Steph Chiocci

Stephanie Chiocci (; born 6 December 1988) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the St Kilda Football Club and Collingwood Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). Chiocci served as Collingwood captain for the duration of her Collingwood career from 2017 to 2022 (S7), including as co-captain alongside Brianna Davey from 2021 to 2022 season 7, following which she moved to St Kilda.

Early life Chiocci grew up in Eltham, a suburb in Melbourne's north-east,

Early football career

State league career Chiocci played state league football for Diamond Creek in the Victorian Women's Football League (VWFL) and VFL Women's (VFLW) from 2006 to 2017. She was a member of the Creekers North East division premiership team in 2006 and won the club's best and fairest award that same season. She repeated the result in 2012, with a second premiership and second club best and fairest. Chiocci placed second in the league's best and fairest award at the conclusion of the 2009 season.

Representative football Chiocci is a three-time senior All-Australian, winning the honours in consecutive AFL Women's National Championships in 2009, 2011 and 2013.

Chiocci was selected by the with the club's first selection and number two overall in the 2013 women's AFL exhibition game draft. She later played in the first women's exhibition match in June 2013. She was retained by the club and played in exhibition matches in each year through to the end of 2016. She captained the side in 2015 and 2016 including in the women's all-star match in September 2016.

Chiocci participated in AFL Victoria's female academy in 2015 and 2016, a program intending to lift the performances of some of the state's best female footballers.

AFL Women's career

Chiocci was drafted by with the club's second selection and eleventh overall in the 2016 AFL Women's draft. Chiocci played in all seven games of the 2017 season.

In May 2017, Collingwood signed her for the 2018 season. She played in the first five matches of the season, before she was suspended for making forceful head-high contact with defender Libby Birch in round 5. She was suspended for two matches, ending her season after playing five matches. In May 2018, Chiocci was re-signed by Collingwood for the 2019 season.

Collingwood signed Chiocci for the 2020 season during the trade and sign period in April 2019.

In December 2020, it was announced that Chiocci would captain Collingwood for a fifth consecutive season in 2021, and that vice-captain and former captain Brianna Davey would join her as co-captain.

After playing in the opening round of the 2022 season, Chiocci was a late withdrawal from Collingwood's win over with an Achilles injury, returning in round 4 against . She was left out again in round 6 to manage the same injury, and returned in round 8 against the Western Bulldogs.

Statistics Updated to the end of 2022 (S7).

55 !! 8 !! 14 !! 403 !! 271 !! 674 !! 136 !! 169 !! 0.1 !! 0.3 !! 7.3 !! 4.9 !! 12.3 !! 2.5 !! 3.1 !! 15

Personal life Off-field, Chiocci works as a teacher at Parkdale Secondary College in Melbourne's south-east.

Honours and achievements Collingwood captain: 2017–2022 (S7) (co-captain 2021–2022 (S7)) Victoria representative honours in AFL Women's State of Origin: 2017