Hawthorn defender Tilly Lucas-Rodd will play her 75th^th AFLW match this Sunday as the Hawks host the Lions in their first qualifying final at IKON Park.

The 28-year-old is having a breakout season for Brown and Gold in 2024, with a switch to defense under Daniel Webster seeing them average 21 kills, six interception possessions, five 50 rebounds and five tackles per game.

Lucas-Rodd, who was the club’s inaugural AFLW captain, becomes the third Hawk to achieve this milestone, after Kaitlyn Ashmore reached 75 games earlier this year and Emily Bates last season.

Selected by Carlton with Pick 99 in the first AFLW draft, Lucas-Rodd began her career at Carlton in the league’s inaugural year, and played 18 games for the Blues before being delisted at the end of 2019.

Desperate to prove they still had what it took to play at the highest level, Lucas-Rodd spent a season with the Southern Saints VFLW team, where they took out the club’s best and fairest and earned a place in the VFLW Team of the Year .

St Kilda then threw Lucas-Rodd a lifeline, earning him a place in the club’s inaugural AFLW squad in 2020 (season 4). Over three seasons with the Saints, Lucas-Rodd was voted into the leadership group as co-vice-captain, before being named in the All Australian team in 2022 (season 6) and finishing runners-up among the club’s best and fairest in the same station.

With the Hawks starting in 2022 (Season 7), Lucas-Rodd joined the brown and gold as a star recruit and led the way as the club’s first captain, before winning Hawthorn’s inaugural best and fairest title.

In 31 games for the Hawks to date, Lucas-Rodd has been among the club’s most consistent players with his strong ball-winning ability and effective removal, with his foot and hand.

Lucas-Rodd spoke to the media Thursday morning ahead of his impending milestone and said it was exciting to have reached 75 years old.^th game and a full circle moment training at IKON Park this morning.

“It’s great to get there. I think being at IKON today is where I started my career, I spent three years there and then at the Saints, so it’s been a long journey to get there,” Lucas-Rodd said.

“I’ve obviously had ups and downs, being delisted at some point in my career and then getting a lifeline at the Saints and being able to perform pretty well, and then coming to the Hawks.

“I haven’t really reflected on it yet, but arriving today was actually a pretty nice moment to return to where my career started.”

Hawthorn fans can cheer on Lucas-Rodd on his 75th^th game and the Hawks’ qualifying final against Brisbane this Sunday 10 November starting at 1.05pm AEDT at IKON Park.

There are still tickets to buy HERE or you can watch the broadcast on Channel 7, Fox Footy and Kayo Sports.

Watch Lucas-Rodd’s full press conference below.