For these athletes there where triumphs, big improvements, opportunities to shine on the big stage, heartbreaking injuries, retirements and even the chance to be a movie star.

Liam Dawson

AGE: 22

SUBURB: Murarrie

SPORT: Australian football

CLUB: Aspley Hornets

The Redcliffe Tigers export was entering his third, and make-or-break, season with the Lions in 2017 but the 2018 season was his last at the club despite being the only Lion to be named in the second tier NEAFL team of the year at centre half back. Dawson, who played 18 games across four years with the Lions but only managed one senior match during his final two seasons, will play for Aspley Hornets in the NEAFL in 2019. Dawson, who recently had shoulder surgery and will resume contact training after Christmas, said he hoped to “win the premiership next year”.

Tom Strickland

AGE: 22

SUBURB: Petrie

SPORT: Football

CLUB: Peninsula Power

Strickland played in Power’s Brisbane Premier League side in 2016 and Power president Craig Feuerriegel said he expected big things from Strickland, in the future. “I would say one of our brightest young players. He’s a rising star. He should definitely be looked at to play the next level.” Strickland was part of Power’s undefeated Football Queensland Premier League team in 2018 and is expected to star for Power in the National Premier Leagues team in 2019.

Darcy Roper

AGE: 20

SUBURB: Cleveland

SPORT: Athletics

CLUB: Deception Bay

Roper returned from ­Poland with a bronze medal after an impressive 7.88m jump at the IAAF World Under-20 Championships in 2016. Roper excelled on a state and national level in 2017, and finished with silver at the Queensland championships at the beginning of 2018, and finished 11th at the Australian championships with a jump of 7.42m; he injured himself and missed Commonwealth Games selection.

Jade Starr

AGE: 15

SUBURB: Scarborough

SPORT: Swimming

CLUB: Nudgee

Starr has continued to shine in the pool since Quest flagged her at the beginning of 2017 after she won six medals from eight events at the School Sport Australia Swimming Championships in Darwin in 2016; Starr also took bronze in the 200m backstroke at the state championships at Chandler in December. Coach Jayden Hadler, who coached her at Southern Cross at the time, said Starr had “an inner animal … all the attributes of a champion”. Last year Starr won six medals at the state championships; bronze in the 100m freestyle, bronze in 200m, silver in 400m, bronze in 800m, silver in the 200m backstroke, and bronze in the 400m individual medley. This year Starr won three medals at the national championships in April — bronze in the 200m backstroke, 400m freestyle and 200m freestyle; and four medals at the state team championships in Canberra.

Matt Lodge

AGE: 23

SUBURB: Brisbane

SPORT: Rugby league

CLUB: Brisbane Broncos

The controversial former NRL forward was looking to impress at the Redcliffe Dolphins in 2017, with the aim of making it back to the NRL with the Brisbane Broncos. Lodge was given a one-year deal with the Broncos for 2018 and had a great season; he played 25 games for Brisbane. Lodge, recently named in a NSW emerging Origin squad, has signed a two-year deal with the club, so will remain a Bronco until at least 2020.

Ella Connolly

AGE: 18

SUBURB: Burpengary

SPORT: Athletics

CLUB: Deception Bay

In 2017, Connolly was determined to star at the Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas in July and was aiming for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The young gun, who holds the Queensland Athletics under-18 and under-20 records for the 400m with a time of 52.72 seconds, won a silver in the 400m, bronze in the 200m and gold in the 4x100m relay at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Bahamas in 2017, but was injured before the Commonwealth Games. Connolly is determined to represent Australia at the Tokyo Olympic Games after a stellar 2018. On the comeback from a torn hamstring, Connolly, coached by Gary Patterson, was fourth in the 400m at the IAAF World U20 Championships in Finland in July, and won silver in the 4x400m. Now, she is determined to qualify for the next year’s World University Games in Italy.

Sam Holland

AGE: 24

SUBURB: Caboolture

SPORT: Baseball

CLUB: Redcliffe Leagues Padres and Brisbane Bandits

Holland, a pitcher with the Brisbane Bandits in 2016, represented Australia and claimed silver at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Under-23 World Cup in November that year. Holland, who had a stint playing for the Los Angeles Angels in the United States, got his first call up for the Australian senior team early in 2018 when they faced world champions Japan. In November, Holland was listed as a Nationally Identified Player, a list of 36 Australian ABL players classified for the purpose of maintaining a competitive balance in the ABL. Holland is now focused on the Australian Baseball League, as the Bandits chase a historic fourth-straight title. Holland was starting pitcher for the first time in the ABL late in 2018, and hopes to retain that spot. He is also determined to make the Australian team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games; the Olympic qualifications are scheduled for late 2019.

Alanah Fowler

AGE: 17

SUBURB: Woody Point

SPORT: Swimming

CLUB: Redcliffe Leagues

Fowler, who was coached at Redcliffe Leagues by the legendary Ken Wood, who passed away in June 2018, was in the “Towards Tokyo” swimming squad at the beginning of 2017 and went to two Australian junior development camps that year. Fowler — described by Wood as “the next Mel Gorman” — finished third in the 800m freestyle at the school state championships early 2018 and has not swum since. Fowler said losing Wood was “mentally tough” and she decided to focus on Year 12 at St John Fisher College. “I’d love to get back in the water when it becomes a bit easier,” Fowler said. “I’d still like to represent Australia one day.”