See also the 2023 men's season
Coach - Michael Stinear (Round 1-3, 5-Semi Final), Shae Sloane (Round 4)
Captain - Kate Hore
Finishing Position: 2nd
Best and Fairest - Tyla Hanks and Kate Hore
Leading Goalkicker - Eden Zanker - 23
Major Sponsors: Hertz/Zurich
Practice matches | Ladder | Playing list | Best and Fairest |
Kate Hore succeded Daisy Pearce as captain, with Tyla Hanks as vice-captain, and Rhiannon Watt and Libby Birch as the leadership group.
In Round 4, Shae Sloane coached the side instead of Michael Stinear.
Melbourne won their first five games of the year without conceding a goal in the final quarter, continuing a streak that stretched back 14 games into the 2022 spring season. They finished second after a Round 10 loss to Brisbane Lions.
The club set the record for highest total score in an AFLW season, and Kate Hore and Eden Zanker were equal top goalkickers in the league during the home and away season.
Due to the combined results of the men's and women's teams, Melbourne won the revamped McClelland Trophy in the first year where the top club earned a $1 million prize. From there, the club's year turned bad. After losing top spot with defeat in the last round, the Demons suffered their first straight sets finals exit in AFLW history. They then lost premiership players Libby Birch, Maddie Gay, Casey Sherriff and Eliza West in the trade period.
No Melbourne players were fined or suspended during the season.
For the first time the Best and Fairest was known as the Daisy Pearce Trophy.
Practice matches
Opposition | Result | Score | |||
Carlton | WIN | 35-14 | |||
Hawthorn | WIN | 64-6 |
Premiership season
Round | Opposition | Result | Score | ||
1 | Collingwood | WIN | 73-31 | ||
2 | Greater Western Sydney | WIN | 99-22 | ||
3 | Western Bulldogs | WIN | 83-41 | ||
4 | Hawthorn | WIN | 70-11 | ||
5 | Geelong | WIN | 74-25 | ||
6 | Adelaide | LOSS | 46-56 | ||
7 | West Coast | WIN | 82-12 | ||
8 | North Melbourne | WIN | 37-14 | ||
9 | Fremantle | WIN | 61-33 | ||
10 | Brisbane Lions | LOSS | 28-53 | ||
QF | North Melbourne | LOSS | 9-50 | ||
SF | Geelong | LOSS | 45-50 |
Playing list
Number | Player | Games | Goals | ||
1 | Georgia Campbell | 8 | 2 | ||
2 | Olivia Purcell | 12 | 2 | ||
3 | Maddie Gay | 8 | 4 | ||
4 | Paxy Paxman | 8 | 5 | ||
5 | Tyla Hanks | 12 | 6 | ||
7 | Tayla Harris | 8 | 3 | ||
8 | Sarah Lampard | 7 | 2 | ||
9 | Libby Birch | 12 | 0 | ||
10 | Kate Hore | 12 | 20 | ||
11 | Eliza West | 11 | 1 | ||
12 | Georgie Fowler | 0 | 0 | ||
13 | Maeve Chaplin | 9 | 4 | ||
14 | Lily Mithen | 12 | 4 | ||
15 | Lauren Pearce | 11 | 1 | ||
16 | Alyssa Bannan | 12 | 13 | ||
17 | Tahlia Gillard | 12 | 0 | ||
18 | Casey Sherriff | 10 | 4 | ||
19 | Jordan Ivey | 3 | 0 | ||
20 | Charlotte Wilson | 4 | 0 | ||
21 | Aimee Mackin | 6 | 2 | ||
22 | Eliza McNamara | 12 | 3 | ||
23 | Sinead Goldrick | 12 | 0 | ||
24 | Megan Fitzsimon | 8 | 0 | ||
25 | Samantha Johnson | 0 | 0 | ||
26 | Rhiannon Watt | 2 | 0 | ||
27 | Georgia Gall | 2 | 0 | ||
28 | Saraid Taylor | 0 | 0 | ||
29 | Eden Zanker | 12 | 23 | ||
30 | Shelley Heath | 12 | 2 | ||
31 | Blaithin Mackin | 12 | 3 | ||
32 | Gabrielle Colvin | 2 | 0 |
Ladder
W | D | L | % | P | |
Adelaide | 9 | 0 | 1 | 190.8 | 36 |
Melbourne | 8 | 0 | 2 | 222.9 | 32 |
North Melbourne | 7 | 0 | 3 | 224.4 | 28 |
Brisbane | 7 | 0 | 3 | 149 | 28 |
Gold Coast | 6 | 1 | 3 | 118.5 | 26 |
Geelong | 6 | 0 | 4 | 141.2 | 24 |
Essendon | 6 | 0 | 4 | 107.1 | 24 |
Sydney | 6 | 0 | 4 | 106.9 | 24 |
St Kilda | 6 | 0 | 4 | 102.3 | 24 |
Richmond | 5 | 0 | 5 | 100.8 | 20 |
Collingwood | 5 | 0 | 5 | 83.0 | 20 |
Carlton | 4 | 0 | 6 | 86.0 | 16 |
Fremantle | 4 | 0 | 6 | 71.9 | 16 |
Hawthorn | 3 | 0 | 7 | 67.3 | 12 |
Port Adelaide | 2 | 1 | 7 | 75.1 | 10 |
Greater Western Sydney | 2 | 0 | 8 | 53.0 | 8 |
West Coast | 2 | 0 | 8 | 50.8 | 8 |
Western Bulldogs | 1 | 0 | 9 | 53.8 | 4 |
Best and Fairest
Player | Votes | ||||
1st | Tyla Hanks Kate Hore | 64 | |||
3rd | Lauren Pearce | 54 | |||
4th | Sinead Goldrick Olivia Purcell | 52 | |||
6th | Lily Mithen Eden Zanker | 51 | |||
8th | Libby Birch | 48 | |||
9th | Shelley Heath Blaithin Mackin | 47 | |||
11th | Tahlia Gillard Eliza McNamara | 46 |
Other awards
Demon Spirit Award - Lily Mithen
AFLW Best and Fairest
Votes | Player | ||||
12 | Kate Hore Tyla Hanks | ||||
6 | Eden Zanker Paxy Paxman | ||||
5 | Alyssa Bannan | ||||
2 | Lauren Pearce Eliza West | ||||
1 | Olivia Purcell |
Coaches Association Player of the Year votes
Votes | Player | ||||
49 | Tyla Hanks | ||||
43 | Kate Hore | ||||
24 | Olivia Purcell | ||||
15 | Eden Zanker | ||||
14 | Paxy Paxman | ||||
13 | Alyssa Bannan | ||||
11 | Lauren Pearce | ||||
7 | Tahlia Gillard Blaithin Mackin | ||||
6 | Shelley Heath Lily Mithen | ||||
4 | Sarah Lampard | ||||
3 | Eliza West | ||||
2 | Tayla Harris Eliza McNamara |
Coaching staff
Dale Amos - Coaching Development
Matt Brewer - Assistant Coach - Midfield
Ben Brown - Specialist coach/Mentor
Vincent Chungue - Strategy and Opposition coach
Tamara Hyett - Assistant Coach - Backs
Shae Sloane - Assistant Coach - Forwards
Jon Stinear - Development coach - runner
Justin Crough - Ruck coach
Media
melbournefc.com.au - 25/07/2023