Meet the 2025 under-16 girls Suns Academy stars
The daughter of an AFL Hall of Famer, sister of a current Gold Coast Suns AFLW gun and a bottom-age all-Australian star highlight the stacked Gold Coast Suns under-16 girls academy program. Discover the top prospects and strengths of all 32 stars here.
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Several potential AFLW stars have made their mark in this year’s Gold Coast Suns Academy under-16 girls squad.
From young guns already playing at under-18 level, to relatives of current and former AFL/AFLW stars, this year’s under-16 class will be a force to be reckoned with when they become eligible for the AFLW draft.
Meet the future stars of the AFLW below.
Ella Ballantyne
The Burleigh Bombers junior is a key forward who demonstrates strong football IQ and clever leading patterns.
She reads the play well and has strong fundamental skills which she displays in front of goal.
Remmy Bradley
A bottom-age midfielder who was awarded best on ground against South Pacific.
Bradley is reliable with the ball on the outside and always makes the right decision.
Eliza Davenport
A hard running wing who works deep into defence.
Davenport explodes with ball in hand and uses the ball effectively by foot.
She also demonstrates strong leadership skills.
Harriet Howe
An explosive midfielder who can exit congestion cleanly while also applying strong tackle pressure.
Howe has a neat kick and is dangerous around goal.
Ally McKenzie
A talented young footballer with a huge aerobic base.
She is an exciting two-way player with an unrivalled workrate and has a knack of finding space.
Lily Moana
A highly talented and exciting prospect, Moana attained all-Australian honours in 2025 as a bottom age player.
She is an explosive midfielder who carries the ball at speed and is able to break lines, while also using that speed on transition to work defensively.
Rosie Ross
Ross is a dynamic threat who can play in the ruck, at centre half-forward or as a midfielder.
Her aerial game is a class above as she takes several pack marks.
Excitingly, she matches her height with impressive athleticism and can win her own ball at ground level.
Tigerlily Nixon
As tough as they come, this hard working halfback/midfielder rarely loses a one-on-one contest.
Once she wins the football, she makes good decisions through her vision and understanding of time versus pressure.
Kadara Scott
Scott is an exciting versatile talent who can play as a defender and a forward.
Hailing from North Queensland, there are several levels to her game as she played tall and small opponents in the National Carnival while also pinch-hitting forward kicking goals against the Brisbane Lions.
Mena Warria
A North Queensland rugby convert in 2025 who has exploded onto the scene.
Warria announced herself to the AFL world when she kicked a bag of six goals against the Brisbane Lions.
Mistee Sagigi
A composed yet competitive midfielder-halfback from North Queensland who has shown incredible development over the past 12 months.
Sagigi’s greatest weapon is her unrivalled ability to apply defensive pressure then explode through congestion.
Renee Ford
A North Queensland defender who shows poise in the contest, Ford consistently wins contests across half back and move the ball with forward.
She is a multi-sport athlete with a high ceiling.
Sarah Bailey
An athletic wing who has a strong football IQ.
Bailey can read the play early and provides excellent shape at the contest to receive the ball and damage the opposition by hand or foot.
Allegra Bandiera
A developing ruck who had an injury interrupted season.
When fit Bandiera dominated the hit-outs through her ruck craft and technique, while also impacting at ground level with her speed.
Another exciting player with a massive ceiling.
Harper Briggs
Briggs is a ruck-forward who has strong hands overhead.
She has made her mark with several pivotal plays this year.
Olivia Brown
Following in the footsteps of her Hall of Famer father Jonathan, Olivia Brown is a hard-running half-forward who has several tricks to her game.
She can find space and expose her opponents if they’re caught ball watching and regularly makes her mark on the scoreboard.
Stephanie Brown
A key defender who is able to close space quickly.
The Palm Beach Currumbin junior locked down her opponents in several matches this season and with increased game-time, is expected to further develop her craft and become a strong defender.
Allie Cameron
A powerful midfielder who does all the hard work on the inside of the contest and can drive to the outside using her explosive speed.
Cameron is a tackling machine and can close space rapidly due to her beach sprint background.
Emmie Chudley
A netball convert who quickly adapted as a key forward in the program.
Her forward craft has been impressive and she can also chip in as a key defender when required.
Billie Cook
A fundamentally strong footballer who uses the ball extremely well.
Cook moved from half forward to the midfield by the National Carnival due to her ability to use the ball effectively.
Grace Cooper
Cooper is a key defender who reads the play exceptionally well.
Her ability to claim intercept marks was a real highlight early in the program and she is a dynamic option who can be deployed as a ruck or key forward.
Charlee Gardner
A clever small forward who connects well by hand.
Gardner’s ability to see what others can’t and release quickly is a real highlight of her game.
Payton Heyward
A hard running halfback who sets up the play from behind the ball.
Heyward has shown her proactivity to read the play early by making the ground big on transition and hurt the opposition.
Imogen Hine
Hine is a halfback who has shown promising signs despite battling injuries.
She returned for the final match of the season against Western Australia where she played as a small forward and took multiple marks inside 50.
Shayla McDonald
A determined and consistent rebounding defender who was able to lock down and nullify opponents, while also setting up offence through good decision making and making the ground big.
Tara Nieass
An athletic and explosive athlete who is aggressive around the contest, Nieass had an injury interrupted under-16s program.
However, she made up for lost time and played for the Suns under-18s for the majority of the season as a key ruck-forward.
Jade Radford
An explosive wing who has strong defensive traits.
Radford’s ability to close down space and apply immense defensive pressure is a real highlight of her game.
Nikki Sandeman
A classy wing who uses her speed and high football IQ to position herself effectively on the outside.
She uses the ball as well as any player in the program.
Asia Single
The younger sister of Suns Academy graduate Lucy Single, Asia is a powerful and tall inside midfielder.
She has starred at both under-16 and under-18 level and has all the key fundamentals needed to succeed in the future with her strength in the contest at ground level and in the air.
Tobi Skalij
A professional at a young age who leaves no stone unturned in her pursuit for excellence. Skalij developed into a critical component of the midfield mix through her explosive contest work.
Kayley Vieth
A small forward who also spent time as a rebounding defender.
Vieth has a clever left foot and can open up play while also hitting the scoreboard.
Piper McDonald
A powerful and hard running midfielder who can also be used as a utility.
McDonald has worked hard on her kicking game and has turned this into a key weapon of hers.
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