". australianfootball.com. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  32. ↑ "Get to Know: Jess Fitzgerald". Western Bulldogs Media. 22 October 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
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