Bulldogs’ General Manager of Women’s Football Debbie Lee has become the first female inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
Playing a key part in the establishment of the AFLW competition, Lee was and continues to be a trailblazer for women’s footy.
She managed 302 VWFL (now VFLW) games across the East Brunswick Scorpions and St Albans Spurs – a club she founded which later became the VU Western Spurs, whose senior team competes as the Western Bulldogs in the current VFLW competition.
She is a six-time All Australian, seven-time club champion, five-time league Helen Lambert best & fairest medallist, and a triple premiership player.
The VFLW Rising Star and AFL National Championship best player awards are also named in her honour.
“It’s incredible to be honest - it’s overwhelming, and I didn’t expect it,” Lee told Fox Footy’s Gerard Whateley on Tuesday night.
“Whilst I’ve been inducted, I feel a sense that women’s football has been inducted too tonight, and that’s really pleasing.”
Nathan Burke has also been inducted into the Hall of Fame, after a 323-game playing career with St Kilda that saw him claim four All-Australian selections and three club best & fairest medals.
He took over as Bulldogs’ AFLW head coach at the start of last year, recently extending his tenure for a further two seasons.
Both Lee and Burke were announced as inductees as part of a virtual broadcast event on Tuesday night.
Established in 1996, the Hall of Fame helps recognise the contributions made to Australian Rules Football by players, umpires, media personalities, coaches and administrators.
Debbie Lee
- 302 VWFL games
- Five-time Helen Lambert Medal for the VWFL competition Best and Fairest 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 2001
- Six-time All Australian
- 16 State games for Victoria
- Six-time State Captain for Victoria
- Three-time Premiership player – 1991 (East Brunswick Scorpions), 2004 and 2011 (Spurs)
- Premiership Captain, 2004 (Spurs)
- Lisa Hardeman Medalist (Best on ground in Grand Final – 1991 and 2004)
- Seven-time Club Best and Fairest winner
- Club Captain at St. Albans Spurs from 1991-2004
- VFL Women’s Rising Star medal has been named in her honour, the Debbie Lee Rising Star Medal
- The AFL’s National Championships best player award has been named in her honour, the Debbie Lee Medal
- Member of AFL Women’s Advisory Group
- Current General Manager, Women’s Football at the Western Bulldogs Football Club
Nathan Burke
- 323 games for St Kilda 1987-2003, 124 goals
- 11 games for Victoria
- Three-time Best and Fairest winner in 1993, 1996, 1999
- Four-time All Australian in 1993, 1996, 1997, 1999
- St Kilda Team of the Century
- Captain 1996-2000
