Brisbane AFLW stars Leah Kaslar, Sam Virgo sign with Gold Coast Suns
A civil war has erupted in Queensland footy after Gold Coast lured crosstown rival Brisbane’s captain and vice-captain to its new AFLW franchise.
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A civil war has erupted in Queensland footy after Gold Coast ripped AFLW mainstays Leah Kaslar and Sam Virgo out of the Brisbane Lions.
Brisbane was stunned when it was told by captain Kaslar and vice-captain Virgo they would be joining the Gold Coast.
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While the pair are coming towards the end of their careers and Brisbane could not match what Gold Coast will pay the two defenders, the same cannot be said for Lions academy graduate Jacqui Worsten, whose shock defection has rocked the club.
Relations between the two clubs are always heightened in the lead-up to a Q-Clash and the tensions before this year’s Round 6 derby have bubbled to the surface already with Brisbane coach Chris Fagan putting Suns’ noses out of joint by refusing to take part in a joint media conference next week to promote the game at Metricon Stadium.
The Lions’ AFLW exodus is not confined to Gold Coast with Sabrina Frederick-Traub, Cate McCarthy and Nat Exon also looking for new homes.
It comes after they lost four players last year to expansion club North Melbourne from the side that played in back-to-back grand finals and golden girl Tayla Harris to Carlton after their debut season.
Brisbane always knew the Suns would come after them when they appointed former Lions AFLW assistant coach David Lake as their inaugural head coach.
Gold Coast has already signed Paige Parker, Tori Groves-Little, Yorsten, Kaslar and Virgo, and Suns insiders say there are more to come.
Yorston was drafted to the Lions in 2018 and played four matches in her debut season.
The inside midfielder earnt an AFLW Rising Star nomination with a 12-disposal and eight-tackle outing in Round 6.
The 18-year-old then backed it up the next week with 21 disposals and nine tackles.
She said her strong bond with Lake was the driving force behind her decision to switch allegiances.
“I want a coach that believes in me and wants me to do good and will tell me if I’m not performing and tell me if I am,” she said.
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