Qld’s junior Aussie rules top 50 teen footy players
Here are Queensland’s 50 best teenage male and female Aussie rules footy players sure to excite fans of the Lions and Suns.
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Australian football isn’t just on the crest of a wave - it is atop a sporting tidal surge engulfing Queensland.
And, leading the next charge are these next generation teenage young guns featured below from the women’s and men’s programs, some of which were being seen this week at the inaugural Queensland AFL Club Academies Development Carnival.
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Here’s 50 teenage top gun teen players, along with the names of another 20 or so on our wildcard watch list.
Harry Cook
Age: 16
Academy: SUNS
Junior Club: Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldogs
Representative teams: Peninsula, QLD State School U15’s, U16’s SUNS Nationals
School: St. Augustus Summary:
Cook has really strong hands and has a willingness to hunt and win the footy. He is super competitive and powerful with an ability to play as an inside mid and small forward. Cook also has good goal sense.
Brad McDonald
Academy: Brisbane Lions Academy
Age 17
Junior Club: Maroochydore JAFC, Maroochydore AFC
Representative teams: u17 Queensland, u18 Brisbane Lions Academy
Other sports:
School: Sunshine Coast Grammar School
The Roos’ junior is an athletic, tall defender who can also play forward and or as a ruckman. He can really take a nice contested mark and covers the ground well for his size.
Ethan Read
Age: 17
Academy: SUNS
Junior Club: Palm Beach Currumbin
Representative teams: Allies, QLD U17’s, SUNS U18, School: St. Andrews
A ruckman, Read is skillful and good at ground level for his size.He competes and tackles and has added overhead marking to his bag of tricks this year.
Zeke Uwland
Age: 15
Academy: SUNS
Junior Club: Burleigh Bombers
Representative teams: U16 SUNS Nationals School:
Uwland is tough as nails who played very well as a bottom age player in the under 16’s nationals. Uwland uses the ball well on both sides of his body. Strong overhead for his size and wins a lot of his own footy.
Daniel Annable
Academy: Brisbane Lions Academy
Age 15
Junior Club: Victoria Point Sharks
Representative teams: u15 Queensland Schoolboys, u15 All-Australian Schoolboys, u16 Brisbane Lions Academy
Other sports: Cricket and Basketball
School: Cleveland SHS
Annable is a classy midfielder from Victoria Pt football club. He represented the Lions in the recent National under 16 carnival showing his class as an underage player. He has a high football IQ and an exceptional work ethic. The Redland-Victoria Point rookie started the season in under 16s but progressed to Colts where he displayed an ability to win the football one-on-one while displaying closing speed in defence.
Raphael Geesu
Academy: Brisbane Lions Academy
Age 15
Junior Club: Victoria Point Sharks
Representative teams: u16 Brisbane Lions Academy
Other sports: Basketball
School: Cleveland SHS
Geesu is a young Indigenous boy who oozes class. He has elite kicking skills and blinding speed. He is a super talented small forward with great goal sense. His form in the recent National Under 16 Development Championships showed he has a great future in the game.
Leo Lombard
Age: 16
Academy: SUNS
Junior Club: Burleigh Bombers
Representative teams: U16 SUNS Nationals – All Australian
School: Varsity College
Lombard has an extremely high work rate. He is a tough inside mid that runs all day and gets involved at every opportunity he can. Lombard wins a lot of footy and has good foot skills.
Jai Murray
Age: 15
Academy: SUNS
Junior Club: Burleigh Bombers
Representative teams: U16 SUNS Nationals
School: PBC
Another Bombers talent, Murray has a high work rate as an inside mid. He is good by hand and by foot and his work rate defensively is outstanding. Indeed his willingness to tackle is second to none.
Jed Walter
Age: 17
Academy: SUNS
Junior Club: Palm Beach Currumbin
Representative teams: QLD U17’s, AFL Academy, Allies, QLD U15
School: PBC
A dominant, 196cm tall forward with strong hands and loads of power, Walter was a star in the Allies under 18 series as a bottom ager. The PBC SHS student is super quick and works really hard at ground level.
Jake Rogers
Age: 17
Academy: SUNS
Junior Club: Broadbeach
Representative teams: Allies
School: Varsity College
Rogers as clean as they come. He has an elite handball craft and a high footy IQ who is super quick and who is suited as a mid or a forward.
Will Graham
Age: 17
Academy: SUNS
Junior Club: Palm Beach Currumbin
Representative teams: QLD U17
School: PBC SHS
Athletic with really good speed and power, Graham is strong overhead and tackles hard. Graham also runs exceptionally hard both ways.
Nathan Jensen
Academy: Brisbane Lions Academy
Age 17
Junior Club: Caloundra JAFC, Maroochydore AFC
Representative teams: u17 Queensland, u18 Brisbane Lions Academy
Other sports:
School: Unity College
A ruck man who is developing a nice set of skills, he is aggressive and strong while also having a nice leap.
Finlay Gray
Age: 16
Academy: SUNS
Junior Club: Broadbeach Cats
Representative teams: U16 SUNS Nationals
School: Miami State High
Gray has an ability to play at both ends of the ground. He has a high footy IQ and great vision. Gray also moves well with good foot skills, and is a good decision maker.
Havana Harris
Age: 16
Academy: SUNS
Junior Club: Burleigh Bombers
Representative teams: QLD 15’s, SUNS 16’s, SUNS U18’s, QLD 18’s, All Australian U18
School: Varsity College
Harris is athletic, a tall girl who can play ruck or forward. She is powerful, skillful, and clean with strong hands overhead. Harris can also kick goals.
Nyalli Milne
Age: 16
Academy: SUNS
Junior Club: Burleigh Bombers
Representative teams: SUNS 16’s, SUNS 18’s, QLD 18’s
School: Varsity College
Another Varsity College and Bombers product, Milne is quick and agile around wing and up forward. She has elite foot skills and just loves kicking a goal.
Josie McCabe
Age: 17
Academy: SUNS
Junior Club: Burleigh Bombers/ Bond Uni
Representative teams: SUNS U17’s, SUNS U18’s, QLD U18’s
School: Marymount
A strong bodied midfield player that can go forward, McCabe is super competitive. She has strong hands and puts her head over the footy.
Caleb Nancarrow
Age: 16
Academy: SUNS
Junior Club: Cairns City Lions
Representative teams: SUNS U16 Nationals – All Australian, Peninsula School U12’s and U15’s
School: Scotch College - Melbourne
Nancarrow is a super impressive vertical jump athlete who has elite movement and who possesses strong hands. He can kick goals and clean up at ground level. He is also a second effort player who follows up his work.
Heidi Talbot
Age: 16
Academy: SUNS
Junior Club: North Cairns Tigers
Representative teams: Woomeras U16’s, SUNS U16’s, QLD School U15’s
School: Trinity Bay High School
From sporting rich FNQ, Talbot is a clean handed midfielder with hard running and elite skills by hand and by foot. She is also a super quick runner.
Sienna McMullen
Age: 17
Academy: SUNS
Junior Club: Burleigh Bombers
Representative teams: SUNS U17’s, SUNS U18’s, NAB AFL Futures U17’s
School: Varsity College
The Bombers keep producing young guns and here is anther. McMullen has been playing footy since aged two and is a multi-sport athlete, hard running who is developing at a good rate. The exciting thing is her skills are improving quickly.
Alana Gee
(Southport/Gold Coast Suns Academy)
Age 18
Club: Southport
Named Queensland’s MVP at this year’s NAB AFLW Under-18 Championships after averaging 24 disposals per game, Gee was also named on the wing in the 2022 NAB AFLW Under-18 All-Australian team. This was after the 170cm wing speedster played a variety of roles at the championship, including up forward where she kicked a goal against Victoria Metro.
Darcie Davies
Age: 17
Academy: SUNS
Junior Club: Southport Sharks
Representative teams: SUNS U17’s, SUNS U18’s, QLD U18’s, NAB U17’s Futures
School: Southport State High
From a sporting family, Davies is a multi-sport athlete who is also a high achiever in netball. Her older sisters Fleur and Giselle play AFLW with the SUNS and Giants. She is making her own way in the sport as an athletic tall that can ruck and play down the spine back or forward. Davies is very good overhead and loves a goal.
Georja Davies
Sex: Female
Age: 15
Academy: SUNS
Junior Club: Southport Sharks
Representative teams: All Australian U15 Netball, SUNS U16, QLD U15’s
School: Southport State High
The sister of Darcie and another multi-sport athlete who is also a high level netballer. Georja is very similar to Darcie in that she is a very good runner that can play anywhere on the ground. And she loves a goal.
Tara Harrington
Sex: Female
Age: 16
Academy: SUNS
Junior Club: Broadbeach Cats
Representative teams: QLD U15’s, SUNS U18’s, SUNS U16’s, QLD U18’s
School: PBC SHS
A powerful midfielder with very good hands inside the contest, Harrington also has good foot skills and is a noted decision maker. She also has a great eye - which is probably why she is also an elite golfer.
Ava Usher
Sex: Female
Age: 15
Academy: SUNS
Junior Club: Burleigh Bombers
Representative teams: SUNS U16, QLD U15’s, All Australian U15’s
School: Hillcrest
Usher plays as a mid-forward and is powerful and competitive with super clean hands at ground level. Also Joining Usher and co representing Queensland at the nationals earlier in the year were Alanna Welsh (Palm Beach Currumbin State High School), Sunny Lappin (Hillcrest Christian College), AnnabelleFoat (Varsity College) and Siena Burham (Canterbury College), all of whom were highly thought of.
Tristen Meekin
Academy: Brisbane Lions Academy
Age 17
Junior Club: Jindalee JAFC, Ambrose Treacy JAFC, Wests Juniors JAFC, Sherwood AFC
Representative teams: u18 Brisbane Lions Academy
Other sports: Taekwondo
School: Ambrose Treacy College
The son of a Queensland track and field sprint star (mum Lachelle), Meekin is a dynamic left
footer who is comfortable winning his own ball on the inside while showing great skill and poise in space. His ball use by hand or foot is exceptional making him a weapon in any team. Unfortunately, he sustained a serious knee injury leading into club finals this year but with time to recover the Lions expect big things from him in the latter half of 2023.
Harrison Ronchi
Academy: Brisbane Lions Academy
Age 16
Junior Club: Caloundra JAFC
Representative teams: u16 Brisbane Lions Academy
Other sports:
School: Meridan State College
Another Sunshine Coast kid, he is a half back/midfielder with speed to burn. Ronchi also has a nice, neat left foot kick and is a good decision maker.
Billy Richardson
Academy: Brisbane Lions Academy
Age 17
Junior Club: Kedron JAFC, Wilston Grange AFC
Representative teams: u17 Queensland, u16 Brisbane Lions Academy, u16 All-Australian
School: Nudgee College
A Red Legs junior, Richardson is a 194cm tall, athletic forward who can pinch hit in the ruck or play as a defender. He is a beautifully balanced kick and can take a strong contested mark.
Tom Fry
Academy: Brisbane Lions Academy
Age 16
Junior Club: Sandgate JAFC, Mayne AFC
Representative teams: u16 Brisbane Lions Academy, u15 Met North Schoolboys
Other sports:
School: Craigslea SHS
With a junior background from both the Mayne Tigers and the Sandgate Hawks, how could Fry go wrong. Both famous QAFL clubs had a hand in his formative years, helping turn him into a tough, strong inside midfielder. Fry has great courage and displays some good leadership qualities. Fry’s stoppage craft is also a highlight.
Alex Pope
Academy: Brisbane Lions Academy
Age 16
Junior Club: Victoria Point JAFC
Representative teams: u17 Queensland, u16 Brisbane Lions Academy, u15 Queensland Schoolboys
School: Cleveland SHS
Another bayside product, Redland-Victoria Point junior, Pope is a wingman that possesses great speed and dynamite kicking skills on both sides of the body. He has a tremendous work rate enabling him to amass high possession rates in all games he plays. He was in exceptional form for the Lions which culminated in him being selected in the Qld under 17 team as an under aged taking on Vic Metro.
Dakota Baron
Age: 15
Academy: SUNS
Junior Club: Yeronga
Representative teams: QLD U15’s, SUNS U16’s, All Australian U15’s
School: Park Ridge SHS
From sporting rich Logan City, Baron is an athletic tall player with strong hands overhead. She can play ruck or up forward and loves a goal.
Rania Crozier
Academy: Brisbane Lions Academy
Age 16
Junior Club: Moreton Bay JAFC, Morningside JAFC, West Juniors JAFC, Wilston Grange JAFC, Aspley AFC
Representative teams: u18 Brisbane Lions Academy, u15 Queensland Schoolgirls
Other sports:
School: All Hallows’ School
A tall, athletic defender, Crozier has come back from a torn ACL in 2021. She is very good in one-on-one aerial contests where she can either mark or spoil.
Sophie Peters
Academy: Brisbane Lions Academy
Age 16
Junior Club: Maroochydore JAFC, Maroochydore AFC
Representative teams: Under 18 Brisbane Lions Academy, under 18 Queensland
Other sports:
School: Sienna catholic College
A running, speedy winger she has the ability to break the lines and carry the ball with bounces.
Ryan Gilder
Academy: Brisbane Lions Academy
Age 16
Junior Club: Calamvale JAFC, Sherwood JAFC
Representative teams: u16 Brisbane Lions Academy
Other sports: Volleyball
School: Calamvale Community College
The son of a former Melbourne Demons listed player (Mark), Ryan Gilder is a fantastic prospect from the Sherwood football club. He is an athletic key defender who has elite speed and a vertical leap. Gilder is super competitive with an aggressive edge and was a key contributor to the Lions successful under 16 National Championship campaign. He is a defender who has a great ability to win his one-on-one contest, even when undersized.
Mia Geere
Academy: Brisbane Lions Academy
Junior Club: Wilston Grange JAFC
Representative teams: u16 Brisbane Lions Academy, u15 Queensland Schoolgirls, u15 All-Australian Schoolgirls
Other sports:
A year 12 student at Clayfield College Geere is a highly talented youngster coming through the grades
Lilu Hung
Academy: Brisbane Lions Academy
Junior Club: Kedron JAFC, Wilston Grange JAFC, Aspley AFC
Representative teams: u18 Brisbane Lions Academy
Other sports:
School: Kedron SHS
Hung is a strong, aggressive player with the ability to play forward and pinch hit in the midfield. She thrives on the contest.
Laura Roy
Academy: Brisbane Lions Academy
Age 17
Junior Club: Waratahs (NT), Morningside JAFC
Representative teams: u18 Brisbane Lions Academy, u18 Queensland
Other sports: Netball (National u17 squad member)
School: Lourdes Hill College
Roy is balancing a promising netball career with a move to Australian rules football. She has a rare competitive edge that sees her win a huge amount of contested balls. With a little work on her kicking skills, she will no doubt be a prospective draft choice in the upcoming seasons.
Harlee McIlwain
Academy: Brisbane Lions Academy
Age 14
Junior Club: Victoria Point JAFC
Representative teams: u15 Met East Schoolgirls, u15 Queensland Schoolgirls (shadow)
Other sports: Touch Football (Met East Schoolgirls)
School: Cleveland SHS
McIlwain, at 14, already looks to have her sights set on graduating to an AFLW career. She is a tall, athletic ruck or key position player with a great football IQ. She has an ability to leap and mark is beyond her years and is set to show her talents at the under 14 Academy games being played in Maroochydore this week. Her attitude to improve makes her one of the best prospects across all ages in the Brisbane Lions Academy. She also has a sporting bloodline - McIlwain’s dad Dallas played NRL for the Canterbury Bulldogs
Zoe Petrides
Academy: Brisbane Lions Academy
Age 14:
Junior Club: Calamvale JAFC, Morningside JAFC
Representative teams: u14 Brisbane Lions Academy, u15 Met West Schoolgirls
Other sports: Futsol, Soccer (Met East Schoolgirls)
School: Stretton College
The youngest on our list, Petrides has shown her ability by being a key player in the clubs Division 1 Boys premiership side. With exceptional football IQ and equally impressive skills, the sky’s the limit for her. She has been training with the under 16 girls Girls Lions Academy squad, showing what high regard she is held in by the Lions. She is competing this week at the Academy under 14 games in Maroochydore.
Jada Delaney
Academy: Brisbane Lions Academy
Age 17
Junior Club: Noosa JAFC, Maroochydore JAFC
Representative teams: u16 Brisbane Lions Academy, u15 Sunshine Coast Schoolgirls, u15 Queensland Schoolgirls
School: Good Shephard Lutheran College
The daughter of VFL player Roger Delaney (Fitzroy), a six time premiership player with Port Adelaide, and 21 Test netball veteran mother Jacqui, Jada comes from great sporting stock.
She is a tall athletic type who moves around the ground with ease. A under 17 national netball squad member, Delaney is also a great mark of the footy and has a lovely kick. She is strong
in the contest and reads and understands the game very well. The teen can play in the ruck or key position at either end of the ground.
Jasmyn Smith
Age 18
Club: Bond University/Gold Coast Suns Academy
Making her AFLW debut for the Suns in round 1 of the AFLW season aged 18, the midfielder forward was coming off an elite series as Queensland’s surprise packet of the national carnival where she flourished as a leadership player.
Charlotte Mullins
Age 18
Club: (Wilston Grange/Aspley/Brisbane Lions Academy)
School: North Lakes State College
Piecing together a strong carnival across the three games, Mullins was one of Queensland’s best earlier in the year with plenty of disposals and clearances.
Kiara Hiller
Age 18
Club: Kawana/Maroochydore Roos and Lions Academy
Hillier is a tall, rebounding defender and who represented Queensland at the 2022 AFLW U18 National Championships and who, following a round 3 performance in the QAFLW, was a Rising Star nominee. Hillier played her junior football at Kawana.
Zimmie Farquharson
Age 19
From Dalby on the western Darling Downs, and with family links to PNG, Zimmie was absolutely sensational on debut for the Lions against Carlton earlier this year with possession winning deeds and several shots at goal.
Mikayla Pauga
Age 19
Club: Bond University
Originally from the Narangba region between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, the young forward with a netball background has proved a natural at Australian football.
Ava Sexton
Age 19
Club: UQ
The ball winning midfielder kicked the crucial goal that tied the scores in the QAFLW’s first ever drawn grand final, sending the game into overtime and leading to UQ’s victory. She was then added to the Lions AFLW squad.
Imogen Evans (Bond University/Gold Coast Suns Academy, Collingwood)
Age 18
Club: Bond Uni
The former Gold Coast Suns Academy skipper, now with Collingwood, is a midfielder who covers the ground with ease and who is a high-volume tackler.
Jaspa Fletcher
Age 18
Club: Sherwood
An All Australian representative following this year’s Allies’ campaign, Fletcher, 18, is the son of Adrian Fletcher, the former Lion, was also strong throughout the national championship with plenty of touches.
Fletcher’s Queensland teammate, Joshua Cooper, is another outstanding general defender identified by the Brisbane Lions Academy talent scouts. Both Cooper and club teammate Mitch Howsen were also super contributors to the grand final Hornets outfit that rose to the occasion during the final series, winning the QAFL grand final over the weekend.
Fellow Queensland players alongside Fletcher and Coopein the under 18s Allies squad were:
Marlin Corbett, aged 18, (Midfielder – Gold Coast Suns Academy / Surfers Paradise)
Brinn Little, aged 19 (Defender – Gold Coast Suns Academy / Palm Beach Currumbin)
Jack Manly, aged 18 (Midfielder – Brisbane Lions Academy / Wilston Grange)
Ned Stevens, 19, (Key Forward – Gold Coast Suns Academy / NT Thunder / Waratah)
Jared Eckersley, aged 18, (Midfielder – Gold Coast Suns Academy / Broadbeach)
Liam Hude, aged 17 (General Forward – Brisbane Lions Academy / Sherwood)
Oscar Barry, Harrison Bridge and Beau Addinsall
This terrific trio joined Jai Murray, Dan Annable and Jack Harrison, all mentioned earlier, in making the 15 years and under Australian football All Australian Boys Team selected from the national championships during July. Barry is from Coorparoo Secondary College, Bridge from Faith Lutheran College and Addinsall is an All Saints Anglican School student.
In addition to the Lions and Suns boys players mentioned earlier in the story, the following boys were also outstanding prospects who were a part of the The Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast SUNS Under 16s boys teams at AFL National Development Championships.
Lions:
Frasier Lay – Morningside, Jake Fazldeen – Morningside, Maverick Garaicoa - Wilston Grange, Lachie O’Dwyer – Aspley, Tyler Whiteley – Maroochydore, Takoda Boltong – Maroochydore, Jack Prokos – Morningside, Jayden Banks – Maroochydore, Andrew Jeffrey -Sandgate, Jett Jessen – Mt Gravatt, Lachlan Fraser – Noosa, Lachlan Greenbury – Sherwood, Jaydon Macaulay – Sherwood, Fergus McFadyen – Wilston Grange, Wyatt Greenaway – Mt Gravatt, Tom Gillett – Sherwood, Blair Humphreys – Moreton Bay, Cooper Delaney – Noosa, Patrick Snell – Wilston Grange
Suns:
Mason Field – Southport Sharks, Jezz Butler – Cairns City Lions, Lucas Snowball – Surfers Paradise Demons, Nelson Beikoff Smart -Palm Beach Currumbin Lions, Ben Brown – Broadbeach Cats, Cooper Hynes – Broadbeach Cats/ Palm Beach. Joe Kennedy – Broadbeach Cats, Harlan Oliver – Palm Beach Currumbin Lions, Lachlan Gulbin – Burleigh Bombers, Charlie Heath – Palm Beach Currumbin Lions, Max Cruse – Broadbeach Cats, William Munro – Cairns Hawks, Lawson Shirley – Broadbeach Cats, Kanye Curtis – Burleigh Bombers,
Maddox Hunt – Port Douglas Crocs, Zai Millane – Burleigh Bombers, Boston Everitt- Southport Sharks, Ty Fitzgerald – BITS Saints, Maison Stass – Labrador Tigers, Heath Seadon – Mt Gravatt Vultures, Lachlan Morrisey – Southport Sharks, Max Marsh – BITS Saints, Brock Johnston-Smith – Palm Beach Currumbin Lions, Oscar Wood – Surfers Paradise Demons.
Honourable mentions from club land
Nick Williams from Surfers Paradise, 18, finished the season as a key defender in the seniors and both he and Marlin Corbett, a Suns Academy player, would be among the top few 18-year-old players in the state.
Corbett made the NAB Allies team and the boy from the Northern Rivers is a star in the making.
Williams, a Suns academy selection, was on the Demons best player list eight times this season while Ben Woodburn was another exciting 18-year-old who was a constant livewire upfront.
Jake Selvey was another boom teen Surfers’ player, a surprise packet in his first season up from under 16s.
Selvey played the final two games in the seniors while Demons’ youngsters Jake Seccombe, Cody Nieass, Liam Thom and Joel O’Brien caught the eye.
The performance by Mt Gravatt Vultures athletic Marcus Khoo, 19, deserves a mention after he took over ruck duties when Craig Malone was injured. He and club mate Jack Torney had big seasons for young men.
Surfers Paradise would have arguably two of the top five or six 18year-olds in the state in Nick Williams and Marlin Corbett.
Malachi Dumas was another Palm Beach Currumbin player, he is a small forward with elite pace and evasive skills who is very hard to match up on.
Will Bella of Palm Beach Currumbin played a strong season for his club, winning the QAFL Rising Star award, while PBC’s Luke Cahill was the competition’s leading goal kicker this season with 41.
Maroocyhdore’s Ben Thomas showed he was a skilled half forward who could impact the scoreboard. He was also tough in the contest and won his own footy. Thomas and Alex Jacobs, a tough and reliable ball winner, and Harrison Drew, a small, developing goal kicking forward, had strong seasons as rookies.
The Cats’ Jack Rogers and Jared Eckersley have been mentioned earlier, but Broadbeach also had the likes of Cody Harrington, Jonah Semmler, Brayden Taylor, Riley Winter and Jye Lockett as next general young guns for the grand finalists, the Broachbeach Cats.
Sherwood have an array of rising rookies, including Darcy Prest, Isaac Olver, Tom Gillette, Jacinta Baldwick and Annabel Peacock and the very promising Jaydon Macaulay who, at 16 years, was captain of the Brisbane Lions Level 2 Academy Program this year, as well as a member of the entire Level 3 program which is reserved for under 19s.
Patrick Snell was also outstanding for Wilston Grange, playing for Queensland’s under 16s where he was one of the best on ground in a clash against Victoria.
And on McDonald’s SEQ Juniors grand final day, the likes of Ethan Myers (Aspley Hornets, under 16 Div 1), Riley Street (Redcliffe Tigers, under 16 Div 2), Marcello Giardina (Pacific Pines) and Matthew Hoy (Labrador, both under 16 Div 2), Ashwyn Smith (under 16 Div 3, Kenmore), Chase Winter (under 16 Div 3, Ormeau Bulldogs), Luke Mennis (under 16 Div 1, Aspley Hornets), Jacinta Baldwick (under 17 Div 1 Sherwood), Peyton Mackie (under 17 Div 2, Southport) were named Best and Fairest in their respective competitons.
The AIC’s premier Australian rules football school, St Laurence’s College, also have several young stars to watch.
Top of the tree would be Ben Morison, 15, a Brisbane Lions Academy member who was his team’s best in the Junior Male team playing in the State Final of this years AFLQ Schools Cup.
Another player who could be seen in 2023 is forward prospect Will Munro, 17, a Suns Academy player moving to St Laurence’s for the start of next year.