Sarah Hartwig

{{Infobox AFL biography

| name = Sarah Hartwig

| image =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2002|04|12|df=y}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| fullname = Sarah Megan Hartwig{{Cite news|title=AFLW Pocket Profile: Sarah Hartwig|url=https://www.afl.com.au/aflw/news/1223107/aflw-pocket-profile-sarah-hartwig|website=AFL Women's|location=Melbourne|last=Welsh|first=Sophie|date=18 September 2024|access-date=14 April 2025}}

| originalteam = Sandringham Dragons (NAB League Girls)

| draftpick = No. 11, 2020 national draft

| debutdate = 29 January 2021

| debutteam = {{AFLW|WB}}

| debutopponent = {{AFLW|StK}}

| debutstadium = Moorabbin Oval

| height = 174 cm

| weight =

| position = Defender / Wing

| currentclub = {{AFLW|WB}}

| guernsey = 15

| years1 = 2021–

| club1 = {{AFLW|WB}}

| games_goals1 = 38 (11)

| statsend = the 2023 season

}}

Sarah Megan Hartwig (born 12 April 2002) is an Australian rules footballer playing for {{AFL WB}} in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She was drafted with the eleventh selection in the 2020 AFL Women's draft by the {{AFLW|WB}}.{{cite web|title=RECAP: Who went where? Every pick as it happened in historic draft|url=https://womens.afl/news/52590/recap-who-went-where-every-pick-as-it-happened-in-historic-draft|work=AFL Women's Media|date=6 October 2020|access-date=11 February 2021}}{{cite web|title=AFLW draft: Tigers take McKenzie at No. 1|url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/aflw-draft-tigers-take-mckenzie-at-no-1-20201006-p562hr.html|work=The Age|date=6 October 2020|last1=Cherny|first1=Daniel|access-date=11 February 2021}}{{cite web|title=2020 NAB AFL Women's Draft Selections|url=https://aflnswact.com.au/2020-nab-afl-womens-draft-selections/|work=AFL NSW/ACT|last1=Tuttle|first1=Caitlin|date=7 October 2020|access-date=11 February 2021}}

Early football

Hartwig was eight when she first began playing Australian rules football in the South Metro Junior Football League (SMJFL),{{cite web|title=Hartwig follows pathway to the top|url=https://afl.draftcentral.com.au/2020/09/25/hartwig-follows-pathway-to-the-top/|last1=Williams|first1=Peter|work=Aussie Rules Draft Central|access-date=11 February 2021|date=25 September 2020}} where she played with St Peters Junior Football Club, tallying up a total of 86 games over her 9 years at the club.{{cite web|title=Sarah Hartwig|url=https://websites.sportstg.com/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&pID=193722450&client=1-4901-70195-244799-17294685&ocompID=244799|work=South Metro Junior Football League|access-date=11 February 2021}}{{cite web|title=Former-SMJFL players shine in AFLW draft|url=https://smjfl.com.au/former-smjfl-players-shine-in-aflw-draft/|work=South Metro Junior Football League Media|date=7 October 2020|access-date=11 February 2021}} Hartwig would end up becoming one of 7 SMJFL players drafted into the AFL Women's in the 2020 AFL Women's draft. She played in the School Sports Victoria (SSV) National Championships in the Under 15s division. Hartwig came fifth in the SMJFL's best and fairest voting for the Under 18 Girls 1 Division, behind future players Eliza McNamara, Alana Porter and Winnie Laing.{{cite web|title=2019 SMJFL Best Fairest - Top 10 Placegetters|url=https://docplayer.org/182256966-2019-smjfl-best-fairest-top-10-placegetter.html|work=South Metro Junior Football League|access-date=11 February 2021}} She played 2 seasons with the Sandringham Dragons, wearing the 25 guernsey.{{cite web|title=NAB League Girls team lists Rnd 1|url=https://resources.afl.com.au/afl/document/2020/02/27/96bd2773-bcf0-4121-941f-bb40d3f70209/NAB-League-Girls-team-lists-Rnd-1_2.pdf|work=NAB League|access-date=11 February 2021|date=27 February 2020}} Hartwig also played 12 games with the Dragons in 2019 and 2020, with 9 of those coming in her junior year due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on her senior playing year.{{cite web|title=Sarah Hartwig|url=https://afl.draftcentral.com.au/player/sarah-hartwig/|work=Aussie Rules Draft Central|access-date=11 February 2021}} She averaged 13.1 disposals in her junior year,{{cite web|title=AFLW U18s Ones to Watch: Sarah Hartwig (Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro)

|url=https://afl.draftcentral.com.au/2020/06/07/aflw-u18s-ones-to-watch-sarah-hartwig-sandringham-dragons-vic-metro/|work=Aussie Rules Draft Central|access-date=11 February 2021|last1=Williams|first1=Peter|date=7 June 2020}} and 15.0 in her senior year.{{cite web|title=Sarah Hartwig - Read like a book|url=https://www.sandringhamdragons.com.au/players/sarah-hartwig-read-like-a-book|last1=Moorhouse|first1=Lachie|access-date=11 February 2021|work=Sandringham Dragons Media}} Hartwig represented Vic Metro in the 2019 AFL Women's Under 18 Championships, playing 2 games and averaging 5 disposals a game.

AFL career

When Hartwig was drafted by the {{AFLW|WB}} at pick 11, she was lauded by Bulldogs list manager Mick Sundry, who stated "Sarah's ability to read the ball in the air and intercept mark is elite, she is an athletic defender who likes to run and break the lines, not only proving to be strong in her defensive actions but also in her ability to turn defence into attack."{{cite web|title=AFLW Draft, Pick 11 – Sarah Hartwig|url=https://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/news/823298/aflw-draft-pick-11-sarah-hartwig|work=Western Bulldogs Media|access-date=11 February 2021|date=6 October 2020}} Hartwig debuted in the opening round of the 2021 AFL Women's season,{{cite web|title=TEAMS: Burke v Burke battle locked in, top Dog to debut|url=https://womens.afl/news/56965/teams-burke-v-burke-battle-locked-in-top-dog-to-debut|last1=Cleary|first1=Mitch|work=AFL Women's Media|date=28 January 2021|access-date=11 February 2021}}{{cite web|title=AFLW 2021: Expert tips and teams for Round 1|url=https://www.themercury.com.au/sport/afl/aflw/aflw-2021-expert-tips-and-teams-for-round-1/news-story/34f33b7fd53ca1d4c456d3600dfc669b|last1=Cavanagh|first1=Chris|work=The Mercury|access-date=11 February 2021|date=28 January 2021}}{{cite web|title=Bulldogs' first game triple treat

|url=https://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/news/854259/bulldogs-first-game-triple-treat|date=27 January 2021|work=Western Bulldogs Media|access-date=11 February 2021}} where the {{AFLW|WB}} conceded a one goal defeat to {{AFLW|StK}}. In her first game, she collected 5 disposals and a mark.{{cite web|title=St Kilda vs Western Bulldogs - Player Stats|url=https://australianfootball.com/game/view/136359#match_stats|work=australianfootball.com|access-date=11 February 2021}} Hartwig had her best game for the season in the team's upset round 4 win over {{AFLW|Mel}}, where she collected 13 disposals, 2 marks and 3 tackles to form a crucial part of the team's backline.{{cite web|title=Western Bulldogs WFC vs Melbourne WFC|url=https://australianfootball.com/game/view/137919|work=australianfootball.com|access-date=4 August 2021}} It was revealed that Hartwig had signed a contract extension with the club on 16 June 2021, after playing every game possible for the club that season.{{cite web|title=25 Bulldogs locked in for AFLW 6.0|url=https://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/news/959491/25-bulldogs-locked-in-for-aflw-6-0|date=16 June 2021|access-date=17 June 2021}}

Statistics

:Statistics are correct to the end of the 2021 season.{{cite web|title=Sarah Hartwig - Player Stats By Season|url=https://australianfootball.com/players/playerseason/Sarah%2BHartwig/21017|access-date=11 February 2021|work=australianfootball.com}}

|- style="background-color: #eaeaea"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2021

|style="-*+-*+-+text-align:center;"|{{AFLW|WB}}

| 15 || 9 || 0 || 0 || 44 || 30 || 74 || 13 || 17 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 4.9 || 3.3 || 8.2 || 1.4 || 1.9 ||

|- class="sortbottom"

! colspan=3| Career

! 9

! 0

! 44

! 30

! 74

! 13