Abbott-McCormack announced as AFLW Indigenous Round Honouree

Jackson Clark Published October 12, 2023 at 1.00pm (AWST)

sport

Ebony Abbott-McCormack (pictured with her family) has been named the 2023 AFLW Indigenous Round Honouree. (Image: supplied)

Northern Territory women's football pioneer Ebony Abbott-McCormack has been announced as the 2023 AFLW Indigenous Round Honouree.

Abbott-McCormack has had an outstanding football career having collected a host of individual and team accolades over the past two decades.

She has claimed the Central Australian Football League's women's best-and-fairest award – the Margaret Liddle Medal – on two occasions, and finished runner-up after an outstanding season this year.

The South Alice Springs star has won a couple of club best-and-fairest honours and was recently rated in an NT News article among the Top 10 female footballers in the Northern Territory.

Before playing at South, she founded Pioneer Football Club's women's team and went on to win an incredible six premierships in the green and gold.

Outside of her illustrious playing career, Abbott-McCormack is also a selfless volunteer, regularly contributing her time to the game in roles such as umpiring across various grades, coaching and team managing.

The Centralian has also produced outstanding football in the Northern Territory Football League, first appearing in the 2006/07 season where she was judged best afield for the Darwin Buffettes in that season's narrow grand final loss to Waratah.

*Ebony Abbott-McCormack celebrates with her Pioneer teammates. (Image: AFLNT)*

More recently in 2020/21, Abbott-McCormack kicked 61 goals to win the NTFL Leading Goalkicker award while playing for Southern Districts.

In 2019, she played for the NT Thunder in the VFLW competition and was a member of the club's leadership group.

AFL Executive General Manager of Inclusion and Social Policy, Tanya Hosch, said in a media release that Abbott-McCormack's contribution to football and the community will leave a long-lasting legacy.

"Ebony's dedication to football both on and off the field, and her contribution to the broader community throughout the last two decades is one that deserves to be recognised nationally," Hosch said.

"Women like Ebony serve as role models and trailblazers for the next generation of Indigenous women both on and off the field.

"Ebony epitomises the theme of Indigenous Round and we couldn't be prouder to name her our 2023 Honouree.

"We are incredibly proud that AFLW Indigenous Round gives us the platform to highlight people like Ebony and put her in the spotlight for the nation to see."