QAFL Colts first bounce in round 1 will feature these young guns
QAFL colts: Who were the key players set to spearhead their teams in footy this season? We name 45 young guns who can’t wait for the first bounce in round 1 on Saturday.
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Another bumper season footy looms large on the horizon as teams prepare for the QAFL colts opening premiership bout on April 6.
Round 1 will feature:
Aspley v Broadbeach,
Redland-Victoria Point v Maroochydore
Morningside v Labrador
Noosa v Surfers Paradise
Mt Gravatt v Sherwood
Ahead of round 1 and the commencement of our Here we present 45 key Players to Watch ahead of Saturday’s first bounce. Watch for our weekly story on the competition.
Broadbeach
Harry Gwynne
Yes, he’s back. One of the premier players in the 2023 season, Gwynne returns to spearhead the Cats’ campaign. He is a tough on ball player who can also play down back. He is the type of player who leads by example.
Kia Covino
Every team needs someone like Covino, don’t they, a solid defender who is as reliable as the day is long. He played for the Gold Coast Suns in last season’s AFL National Development Championships under-16 matches.
Liam Thorn
A tall, strong forward, Thorn is noted for his ability to grab a big mark and will be a tremendous asset to the club.
Olli Wollie
Feeding the likes of Thorn, mentioned above, will be the skilled on ballplayer Wollie who knows how to use the ball.
Aspley Hornets
Alex Migus
A wingman, Migus runs as hard as anyone in the competition. He is also capable of setting up play for others as well and is a great asset.
Cambell Harrop
One of the competition’s top players last season, Harrop is back, wiser and more experienced which spells danger for the opposition. He is a midfielder or forward, someone with class. A left footer, the local junior has a high Footy IQ and is tough on the inside.
Duncan Lewis
Lewis will again be a tremendous enhancement to the Hornets’ campaign from the ruck or when he plays forward. Lewis has a great leap, is athletic and has strong overhead.
Morningside
Ryley Egan
An inside midfield, he missed half of 2023 through injury. He will be a more experienced member of the competition, turning 19 this year and has been named captain. The local junior from just across the ridge from Esplen Oval is the type of player who could push for senior selection this season.
Matt Robson
Carrying a big body into the half back line is Robson, senior player who uses the ball well. He will be Egan’s vice-captain and is another who could push for selection as the year progresses.
Joey Wilson
One of the Panthers’ best last season when he earned a couple of competition wide Best and Fairest votes, the 19-year-old will take a senior role into the season. He will play in the midfield.
Sam Macinnis
One of the younger members of the squad - the recently turned 17-year-old will be looking for a breakout season. He has great skills and running power off the half back line
Wilston Grange
Ryan Lewis
The Gorillas’ captain, Lewis, will be a competitive beast in the mid field, winning his one-on-one battles. He is a skipper who will lead from the front.
Lucas Keramidopoulas
A backman who reads the play well, Keramidopoulas has earned a reputation as a great intercept marker. He will also win many one-on-one battles as well.
Aston Wilson
As reliable as the day was long in 2023, Wilson is back for season 2024. A backman, Wilson has a great mark and elite skills.
Marcus Zipf
Ruckman Zipf was one of the players of the competition in 2023. He can dominate at centre bounces and stoppages with his tap work, while around the field he also has a great mark and also reads the play well.
Redland-Victoria Point
Bailey Burrows
A mid field player, Burrows has tremendous footy smarts and is a terrific leader of the pack.
Oliver Dell
Watch for key defender Dell to snare an intercept as the season unfolds. He is the type of player who is rarely beaten one on one.
Matt Owens
A skilled outside mid field player, Owens is renowned for his use of the ball. The Lions have him in their academy.
Brodie Burke
Young for this age group, Burke is so impressive he has already featured in a senior reserves practice game. He is a kid with a big body who has an ability to change the game off his own boot.
Sherwood
Alex Peacock
One of the players of the season in 2023, the athletic Peacock will play through the middle having had a great pre-season.
Jack Cockeral
Centre half back Cockeral had a great season last year and has showed up for 2024 offering plenty. He has shown some great stuff intercepting the ball and rebounding it.
Jack Slater
A big bodied midfielder with great aggression at the contest, Slater also has a lethal kick.
Jack Harrison
A dynamic forward, he is renowned by his peers to be a great all around player.
Noosa
Harry Caspers
A small forward or midfield player, Caspers is a high pressure forward with elite tackling and a keen goal sense. Caspers, who once played soccer successfully for the Coolum Penguins, will no doubt play senior football sometime this season as well.
Jai Mure
The midfielder-forward is a tough, hard in and under type who finds his own footy and hits the scoreboard. From St Teresa’s College, he has an exciting future with Noosa.
Ethan Slaney
Key back Slaney is a modern footy defender who can also put off an intercept mark. He has great hands, is a mature player for his age and knows his way around the field. Slaney was coming off a big pre-season campaign.
Henrik Baltzer
The forward or ruckman has improved out of sight during the pre-season because of the hard work he was prepared to put in. He drives from Gympie to train and play which highlights his commitment. Baltzer has been a tremendous asset to the club.
Jasper Delaney-Taylor
Delaney-Taylor was as dedicated as they come, a competitive ball winning half back who won’t lose a one-on-one contest. He recently featured in a senior practise match which was a great experience.
Maroochydore
Isaac Waller
When he returns from the Lions academy, the big ruckman will be one of the key forwards if the side is to win the 2024 flag. Still eligible for the under-17s, the Siena Catholic College product is tall but has the skills of a midfielder. His tap work and work rate around the ground is second to none.
Jayden Banks
One of the Roos bigger back line players, Banks is noted for his intercept marking, toughness and his all around footy. He is also a tackling machine.
Tom Holden
New to the club from the footy mad region of Wagga Wagga in south west New South Wales, Holden brings that country boy toughness to the squad. He will play midfield where he will be a strong tackler, hard at the ball and someone who just wins the footy.
Mt Gravatt
Cody Finlay
A ruck or forward, Finlay is new to the club but has made up for lost time, making every moment count. He is a tall ruckman who can deliver the ball to the Vultures’ mid fielders.
Cailen Campbell
A half back or mid field player, Campbell has a penetrating left foot kick. His work from half back is second to none.
Jack Kalan
A prolific ball winner with skill to match, Kalan just keeps developing his game. Such is his progress, he should earn higher honours as the season progresses.
Isaac Solomon
A midfield or wing exponent, Solomon can run all day. He is super fit and can move both ways on a footy field. His attack is remarkable and he is another in line for higher honours at some stage in 2024.
Surfers Paradise
James Carrigan
Carrigan is an exceptional prospect who has played representative water polo. But he is back in footy, and with a big pre-season under his belt, we can expect to see his evasive running and power through the middle of the ground.
Lachlan Morrissey
A long breaking midfielder or half back, Morrissey loves to take the game on. He has a basket full of skills, that’s for sure.
Ben Leeds
An elite running talent, Leeds’ talents have been showcased in the Suns Academy. His decision making with the ball in hand is at an elite level as well.
Lachie Doherty
A power forward who has had a monstrous pre-season. This has taken his running ability to a new level although it is his ability to take a pack mark that sets him apart from the rest.
Labrador
Leo Johnston
One of the group’s best last season, he brings his strong body into the mid field contests where he will always be hard at the footy. Johnstone will also go back into defence.
Hunter O’Brien
Watch for this strong marking, mobile half back from the northern Gold Coast. Don’t be surprised to see him go forward as well.
Flynn Moore
A hard working, non-nonsense forward with a magnificent overhead mark. He also brings pressure to the forward line.
Bailey Ingham
A big mid field player who is always hard at the ball. He will also go forward and kick goals for the Labrador side.
Cohen Firth
A small forward who is clever around the goals. He is a creative type of player who takes his opportunities. He is a great enhancement to Labrador, coming to the club from the Mackay district.
Alex Phyland
A forward from the Darling Downs region, Warwick Redbacks junior Phyland is known for being a strong overhead marker who leads hard. He is a versatile type who can also play in the mid field.
Palm Beach Currumbin
Luca Laverde
Powerful key defender who had a great season for the Palm Beach Colts in 2023 and will be hoping to press for selection in the Seniors in 2024. Strong overhead and in one-on-one contests, Laverde is a team leader who holds the defence together while also being capable of launching attacking forays.
Tyrell Bee
Robust and livewire midfielder-half forward-winger who has spent plenty of time in the Gold Coast Suns Academy system. Bee has a strong overhead mark and can be dangerous around goals.
Rory Withers
A big bodied, bustling utility player, Withers is equally at home playing in a key forward or defensive role as he is playing on the ball. He has speed as well as size and the ability to intimidate the opposition with his physical approach.
Bailey Rawson
An under-17 eligible player who has also come through the Gold Coast Suns Academy system, Rawson is expected to see game time in the Palm Beach Colts this season. Primarily an inside midfielder who is strong and clean over the ball, he can also go forward a kick a goal as a small forward.
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