| Paxy Paxman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Paxman playing for Melbourne in February 2021 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Karen Paxman | ||
| Date of birth | (1988-11-25)25 November 1988 (age 36) | ||
| Original team(s) | Darebin Falcons (VWFL) | ||
| Draft | Priority player signing:Melbourne | ||
| Debut | Round 1, 2017,Melbourne vs.Brisbane, atCasey Fields | ||
| Height | 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Half-back /midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Melbourne | ||
| Number | 4 | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2017– | Melbourne | 72 (26) | |
| Representative team honours | |||
| Years | Team | Games (Goals) | |
| 2017 | Victoria | 1 (1) | |
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of the 2023 season. 2 Representative statistics correct as of 2017. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Source:AustralianFootball.com | |||
Karen "Paxy" Paxman (born 25 November 1988) is anAustralian rules footballer playing for theMelbourne Football Club in theAFL Women's (AFLW). Adefender, 1.70 metres (5.6 ft) tall, Paxman plays primarily on thehalf-back line with the ability to push into themidfield. She first played football at sixteen years of age and won a premiership and leaguebest and fairest in her first year. She played in the premier division of theVictorian Women's Football League (VWFL) from the 2008 season and won three VWFL premierships withSt Albans andDarebin, in addition to a VFL Women's premiership with Darebin. Her accolades in football include three league best and fairests, state representation on four occasions, best-on-ground in a grand final, and five-time AFLW All-Australian honours.
Paxman's achievements in the VWFL saw her recruited by theWestern Bulldogs with the sixth selection in the 2013 women's draft ahead of that year's exhibition match. She played with the Bulldogs throughout thewomen's AFL exhibition series before she was recruited by Melbourne to play in the all-star match in September 2016. Her performance in the all-star match saw her signed by Melbourne as apriority player ahead of theinaugural AFL Women's season in 2017.
Paxman first played football at sixteen years of age in 2005 with Lalor Park,[1] securing a premiership in her first year of football,[2] in addition to winning the division twobest and fairest in the south east conference of theVictorian Women's Football League (VWFL). She won a further two league best and fairest in the north west conference in the VWFL, winning the Kate Lawrence Medal in 2006 playing for Hadfield and another in 2008 playing for Heidelberg.[3] She received state honours representing Victoria at the2007 AFL Women's National Championships where she received All-Australian honours.[4]
Paxman played her first senior VWFL season with the St Albans Spurs (now theParkside Spurs) in 2009.[5] She played over fifty matches with St Albans, including the 2011 grand final victory, in which she won the Lisa Hardeman Medal as thebest player on the ground.[6] In the same year, she represented Victoria for the second time at theAFL Women's National Championship where she played in the winning final over Western Australia and was named in the All-Australian side.[7]
Prior to the start of the 2013 season, Paxman changed VWFL teams and joined theDarebin Falcons,[5] and won a premiership in her first season with the club.[8] In the same year, she was drafted by theWestern Bulldogs with their third selection and sixth overall in the 2013 women's draft[9] to play in the inauguralwomen's AFL exhibition match against theMelbourne Football Club at theMelbourne Cricket Ground in front of approximately 8,000 people in a thirty-two point loss.[10] A week before the exhibition match, she played in the AFL Women's National Championships representing Victoria[11] and was named on the half-back line in the All-Australian team.[12]
Paxman played in her third VWFL premiership in the 2014 grand final against Diamond Creek atCoburg City Oval.[13] In the same year, she was one of thirteen players retained by the Western Bulldogs to play in the 2014 women's AFL exhibition match against Melbourne,[14] in which the club lost by forty-six points atEtihad Stadium and she was named in the Bulldogs' best players.[15]
After missing the entire 2015 season due to travelling, Paxman returned to the Darebin Falcons for the inaugural VFL Women's season in 2016.[16] In her first match in over a year, she was named the best player on the ground byPreston Leader journalist Tim Michell.[17] She played eighteen matches for the year, including the grand final victory againstMelbourne University,[18] in addition to being named on the half back line in the VFL Women's team of the year.[19] With the growth of the women's exhibition series, she played two matches for the Western Bulldogs in March and June, the second of which, she was named in the Bulldogs' best players byAFL Media in the thirteen point win over Western Australia at Etihad Stadium.[20] After playing with the Western Bulldogs throughout the exhibition series, she was recruited by Melbourne to play in the all-star match in September against the Western Bulldogs atWhitten Oval as a showcase for the inauguralAFL Women's (AFLW) season in 2017.[21] In the thirty-nine point loss, she recorded a game-high twenty-six disposals and was named Melbourne's second best player by AFL Media journalist Bruce Matthews.[22][23]
After her performance in the all-star match, Paxman was signed by the Melbourne Football Club as apriority player.[24] Predicted to be one of the "stars" of the AFLW competition byHerald Sun journalist Liam Twomey,[2] her accurate kicking and decision-making was speculated to give her an edge over other women in the league.[25] Paxman debuted in the club's inaugural match againstBrisbane atCasey Fields in a fifteen-point loss.[26] She recorded a game-high 24 disposals and was named Melbourne's best player by theHerald Sun and AFL Media.[27][28] The next week in the 19-point win overCollingwood atIkon Park, she recorded an equal-second most disposals (15) and kicked her first AFLW goal, in addition to being named Melbourne's best player for the second consecutive week by theHerald Sun and AFL Media,[29][30] withFox Sports Australia journalist Anna Harrington naming her the best player on the ground.[31]
Paxman continued recording high disposal counts the next few weeks, collecting 27 disposals in the 14-point win over theWestern Bulldogs atWhitten Oval,[32] 24 in the 6-point win againstCarlton at Casey Fields,[33] 25 in the 5-point loss toGreater Western Sydney at theBlacktown International Sportspark[34] and 21 in the 2-point win overAdelaide atTIO Stadium.[35] Heading into the final round, she was leading the disposal count in the league.[36] Paxman's 17 disposals in the 54-point win overFremantle at Casey Fields in the final round pushed her to second overall in the league, finishing one disposal behind teammateDaisy Pearce.[37] She was named in Melbourne's best players in every match of the year apart from the round six win against Adelaide,[38][39][40][41] and was consequently predicted to poll highly in theleague best and fairest according toHerald Sun journalist Lauren Wood and AFL Media reporter Sarah Black.[36][42] Paxman was ultimately runner-up in the award, finishing with ten votes (four votes behind winnerErin Phillips).[43] Her season was further rewarded with being one of three Melbourne nominees for theAFL Players Associationmost valuable player award[44]—in which she was also the runner up behind Phillips[45]—and she was listed in the2017 All-Australian team.[46] With the inaugural season only having one-year contracts, Paxman re-signed with Melbourne for the 2018 season during the trade period in May 2017.[47]
Paxman experienced a volatile start to2018, gathering 8 disposals early in Melbourne's round 1 win over Greater Western Sydney before suffering a back injury which prevented her from returning to the field after quarter-time.[48] Nevertheless, she recorded 21 disposals and played a highly influential role one week later in an emphatic 32-point victory against reigning premier Adelaide.[49] Although Melbourne yet again narrowly missed out on qualifying for the grand final,[50] Paxman earned hersecond All-Australian selection in as many years.[51]
In the absence of pregnant leader Daisy Pearce,2019 saw Paxman elevated to the position of Melbourne vice-captain.[52] She enjoyed another successful individual season which included standout performances in victories against Brisbane and the Western Bulldogs, managing 24 disposals and a goal on both occasions.[53][54] Recognition followed in the form of her maiden club best and fairest award[55] as well as finishing third in the league best and fairest behind Erin Phillips andDana Hooker with 10 votes.[56] The consistent output in her AFLW career would be underlined by becoming the firstthree-time All-Australian, a feat shared withEmma Kearney andChelsea Randall.[57] During the post-season trade period, Paxman signed a two-year contract with Melbourne[58] despite strong interest from expansion clubSt Kilda.[59]
The2020 AFL Women's season saw Paxman obtain her fourthAFL Women's All-Australian team selection, named in the rover position.[60][61] In the2021 AFL Women's season, Paxman was awarded with her fifth consecutiveAll-Australian blazer, named on the interchange bench.[62][63]
In 2023, Paxman updated her personal details with the Melbourne Football Club. When completing her league registration form, Paxman opted to change her first name from Karen to Paxy, the nickname by which she has been known throughout her career.[64]
Over the last few years, I've toyed with the idea of just changing my name to Paxy, because that's what sits comfortably with me. That's what everyone calls me and that's the name I identify with, so I wanted to put the name down on the form.
— Paxman in an October 2023 interview withAFL.com.au
Paxman is known as Paxy Paxman where traditional structure dictates the use of a first and last name, and simply Paxy when only a first name is required.[64]
G | Goals | K | Kicks | D | Disposals | T | Tackles |
B | Behinds | H | Handballs | M | Marks |
| Led the league for the season only | |
| Led the league after the Grand Final only | |
| Led the league after season and Grand Final |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | Votes | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | |||||
| 2017 | Melbourne | 4 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 102 | 50 | 152 | 27 | 23 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 14.6 | 7.1 | 21.7 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 10 |
| 2018 | Melbourne | 4 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 87 | 37 | 124 | 16 | 21 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 12.4 | 5.3 | 17.7 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 5 |
| 2019 | Melbourne | 4 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 93 | 53 | 146 | 15 | 24 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 13.3 | 7.6 | 20.9 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 10 |
| 2020 | Melbourne | 4 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 97 | 52 | 149 | 21 | 29 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 13.9 | 7.4 | 21.3 | 3.0 | 4.1 | 9 |
| 2021 | Melbourne | 4 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 166 | 81 | 247 | 36 | 44 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 15.1 | 7.4 | 22.5 | 3.3 | 4.0 | 13 |
| 2022 (S6) | Melbourne | 4 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 134 | 96 | 230 | 32 | 41 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 11.2 | 8.0 | 19.2 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 7 |
| Career | 51 | 16 | 20 | 679 | 369 | 1048 | 147 | 182 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 13.3 | 7.2 | 20.5 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 54 | ||
