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Libby Birch

Libby Birch

Libby Birch is a four-time AFLW premiership player.

Craig McRae, Adam Kingsley, Chris Scott, Luke Beveridge and Chris Fagan all coach their AFL teams in different ways.

I’ve had coaches I’d run through walls for. These are the five questions Essendon, Carlton and Tassie should ask

Fans want hope. Boards want credibility. The media wants a headline. But the most important question any club looking for a new coach should ask is, what are their players looking for?

  • Libby Birch

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St Kilda weapons Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Tom De Koning and Rowan Marshall.

Ross Lyon saw this trend before it happened. Now his Saints have the weapons to fire

The blueprint for success in 2026 has been revealed. To launch a legitimate premiership assault, your team will need this weaponry at its disposal.

  • Libby Birch
Nick Daicos will play his 100th AFL game against Carlton on Thursday.

Aura, instinct and hunger: Ninety-nine games in, Nick Daicos is near perfection

Nick Daicos grew up immersed in football. Watching patterns. Absorbing movement. Imagining plays, consciously or not. That kind of football IQ isn’t just learnt, it’s lived.

  • Libby Birch
Melbourne’s Eden Zanker taunts former Demons teammate Libby Birch, now at North Melbourne, in the 2025 AFLW preliminary final.

I’ve been taunted on the field. It’s about time the AFL stamped that behaviour out

Every time something crosses the line – cheap shots, retaliation, verbal back-and-forth – it drags the game away from what it should be.

  • Libby Birch
Anaerobic athletes, such as Collingwood’s Jordan De Goey, will find there’s little time to rest and recover for repeat efforts.

The hidden cost of footy’s new rules, and the players it will hit the most

Opening round has shown us what to expect from the AFL’s new rules. These are the players who will pay the price.

  • Libby Birch
The teams line up for the national anthem.

AFL grand final player ratings: Which three triumphant Lions scored a perfect 10?

Who soared, and who flopped, on the AFL’s biggest stage? In a grand final in which Brisbane killed off Geelong’s spirit, their influential players were far easier to spot.

  • Libby Birch and Brendan McCartney
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Brody Mihocek, Steele Sidebottom and Brayden Maynard after the Pies’ loss.

Preliminary final player ratings: From an injury-hit warrior, to an ‘unstoppable’ midfield force

In a pulsating final full of momentum swings in front of more than 96,000 fans, the Lions roared over the Magpies – earning the right to defend their premiership next week. Our experts rate every player.

  • Danny Russell and Libby Birch
Jai Newcombe.

Semi-final player ratings: ‘Mr September’ stands tallest, but Crows stars go missing yet again

Hokball was at its blistering best as Sam Mitchell’s men sent the top-of-the-ladder Crows packing in straight sets. We run the rule over every player and rate their performances after an eye-opening night.

  • Libby Birch and Marc McGowan
Nick Daicos of the Magpies (left) and Darcy Moore of the Magpies celebrate.

Qualifying final player ratings: From stars who went missing, to a record-breaking captain’s game

Our experts rate every player from the Pies and the Crows after the Adelaide Oval blockbuster.

  • Libby Birch and Jon Pierik
The AFLW captains launch the league’s 10th season.

10 reasons to watch AFLW in its 10th season

AFLW is closing in on its historic first decade, and the game has never been more compelling. Here’s why this year is the one to jump on board with your family and friends.

  • Libby Birch