Olympic dreaming: 20 AFL, NRL, netball stars that could take on flag football quarterback position

Flag football is on the radar after an Olympics berth and the hunt is on for two quarterbacks to lead the way. We look at 20 men and women who could switch codes and lead the charge in 2028.

Who will fill the roles of quarterback for Australia in flag football at the Olympic Games?

It’s the most important position in world sport – the quarterback.

Wins equate to big money NFL contracts, MVP honours and adoration of fans, while losses put them firmly in the hot seat.

No other role faces more scrutiny.

With the addition of flag football to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles 2028 and a home Olympics in Brisbane fast approaching, we look at some of the names who could fill the coveted quarterback role on the big stage.

MEN

We saw great signs from both Matthew Krul and Bartholomew Foley as they helped Australia to finish fourth in Malaysia at the Asia-Oceania Championships. They showed a lot of potential in the country’s first major tournament and that will put them in good stead in the coming years.

Burning desire?: Nathan Cleary launches a gridiron style pass. Picture: AAP Image/Brendan Esposito

Could they pull off the biggest coup in Australian sporting history and bring Nathan Cleary over the to the sport? He’s done it all in the game of rugby league at such a young age and would be 31 by the time LA comes around. Reece Walsh is a poster boy for the NRL and as a young talent with a good long ball on him, there are worse ideas than throwing a blank cheque at him.

Scott Pendlebury would be 40 and 44 by the time LA and Brisbane are upon us respectively, but who’s to say the Collingwood champion couldn’t defy father time? Has a great handball and would be elusive in the pocket. Did you know he used to play basketball too? Ben Cunnington is regarded as one of the best handballers in the AFL. With the North Melbourne star announcing his retirement, the allure of preparing for an Olympics could be enough to make him think twice. Brisbane’s Lincoln McCarthy mightn’t be the tallest, but his pace and ability to get rid of the ball makes him a genuine option.

Lincoln McCarthy has proven an evasive player for Brisbane in the AFL. Photo: Matt King/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

William McDowell-White is a smooth player in the NBL for the New Zealand Breakers, and his skills as a pure point guard could translate nicely.

The same could be said for Quade Cooper, the former Wallaby who was controversially overlooked for the World Cup. If they want a gunslinger, look no further.

Oztag Australian open men’s vice captain Ben Hupton came through the lower grade ranks with St George in league and his bullet passes should be a massive green flag.

WOMEN

Casey Cubis is the current incumbent for the role, leading Australia to a second-placed finish at the Asia-Oceania Championships. She’s been the long-term first choice for the gridiron national team as well. Will the carrot of an Olympics keep the Denver Bandits talent going until Los Angeles?

Dani de Groot was her back-up and the current NSW quarterback certainly will be in the frame if she too pushes on towards 2028.

GWS Netball centre Amy Sligar has a great overhead pass. Photo: Sarah Reed/Getty Images

Crossing codes, Amy Sligar is an up and coming centre for Giants Netball, who at just 21 years of age would enter her prime for tilts at Los Angeles and Brisbane. Liz Watson is a long-time national player who could have an impact as a pocket passer. She’s a classy WA/C who can throw passes on a dime.

If they wanted to take a basketball approach, nobody is better at finding teammates than Southside WNBL guard Leilani Mitchell. She could hit receivers short or long. Jade Melbourne is a 21-year-old who has played in the WNBA before returning home to lead the league in assists.

Tarryn Aiken and Taliah Fuimaono are among the best halves in women’s rugby league, both are agile, fit and have age on their side.

Monique Conti has one of the most efficient handballs in AFLW. Photo: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Monique Conti is the best player in the AFLW and has proven herself as one of Australia’s top dual-code athletes with her basketball career as well. Who’s to say she can’t become a tri-code star?

Oztag has a big crossover in skills with flag football, and current Australian women’s opens captain Chelsea Cryer is someone who could make that transition. The Cronulla talent dominates the middle of the field.