THIS WEEKEND, Melbourne will celebrate the milestone of one its biggest stars.
Shelley Heath is an integral cog in the Demon machine, praised at the club for her tenacious approach to the game and ability to adapt to various duties across the ground.
Often flying under the radar in external noise, the young Demon is a hard-hitting role player, regularly tasked with battling it out against some of the competition’s best.
Saturday’s game will mark her 50th AFLW match having played her entire half-century in the red and blue since joining the club in 2018.
Most recently, in 2022, the 23-year-old became an inaugural AFLW premiership player for the Dees and continues to be a point of difference among the league in tackling pressure and contest determination.
Ahead of her milestone match, we chatted to a few of her teammates to see just how much they love her…
Libby Birch
“Shelley Heath is a phenomenal role-player within our team and not once has she asked to be recognised for what she does on the field. She’s one of the best players in the competition at playing her role for the team and doing it bloody well, week-in, week-out.”
Maeve Chaplin
“Shelley Heath is a one-of-a-kind, unique player who brings so much energy and joy to the backline and the midfield.”
Alyssa Bannan
“Heathy is one of the most aggressive players that I have ever had the pleasure of playing with and I think she’s also the kindest soul off the field as well.”
Tahlia Gillard
“She’s a massive team player that plays her role to the best of her ability. She’s a competitive beast that I can always rely on, whether that’s in the midfield or down back.”
Blaithin Mackin
“I love how good of a teammate she is and how much she backs you in on the field. Off the field, she’s a great supporter of everybody.”
Aimee Mackin
“Coming over from another country, she’s really helped me on and off the pitch and when you watch her play, it inspires you. She's just so tenacious in her tackling.”
Tayla Harris
“I love her tenacity and how reliable she is to play her role for our team. And she’s also just such a fun-loving person to be around.”
Eliza West
“I love Shelly because she’s the best carpool buddy ever and the best tackler in the competition.”
