Tyla Hanks

Tyla Hanks (born 15 February 2000) is an Australian rules footballer playing for Melbourne in the AFL Women's (AFLW). An inside midfielder, she played junior football in the TAC Cup Girls and VFL Women's, and competed at four AFL Women's Under 18 Championships. Hanks was recruited by Melbourne with pick 6 in the 2018 AFLW draft and debuted in the opening round of the 2019 season.

Tyla Hanks
Hanks playing for Casey Demons in July 2019
Personal information
Date of birth (2000-02-15) 15 February 2000
Original team(s) Gippsland Power (TAC Cup Girls)
Carlton (VFLW)
Draft No. 6, 2018 AFLW draft
Debut Round 1, 2019, Melbourne
vs. Fremantle, at Casey Fields
Height 157 cm (5 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Inside midfielder[1]
Club information
Current club Melbourne
Number 5
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2019– Melbourne 14 (3)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of the 2020 season.
Source: AustralianFootball.com

Early life

Hanks's junior football began when she was four or five years old; attending the Nar Nar Goon Auskick program.[2] She also played basketball as a junior.[1] Hanks played in boys football competitions in Cora Lynn, Victoria, but moved to Beaconsfield after finishing under-13s to continue with a girls team. Hanks represented Vic Metro in the 2015 and 2016 AFL Women's Under 18 Championships, but switched to Vic Country after selection zones changed for the 2017 competition.[2] She was named in the 2017 All-Australian side in the forward pocket.[3] After the championships Hanks was named in the 2018 AFLW Academy squad as one of twenty-nine seventeen-year-old prospects. As part of this squad she could attend development camps and train with Australian Football League clubs.[4]

In 2018, Hanks began studying exercise science at the Australian Catholic University.[2] She co-captained the Gippsland Power in the TAC Cup Girls and was named in the league's Team of the Year.[1] Hanks placed third in the league's best and fairest with 15 votes, one vote behind joint winners Nina Morrison and Madison Prespakis.[5] Hanks attended the AFL Women's Under 18 Championships and was again named in the All-Australian team, this time as a follower.[6] She played for Carlton in the VFL Women's (VFLW); on debut against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium in round 4, she amassed 19 contested possessions and 11 clearances – besting all players – and a team-high 20 disposals.[1] Aasta O'Connor, who oversaw the AFLW Academy program, believed Hanks would eventually captain an AFLW club.[2] She tested at the 2018 AFLW draft combine and set a record in the agility component with a time of 8.788 seconds, also finishing fifth in the yo-yo test.[7] For the 2018 AFLW draft, prospects were required to nominate a state or region they wished to play in; Hanks was to nominate the Melbourne metropolitan area, preventing Geelong from recruiting her.[2]

AFLW career

Hanks was recruited by Melbourne with pick 6 in the 2018 AFLW draft, their first selection.[8] She injured her knee in a practice match against Melbourne's VFLW affiliate Casey Demons, resulting in bone bruising but no muscle or ligament damage.[9] The injury interrupted Hanks's pre-season but did not prevent her from making her AFLW debut in the opening round of the 2019 season; a loss to Fremantle at Casey Fields.[10][11] She played all seven matches in her first season.[10]

Statistics
Statistics are correct to the end of the 2019 season.[12]
Legend
 G  Goals  B  Behinds  K  Kicks  H  Handballs  D  Disposals  M  Marks  T  Tackles
AFLW playing statistics
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2019 Melbourne 287313721589150.40.15.33.08.31.32.10
Career 7 3 1 37 21 58 9 15 0.4 0.1 5.3 3.0 8.3 1.3 2.1 0

References
  1. "AFLW Draft Watch: Tyla Hanks". vfl.com.au. AFL Victoria. 18 October 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  2. Black, Sarah (15 October 2018). "AFLW: Combine star looms as club captain". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  3. Black, Sarah (4 September 2017). "AFLW: Vic Country dominates U18 All Australian side". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  4. "AFLW: 2018 Academy prospects revealed". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  5. "Morrison, Prespakis tie for B&F". aflvic.com.au. AFL Victoria. 4 September 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  6. Black, Sarah (3 September 2018). "AFLW: Under-18 All Australian side revealed". AFL Media. Telstra Media. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  7. "AFL W Combine Results". vfl.com.au. AFL Victoria. 4 October 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  8. "2018 NAB AFL Women's Draft". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. Archived from the original on 7 November 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  9. Black, Sarah (29 January 2019). "Around the clubs: Dee in doubt, Roo blow". womens.afl. Telstra Media. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  10. "Tyla Hanks - Player Stats by Season". AustralianFootball.com. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  11. Matthews, Bruce (3 February 2019). "Match report: Dockers defeat Demons in scorching shootout". womens.afl. Telstra Media. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  12. "Tyla Hanks". Australian Football. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
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