Isabel Huntington
Huntington playing for the Western Bulldogs in February 2018
Personal information
Nickname(s) Izzy[1]
Date of birth (1999-02-25) 25 February 1999
Original team(s) Melbourne Uni (VFL Women's)
Draft No. 1, 2017 AFL Women's draft
Debut Round 1, 2018, Western Bulldogs vs. Fremantle, at VU Whitten Oval
Height 175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Forward, Defender
Club information
Current club Greater Western Sydney
Number 12
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2018–2022 (S6) Western Bulldogs 20 (18)
2022 (S7)– Greater Western Sydney 08 0(2)
Total 28 (20)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of the 2023 season.
Career highlights
Source: AustralianFootball.com

Isabel Huntington (born 25 February 1999) is an Australian rules footballer playing for Greater Western Sydney in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She was drafted to the Western Bulldogs with the first pick in the 2017 AFL Women's draft.

Early life and junior football

Huntington was an exceptional junior footballer, impressing particularly at the 2016 AFL Youth Girls National Championships. In one match she kicked five goals (including four in one quarter) and recorded 30 disposals, all in a shortened match of 12-minute quarters.[2]

Huntington endured injury plagued teenage years, suffering a broken leg in 2015 and a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in her knee in 2016 that saw her miss the entirety of the 2017 junior and state-league football season.[3] Despite not being able to play with the side due to the injury she trained in a limited capacity that year with Melbourne University who play in the VFL Women's competition.[2]

Huntington completed high school at St Michael's Grammar School in St Kilda in Melbourne's south. She was school captain there in her final year in 2017 and graduated with an ATAR of 98.10 that placed her in the top two per cent of students in the country.[2] She has aspirations to study medicine and work as a doctor.[4]

AFL Women's career

Huntington was drafted by the Western Bulldogs with the first overall selection in the 2017 AFL Women's draft.[3]

2018 season: Debut

She made her debut in a twenty-six point win over Fremantle at VU Whitten Oval in the opening round of the 2018 season.[5] The following round she played a key role in the first half of the Bulldogs' win over Brisbane, including one stretch where she took consecutive contested forward-50 marks and kicked back-to-back goals in the space of a minute. Soon after though she was involved in a loose-ball chase that saw her sustain a serious knee injury and sit out the remainder of the match.[6] Scans later confirmed she had sustained a season ending ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.[1]

2019 season: Injury

Huntington suffered a sprain to her reconstructed knee in mid-December 2018, the result of which kept her out of playing for the team until round 5 of the 2019 AFL Women's season.[7][8][9]

2020 season: Rising Star

The 2020 AFL Women's season was a successful one for Huntington, winning many accolades and rapidly improving as she switched to the Bulldogs' back line. She had her best game for the season in the 3rd round, where the Bulldogs suffered a 21 point loss to Carlton. In that game, she collected 15 disposals, 7 marks, which was her career record at that point, and 4 tackles.[10] She received a 2020 AFL Women's Rising Star nomination in the last round of the home and away season,[11] after collecting 15 disposals, 6 marks and 2 tackles in the Western Bulldogs' 15 point loss to Fremantle.[12] She finished the season as the Bulldogs' leading mark taker, with a total of 24 over her 5 games that season.[13] She also finished equal 1st in the league for contested marks and 2nd for intercept marks.[14] She won the prestigious AFL Women's Rising Star award at the conclusion of the season,[15][16] receiving a total of 34 votes, 4 ahead of second-placed Caitlin Greiser.[17] The win made her the Bulldogs' first ever Rising Star winner.[18] She also won her maiden All-Australian blazer, being placed on the half back line.[16][19][20] She also won the team's best and fairest award,, with a total of 44 votes, 3 ahead of second-placed Ellie Blackburn.[21][22]

2021 season: Forward switch

It was revealed that Huntington had signed a contract extension with the club on 16 June 2021, after playing every game possible for the club that season.[23] Huntington achieved selection in Champion Data's 2021 AFLW All-Star stats team, after leading the league for average contested marks in the 2021 AFL Women's season, totalling 2.3 a game.[24]

2022 season 6: Injury and leaving Western Bulldogs

In the first round of 2022 AFL Women's season 6, Huntington suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury, and at the end of the season was traded to Greater Western Sydney in exchange for two draft picks.[25]

Personal life

Huntington is a cousin of Essendon AFL player Will Setterfield.[26] She studied a Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne.[27]

Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of the 2021 season.[28]
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
2018Western Bulldogs 922011314821.00.05.51.57.04.01.00
2019 Western Bulldogs 432110616770.70.33.32.05.32.32.30
2020 Western Bulldogs 451149166524130.20.29.83.213.04.82.60
2021 Western Bulldogs 491295227794061.31.05.83.08.84.40.72
Career 19 17 11 122 52 174 79 28 0.9 0.6 6.4 2.7 9.2 4.2 1.5 2

References

  1. 1 2 "Scans confirm Huntington season over". Western Bulldogs. Telstra Media. 12 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 Olle, Sarah (8 August 2017). "AFLW No. 1 draft prospect who's too good to be true: Isabel Huntington is set to become a household name". Fox Sports. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  3. 1 2 Cherney, Daniel (18 October 2017). "2017 AFLW draft: Isabel Huntington goes at pick No.1 to Western Bulldogs". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  4. ↑ Sewell, Eliza (16 December 2017). "AFLW No. 1 draft pick Isabel Huntington has her sights set on becoming a doctor". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  5. ↑ Salemme, Kate (1 February 2018). "AFLW Round 1 teams named: Stars set for second season". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  6. ↑ Whiting, Michael (11 February 2018). "Match report: Dogs stay perfect against Lions". AFL Media. Telstra Media. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  7. ↑ Black, Sarah (25 January 2019). "Huntington to miss most of season with knee injury". AFL Media. Telstra Media. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  8. ↑ Huntington, Isabel (14 February 2019). "Isabel Huntington: I'd go through the rehab again and again". The Age. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  9. ↑ King, Travis (3 March 2019). "Match report: Dockers keep finals dream alive by edging Dogs". AFL Women's Media. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  10. ↑ "Western Bulldogs vs Carlton - Player Stats". Australian Football. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  11. ↑ Canil, Jourdan (17 March 2020). "Key Dog, emerging Giant rewarded with Rising Star nominations". AFL Women's Media. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  12. ↑ "Western Bulldogs vs Fremantle - Player Stats". Australian Football. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  13. ↑ "Western Bulldogs". Australian Football. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  14. ↑ Whiting, Michael (21 December 2020). "Back or forward? Izzy's just happy to be back in the hunt". AFL Women's Media. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  15. ↑ Harrington, Anna (28 April 2020). "Bulldogs' Huntington wins AFLW Rising Star". Seven News. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  16. 1 2 McNerney, Elly (29 April 2020). "Huntington the latest star to rise". The Women's Game. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  17. ↑ McGowan, Marc (28 April 2020). "Star Dog bounces back from injuries to claim Rising Star award". AFL Women's Media. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  18. ↑ McGowan, Marc (28 April 2020). "Huntington becomes Bulldogs' first ever Rising Star". Western Bulldogs Media. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  19. ↑ Walsh, Liz (5 January 2021). "Reigning club champion Izzy Huntington says uncertainty surrounding AFLW season not affecting Western Bulldogs". Herald Sun. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  20. ↑ "AFLW: Huntington becomes an All-Australian". Western Bulldogs Media. 27 April 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  21. ↑ "Huntington crowned Bulldogs AFLW Best and Fairest". Western Bulldogs Media. 30 April 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  22. ↑ "Best and fairest wrap-up: Who won your club's awards?". AFL Women's Media. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  23. ↑ "25 Bulldogs locked in for AFLW 6.0". 16 June 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  24. ↑ Black, Sarah (19 June 2021). "All-Star stats team: Shock leaders, lone Lion makes the cut". womens.afl. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  25. ↑ "Izzy's In". Greater Western Sydney Giants. Telstra. 7 June 2022.
  26. ↑ Sewell, Eliza (12 October 2017). "Isabel Huntington could be snapped up Western Bulldogs or Collingwood in AFLW draft". News.com.au. News Corp Australia. Herald Sun. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  27. ↑ "The Rising Star of Isabel Huntington". St Michael's Grammar School. 18 June 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  28. ↑ "Isabel Huntington - Player Stats By Season". Australian Football. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
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