Essendon veteran Sophie Alexander has officially announced her retirement from the AFLW after a brilliant nine-season, 85-game career across two clubs.
 
The 33-year-old formally told teammates ahead of their final game of the season, an ironically last game clash against her former club Collingwood in front of the Windy Hill faithful. 
                                                                                         
The former basketballer timed her code switch impeccably around the dawn of the AFLW, starring for the Pies’ VFLW outfit and earning Team of the Year honours before finally earning her chance at the highest level in 2019.
 
Alexander made her move to the NEC Hangar ahead of the Bombers’ first year in the competition in 2022 and was quick to cement herself as a crucial piece of their inaugural side.

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AFLW Rd 9 | 'Alexander the Great': Sophie's stunner sparks the Dons

Sophie Alexander produces a moment of magic from the tightest of angles to breathe life into the Bombers.

 
Put purely, Alexander is just a natural footballer. Teammates have often pointed to her as one of the competition’s best readers of the game up forward and she’s proven herself a nightmare matchup at 178cm tall, capably performing against both key and small defenders.
 
Despite spending stints up the ground and behind the ball due to her versatility, Alexander still managed to slot 27 goals from her 54 games in red and black and shared club Leading Goalkicker honours in 2025, her moments often equating to some of the craftier highlights in the side’s catalogue.
 
Her clutch last-gasp goal to beat out the Eagles in round two of 2025 stands out, alongside multiple memorable celebrations up in Darwin for the annual Dreamtime fixture and a cracking boundary line banana against the Dogs in Pride Round this season.
 
A universally loved and vibrant teammate who continued to work as a paramedic alongside her duties in footy, Alexander’s durability was also a trademark in her tenure as a Don.
 
Up until round four this season, she was one of just two inaugural Bombers – Maddy Prespakis the other – to have lined up in every possible game since their introduction to the league in Season 7.
 
Essendon’s General Manager of AFLW Aysha Ward commended Alexander for her impact on the program.
 
'Sophie has had an incredible influence on our playing group over five seasons, bringing a sense of joy and calm for anyone around her,” Ward said. 

'She has taken a number of younger players under her wing over the years, leading through her professionalism and care both on and off the field. 

'She’s been an absolute pleasure to watch as one of our inaugural players and greatly missed moving forward. Everyone at the Club wishes her all the best in retirement.