AFLQ Schools Cup finals 2024: Top 100 players from Queensland finals
The AFLQ Schools Cup state finals have come to a close after a number of nail biting matches. Discover the star players from every single division now.
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The 2024 AFLQ Schools Cup champions have been crowned after three thrilling days of action on the Sunshine Coast.
Gold Coast sporting behemoth Palm Beach Currumbin took home all four secondary titles for the second straight year while Marymount and St Vincent’s claimed silverware in the primary divisions.
A number of senior players stamped their feet as leading draft prospects while junior players highlighted their names as players to watch.
Discover the full list of standout stars from all three days below.
Primary Female
Matilda Smith (Marymount Primary School)
Smith returned to the primary female grand final for the second straight year and was awarded best on ground for the second straight year. The Marymount captain, who is also the daughter of NRL legend Cameron Smith, booted four goals in her side’s 54-8 victory over Banksia Beach.
Sophie Ledren (Marymount Primary School)
Ledren was awarded her team’s MVP award at the end of the tournament for a series of impressive displays on Friday and Saturday. Despite being a year five student, Ledren showed great skill with the footy and should be a player to keep an eye on over the coming years.
Charli Campbell and Bella Gallagher (Marymount Primary School)
Marymount were the clear top team in the primary female division and the added firepower from their vice-captains were a key reason for their success. Campbell and Gallagher were solid across the board and produced a number of big effort plays when their side needed them.
Mabel Kenny (Westside Christian College)
Continuously did the one per cent effort plays really well on both sides of the ball. She cleared the ball out well and got her side going forward out wide.
Lucy Fay (Westside Christian College)
Was a strong, ball winning ruckman that led her team well as captain.
Millie Huggett (Ryan Catholic College)
Was always hard at the ball and a very trustworthy player for her teammates. Made very little mistakes all carnival in attack and defence.
Milla Creenaune (Ryan Catholic College)
Was a go getter for her side as she battled through injury on the final day but still stood out as a key player. Creenaune showed great link up play and support for her teammates.
Willow Macdonald (Mango Hill State School)
A tenacious midfielder that was always competing for the ball. The Mango Hill captain was always running and led her inexperienced side with pride.
Omika Sharma (Mango Hill State School)
Had never played the sport of Aussie rules before but has shown great commitment to improving her skills. She was a great tackler and should take plenty of experience away from this tournament.
Monty Lawrie (St Vincent’s Primary School)
A talented dancer that had never played Aussie rules before, Lawrie gave everything a red hot crack and improved out of sight since the beginning of the tournament.
Annabelle Wall (Banksia Beach State School)
Picked up her side’s MVP award thanks to her pace with the footy, elusive footwork, tackle pressure and contested possessions. Wall was a standout from the get go and carried her top form throughout the carnival.
Havanna Taddio (Banksia Beach State School)
The Banksia captain filled a great overall midfield role with her exciting play style. Taddio showed speed on both sides of the ball and a great footy IQ that rubbed off on her teammates.
Torr Langford (Banksia Beach State School)
The Banksia vice-captain was super composed every time she got her hands on the footy. Langford had a great balance of skills and a standout overhead marking ability.
Talia Cvetkovski (Peregian Springs State School)
Peregian were a very solid well-rounded side but there is no doubt that their captain, Cvetkovski, was a standout performer. The talented midfielder flicked a switch when she entered the game and chants of ‘beast mode’ quickly rang around the coaches box. Cvetkovski would be running like she was about to go through a brick wall as she was tough at the contest, had a huge booming kick and loved to take the game on.
Skye Halson (Mooloolaba State School)
Halson, the Mooloolaba captain, picked up the team MVP award after a stellar all round carnival presence. She showed great communication, slick skills with the footy and knowledge of the game.
Frances Griffiths (Mooloolaba State School)
A bottom age student, Griffiths slotted into the midfield and was a constant pest for opposition players. She was great on the ball, super tough and a great tackler.
Angel Matanimeke (Mooloolaba State School)
Only arrived in Australia from Fiji three months ago and after never hearing of the sport before, took to the game like a duck to water. Matanimeke is a natural athlete and her adaptability shone through extremely quickly thanks to her speed, booming kick and physical attributes.
Primary Male
Tate Evans (Windaroo State School)
Wss simply Mr consistent for his side from start to finish. Evans created space for his teammates and got the ball moving forward with ease.
Bailin Bruce (Windaroo State School)
The Windaroo captain produced standout performances game after game. Bruce excelled at getting his teammates the footy and led by example on both sides of the ball.
Eli-Arthur Dougherty (Windaroo State School)
Despite his size in comparison to his opposite number, Dougherty won his fair share of hit outs at the ruck. He was competitive at every bounce and laid a solid platform for his attacking weapons.
Daniel Hawkes (Emmanuel College)
The Emmanuel captain, who is also a Surfers Paradise club star, was a standout midfielder of the competition. Hawkes was hard at the ball and ran his guts out all tournament.
Josiah Tadulala (Emmanuel College)
A rugby league convert, Tadulala picked up his team’s MVP award after showing his key physicality and fitness levels. Tadulala was exceptional in the contest and looks to be a promising athlete on the rise.
Ethan McFall (Emmanuel College)
Another rugby league convert, McFall showed great skills with the footy playing as a defensive back. McFall’s coaches compared him to Harris Andrews and rightly so as the Emmanuel College star racked up a number of intercept marks throughout the tournament.
Ben Barradeen (St Mary’s Primary School)
The St Mary’s captain played every minute of every game and still looked like he could’ve gone again after his side’s final match. Barradeen kicked goals, defended with intensity and controlled the midfield extremely well.
George Creedy (St Mary’s Primary School)
A bottom age player, Creedy was the energiser bunny for his side on and off the field. He ran with purpose and tackled hard all game.
Muloki Eteru, Caleb North and Max Tuxworth (Whitfield State School)
All three players in their own right were key pillars for the side in attack and defence. North led the way with the captains armband while Eteru finished as his side’s MVP.
Jackson Bush (St Laurence’s College)
Produced a dominant performance across the carnival playing predominantly in the middle. Bush had multiple highlights including big marks and great goals.
Ben Bruce (St Laurence’s College)
A tough in and under player who kept his head over the ball all carnival. Bruce was a vital part of a strong St Laurence’s midfield.
Lewis Langton (St Laurence’s College)
Langton was the ultimate team player with great skills. He was strong at ground level, often beating players one-on-one who were much larger in stature.
Angus Halloran (Siena Catholic Primary School)
The Sunshine Coast school made a return to the state finals after a three-year absence and Halloran was a key reason for their performances. The Queensland state representative proved his worth in the midfield as a key threat on both sides of the ball.
Hudson Bourne (Siena Catholic Primary School)
Bourne started the year having never played a game of Aussie rules but quickly finished as one of his team’s leading performers. Bourne slotted into the midfield with ease but showed his key traits wherever necessary with key goals, big smothers and big tackles.
Ben Clayton (Peregian Springs State School)
Loved attacking the ball no matter how many opposition players were in front of him. Clayton was fearless in defence coming up with a number of big tackles and turnovers for his side.
Carter Best (Peregian Springs State School)
Was Peregian’s leader and a player that never gave up until the final siren. He played every game with intent and bought each of his teammates into the game really well.
Angus Merlo (Peregian Springs State School)
A younger student, Merlo played on ball and chased his heart out every game. He never gave the opposition time to think and was a key reason for many of Peregian’s attacking sequences.
Reuben Hyde (Padua College)
Hyde finished as Padua’s MVP for the tournament. He provided great spatial awareness and marking presence through the middle or on the wing.
Theodore Delbridge, Tom Brightwell and Louis Inglis (Padua College)
The Padua defensive backline was immense in the finals, with a standout performance of Friday where they leaked just 27 points in their four matches. The trio worked really well together and stood tall when their team needed it.
Lenny Collins, Harrison De Young, Zac Davis and Cooper Ide (Padua College)
Collins and De Young Were both really strong in the midfield, producing great field territory for their side and they capitalised on scoring opportunities well. They were well accompanied by Zac Davis and Cooper Ide who booted a number of goals up forward.
Jude Thompson (Villanova College)
The Villanova captain was huge for his side’s second place finish. Thompson was a key midfield threat and led his side really well.
Angus Shand (Villanova College)
A damaging ruckman that worked tirelessly at the contest and off the footy. Shand used his height and big boot to the best of his advantage.
Oliver Symons and Frederick Carter (Villanova College)
Symons was very solid at centre half back, getting his side going forward with speed and accuracy. Carter, the Villanova vice-captain, showed his huge motor as a great in and under ball winner.
Kai Rischitelli (St Vincent’s Primary School)
Was awarded best on ground in his side’s grand final win over Villanova, capping off a stellar tournament all round. Rischitelli could turn on a dime and showed a cracking left footy boot.
Kai Glenane (St Vincent’s Primary School)
The St Vincent’s ruckman was a big body in the middle of the park. He recorded plenty of touches and contested possessions which allowed him to get the edge over his opposite number.
Mason Febey (St Vincent’s Primary School)
A tough as nails player who punched above his weight extremely well. Febey was a jet in the midfield or up forward where he kicked two crucial goals in the grand final.
Junior Female
Ava Cavino (Marymount College)
The Marymount captain was always hard at the ball no matter what stage the game was at. She excelled at getting the footy and her team moving forward with a great long kick. Cavino set a great clean example for her side all tournament.
Holly Larkin (Marymount College)
Larkin was a standout during the SEQ finals at Carrara and she continued her impressive form at Maroochydore. Her clean hands, speed and goal sneak ability was crucial for her side’s performances and a major reason why they were contenders for the title.
Maye Naylor and Florence Coryndon (Marymount College)
Naylor was a dominant force wherever the coaches needed her on the field. Her footy smarts and use of the footy ensured she always picked out a player in space. Coryndon was a very steady and safe defender that was rarely beaten all carnival.
Jade Radford, Tobi Skalij and Charlee Gardner (Varsity College)
Co-captains Radford and Skalij were joined by vice-captain Gardner as Marymount’s top performers from Maroochydore. The trio led from the front all season long and were the clear top three players on Friday and Sunday.
Rosie Ross (Palm Beach Currumbin State High School)
A true fan favourite, Ross was immense in her side’s 40 point grand final victory over Varsity College. Ross was awarded best on ground slotting in as a key position player on either side of the ball. She showed great skill with the footy and is definitely a talented player on the rise.
Lily Moana and Mia Hokins (Palm Beach Currumbin State High School)
Co-captains Moana and Hokins were pivotal for their side on Friday and Sunday. Moana was awarded her side’s MVP award for her brilliant ability to burst away from the contest before laying a beautiful kick to her teammates.
Tigerlily Nixon (Palm Beach Currumbin State High School)
A hard, tough and competitive player. Nixon was a roadblock in the middle and a constant headache for defenders all tournament.
Ksenia Dear (St Margaret Mary’s College)
Produced great long penetrating kicks from the backline and showed great determination at the contest. Dear was a friendly bully for her side as an in and under player.
Isabella Robertson (St Margaret Mary’s College)
Stepped up to play in the ruck at Maroochydore which was unfamiliar territory for Robertson but not many would’ve known. She grew in confidence with every hit out and was a key piece in attack for her side.
Junior Male
Jake Gibbons (Brisbane South State Secondary College)
Gibbons was his side’s MVP after their impressive underdog performance at Maroochydore. Despite his side he proved to be a very versatile ruckman who used his body extremely effectively.
Jackson Noble (Brisbane South State Secondary College)
A key midfielder, it was rare for the footy not to be in Noble’s hands. He used it extremely well to launch an attack or slow the game down and retain possession.
Drew Howlett (Brisbane South State Secondary College)
Howlett was easily one of the cleanest players with the ball across all six divisions. He picked his targets well and was hard to contain on both sides of the ball.
Jackson Kernick (Padua College)
Was contained as best as possible against Brisbane South but Kernick responded with professionalism against Trinity Bay in their 60 point third place-playoff win. Kernick booted seven majors and was running riot all game.
Kalen Breen and Kaiden Bellero (Padua College)
Breen and Bellero were key cogs for the Brisbane based school in both attack and defence. Both players excelled in communication to their teammates and always had time and space when they got their hands on the footy.
Kodi Wallace (Palm Beach Currumbin State High School)
A simple addition to this list, Wallace was a standout midfielder on Friday and Sunday who won plenty of stoppages and always looked to get the ball moving forward. The Australian under-15 schoolboys representative is definitely a name to keep close tabs on.
Zac Gale (Palm Beach Currumbin State High School)
Could kick goals, win the ruck battle, slot into the midfield and practically anything else his team needed. Gale was labelled ‘Mr Versatile’ by his coaches and was a key player in his side’s run to the title.
Manti Eteru (Trinity Bay State High School)
A high level rugby league player, Eteru got his first taste of Aussie rules football this tournament and excelled as a natural athlete. His hunger and mentality to improve was evident and would give his all until the siren sounded. Showed great maturity against the top teams.
Nate Lillie (Trinity Bay State High School)
The Trinity Bay captain led his inexperienced side extremely well through his actions and field presence. Lillie played multiple positions and had great reward for effort across the carnival.
Zebb Mitchell (Trinity Bay State High School)
Only a year eight student, Mitchell was small and slightly built but worked his backside off every game. He loved to take the game on even when the scoreboard wasn’t in his side’s favour. Pushed through bigger-bodied defenders and played a great ground game.
Senior Female
Havana Harris (Varsity College)
The Bond QAFLW talent and AFLW draft fancy continued to shine against the top teams. Her pure athleticism was far too much to handle at the contest and could flick her team into a counter attack extremely quickly.
Annabelle Float (Varsity College)
Joined with Harris as the Varsity co-captains, Float picked up her side’s MVP award thanks to her precision and calmness with the ball. She tackled well and showed plenty of fitness all carnival.
Maya Bovalino (St Teresa’s Catholic College)
Had safe hands at the back and was very solid and composed when picking her wide target players. Bovalino was bumped around by some bigger bodied forwards but she punched above her weight and was a key reason for St Teresa’s success.
Raffael Baviello (St Teresa’s Catholic College)
Was a standout at Carrara and looked to have improved to another level on her home deck. Baviello was a beast in the midfield, locking down key opposition players before effortlessly transitioning into attack. Is a player to keep an eye on.
Ayla Airdrie and Remi Baviello (St Teresa’s Catholic College)
Airdrie, a super strong and smart footballer grew from strength to strength throughout the carnival. She no doubt finished as one of her side’s top performers each match and would unsurprisingly be joined by Baviello. Remi, the twin sister of Raffael, was a standout player on both sides of the ball.
Charlotte McLean (The Cathedral College)
Had a huge motor and shined when her team was under the pump. McLean, who has limited experience as an Aussie rules player with an oztag and touch football background, always got her team moving and showed a good sense of footy IQ.
Gabby Edwards (The Cathedral College)
Only recently returned to the Aussie rules arena after her efforts as a triathlete but Edwards was a key performer and racked up plenty of touches of the footy. Despite the wet, slippery and tough conditions, Edwards was her side’s best on ground in their third place playoff against St Teresa’s.
Reese Anderson and Jessica Large (The Cathedral College)
Anderson was very rarely beaten one-on-one down back and down the opposite end, Large glided past her defensive matchup.
Ava Maher (Palm Beach Currumbin State High School)
Had great, silky skills with the footy and was a livewire player on and off the ball. She had a great set shot routine and capitalised on attacking plays for her side.
Mia Salisbury (Palm Beach Currumbin State High School)
Salisbury was a key difference in PBC’s state final victory as she displayed great spatial awareness and picked her targets with ease. The fan favourite took home the best on ground award in their grand final win over Varsity College.
Riley Perrett (Palm Beach Currumbin State High School)
Was a clear standout on Friday as Perrett used her body strength extremely well to get the best of her opposition number. Her efforts off the ball resulted in quick turnovers for her side.
Izzy McPherson (Palm Beach Currumbin State High School)
Picked up her side’s MVP award for the tournament as a crucial attacking and defensive weapon. McPherson was reliable with the ball in hand and controlled the flow of the game really well.
Senior Male
Ashlon Prindable (St Laurence’s College)
Was a huge attacking threat all carnival, taking his chances well and presenting as a clean, strong inside midfield player. Was able to get out of trouble with ease and converted his opportunities in front of the sticks.
Jack Cosgrove (St Laurence’s College)
A tall, strong centre half back, Cosgrove could play tall or small. He showed he reads the game well and was strong in the air.
Harry Graham (St Laurence’s College)
A new player in the St Laurence’s senior team, Graham was smooth to watch on the ball. He looked like a player that could move in slow motion and was a key threat at half forward.
Hayden Hall (Padua College)
Was a damaging ruckman and a key target up forward. He had safe hands despite his size and could change direction well before putting the ball on his beaming right boot.
Thomas Waters and Ryan McPherson (Padua College)
Waters was solid across both days as was McPherson who contested the midfield really well.
Jai Murray (Palm Beach Currumbin State High School)
Was awarded best on ground in the grand final as a true senior leader for his side. Murray also picked up his side’s MVP award and is already regarded as a star on the rise.
Cooper Hynes (Palm Beach Currumbin State High School)
Hynes missed the back half of the club season but was the clear difference on Friday and Sunday for PBC. He showed great ability to win the ball and was class when he got it in his hands.
Jez Butler (Palm Beach Currumbin State High School)
Butler, a Cairns product that moved down to PBC off his own bat, had a goal of improving his footy and he certainly achieved that through his performances over the weekend. A very impressive and mature player.
Mitchell Hurst (St Augustine’s College)
Hurst, an on-ball midfielder, led the way as captain and showed he read the game extremely well. He put his all into every contest and was effective with the ball in hand.
Jack-Levi Hume (St Augustine’s College)
Hume set the tone early on Friday and carried his good form into Sunday’s clash against Padua College. He got plenty of turnovers for his side and was a tackling machine.
Fred Seccull and Justin Langham (St Augustine’s College)
Seccull was a defensive menace that hounded the opposition and picked up a number of turnovers for his side. Langham controlled the backline really well and stood tall against attacking threats.
Originally published as AFLQ Schools Cup finals 2024: Top 100 players from Queensland finals
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