We breakdown Gold Coast’s 2024 U18 women's academy squad with an eye to the future
The Gold Coast Suns under-18 women’s academy is littered with future AFLW stars and we’ve run the rule over each player. Discover the profiles.
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From Northern New South Wales to Logan, Gladstone to Cape York, and the Darwin metropolitan area, the Suns academies span much of Australia’s north.
As a result, they also develop many of the its finest Aussie rules talents.
With an eye to the future, this masthead will be breaking down all of the 2024 Gold Coast academy squads, analysing the key traits of every player and identifying the sought after draft prospects.
Today, we run the rule over the Suns’ under-18 women’s talents, with many hoping to be drafted to AFLW lists in the near future.
Earlier in the year, the academy played four Coates Talent League games and was undefeated. Most notably, they kept the Calder Cannons scoreless in a 75-point win.
Discover the profile of every player below, and catch up on the profiles of the under-16 boys and under-16 girls.
Dekota Baron
A key forward whose real weapon is her overhead marking and toughness in the air. An elite kick of the footy which allows her to finish off her work consistently.
Georja Davies
Possesses the ability to play ruck, as a tall forward or back and even as an on baller. She has elite movement and skill for a girl that’s 183cm tall.
Grace Ella
Ella Has lightning speed which allows her to be an attacking half back. She can provide great drive and also play as more of a lockdown defender when required.
Amelia Ella
Is a half forward who has so much room for growth and also has elite speed. She can apply pressure at a really high level and is a high impact per possession player.
Aasha Elliot
A half back who can read the play really strongly and also has a really strong ability to run and carry the footy and generate great rebound.
Evie Emmett
The midfielder is ferocious in the contest and is a really strong tackler. Her ability to win clearances and impact at the coalface is her biggest weapon.
Annabelle Foat
A really physical player who rarely loses in one-on-one situations. Can impact defensively as well as provide some run from half back using her strong decision making ability. Also plays in the midfield.
Alicia Gordon
The half forward is a really strong competitor who has a knack of putting herself in good positions to impact forward of the footy. She has a strong ability to finish off her work in front of goal too.
Tara Harrington
The inside midfielder is a member of the AFL Academy, she’s a special clearance player whose handball craft is elite. Has done a really good job of building out her ability to impact on the outside in the past 12 months.
Havana Harris
The tall utility is a really prodigious talent and member of the AFL Academy who has a really unique blend of attributes. She is really strong aerially, but her ground level work is also of the highest quality, and she’s also an elite clearance player with elite skills. Can Impact the scoreboard too.
Andria Heard
Heard is quick for her size and never fails to compete in the air and on the ground. She has a really good ability to apply pressure at ground level and impact with her tackling from half forward.
Sunny Hewett
The half back has a really strong ability to halve a contest and never gives her opponent an inch. She’s a strong tackler who can also provide some rebound and uses her skill well when needed.
Rhianna Ingram
A really clean player who rarely fumbles the footy. She has some high-level lateral movement which she uses effectively. A highly skilled individual who can play midfield or half forward.
Sunny Lappin
The daughter of former Blue and Surfers Paradise QAFL coach Matthew Lappin, Sunny has elite hands overhead and is an extremely skilled player who is high impact per possession. Plays on the wing or at half forward and has a really advanced footy IQ.
Ava Maher
The midfielder is a really nice size with plenty of room for growth and plays with a calmness which allows her to make good decisions with ball in hand. Definitely untapped potential.
Nyalli Milne
A really dynamic half forward who is really strong overhead but has elite lateral movement and top-end speed. A strong goal kicker when given the chance too.
Mikayla Nurse
The midfielder is really strong with her fundamentals, has a strong clearance game and executes consistently when kicking the footy inside 50. Still lots of room for growth however.
Bronte Parker
The inside midfielder provides great energy and effort in the middle of the ground. Her tackle numbers are always very strong. and she’s equally as strong when it comes to winning first possession. Runs good patterns too.
Evy Reeves
A super reliable medium defender who executes really well with her rebound 50s and can also be a real strong competitor in her one-on one-situations. A trustworthy teammate too.
Siobhan Ross
Ross has shown tremendous growth at full back this year. She’s a talent who’s really gifted athletically with her speed and power and is also a strong competitor. Has really advanced her footy IQ throughout this season.
Neive Ryan
Has showed really strong ability to win contests late in the season, and is capable of taking a strong intercept mark. She’s a defender and her kicking is of a high-level too.
Mia Salisbury
Has great poise and balance, sees the game so well in front of her and consistently makes good decisions. A highly skilled operator who plays off half back or in the middle.
Aleah Stringer
The half forward has shown how strong her forward craft is when the ball’s on the ground and she consistently fights to win fifty-fifty
contests. Can also snag a goal when required.
Heidi Talbot
Talbot is a super runner with elite speed and power and was one of the Suns’ most improved over the past 12 months. Her kicking is becoming very consistent and should only continue to improve. She’s a real weapon off half back with her drive and run and can also play on the wing.
Alannah Welsh
Welsh has become a defender’s nightmare in such a short space of time as she’s powerful and hard to defend against. Is a dangerous forward who can play through the middle and has elite footy IQ. Very skilful and a great teammate.
Sky White
Became a real asset for the Suns this year as she was so reliable as a lockdown defender. Given how athletically gifted she is her potential is really untapped. Started to add some run and drive late into her game. An exciting prospect at centre half back.
Aleira Usher
The winger is a really strong runner who has showed she has the ability to run and carry the footy really well, she provides a great link to many forward thrusts and is damaging with her possessions.
Ava Usher
The midfielder is a really fierce competitor who has a great mix of inside and outside footy in her game. She’s an elite ball user who wins clearances at a high clip and is damaging with her speed and power. One of the best juniors in the country.
Josie McCabe
McCabe is a real leader and a much-loved member of the group. On the field she’s really strong aerially and
has neat and tidy skills. Off field she has also demonstrated a strong footy IQ as she helps in her own way to coach her teammates and help improve them as well. Can play as a forward or midfielder.
Sienna Burnham
A really strong inside midfielder who is able to consistently impact contests. Her tackle numbers are always incredibly strong and she can always be relied upon to compete.
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Originally published as We breakdown Gold Coast’s 2024 U18 women's academy squad with an eye to the future
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