We name and rank the Darling Downs Top 50 athletes of 2024
RANKED: From local heroes to Olympic superstars, we’ve named and ranked the Darling Downs top 50 athletes of 2024. Find out who made the list here.
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As we take a look back at an unforgettable year of sport in the Darling Downs, The Chronicle sports team is running the rule across every athlete, professional and non professional to reveal our top 50 athletes of the year.
From Clydesdales stars, to boxing talents and Olympic heroes, see who we ranked as our top stars of 2024.
50. Nelly Bruce
Bruce is one of the most exciting AFL Darling Downs talents and is set to be a player to watch for years to come.
After a simply phenomenal under-17 season where she led Downlands to the premiership, Bruce backed it up with a stellar debut season at senior level where she was a prominent figure week-in, week-out for Toowoomba Tigers.
The teenage sensation ended the senior women’s competition with the second most goals with 27 majors in just 12 games to go along with eight best player nominations.
49. Kiara Taylor
While it wasn’t quite enough to help the Lions make finals, Kiara Taylor was as reliable as they come for Newtown as was named the TRL’s women’s player of the year.
48. Clay Hall
The Toowoomba bull rider had his strongest year to date as he dominated the NRA for most of the season before just missing out on the national title as he was defeated by Lucas Taylor in the national finals.
47. Lara Paget
The most dominant and lethal forward in the AFL Darling Downs women’s competition for a number of years now, Paget was at her best in 2024, kicking an impressive 45 goals in just 15 games.
Paget’s prowess was on full show in the opening four games of the season, when she kicked 10 goals, eight goals, seven goals and five goals to storm ahead as the leading goalkicker in the competition.
While her impact in front of goal was not needed as much for the rest of the season as she kicked more than two goals just once after the opening four games, which came in her sixth clash, where she hit the Saints for six, she was still a pivotal player throughout the campaign.
46. Lachie Currie
The Dalby Wheatmen captain was at his absolute best this year as he led his side to the Risdon Cup in the Downs Rugby A-grade competition and was Dalby’s player of the year.
45. Rohan Drummond
The dual sport star was in fine form again this year – most notably in the AFL Darling Downs with the Toowoomba Tigers.
After missing the opening stages of the season through injury, the imposing forward quickly made up for lost time, booting 34 goals in just 12 games.
44. Jayden Smith
It was another sensational year for Jayden Smith as he took home his third Holman Medal after another superb campaign with the Roos.
He was a ball magnet in the middle, gathering up countless possessions and kicked a team-high 19 goals from 16 games.
43. Tiarna Jericho
It was another scintillating season for Jericho as she dominated the women’s AFL Darling Downs competition and was a key figure in the Toowoomba Tigers’ run to the premiership.
She was a class above in the ruck and was a pivotal player for Toowoomba in almost every game she played.
Jericho’s ability to standout in such a talented side is impressive in itself as she showed she can single-handedly change the course of a contest in the midfield.
She featured in her side’s best players in 13 of her 14 games and chipped in with seven majors.
42. Mitch Wilson
Wilson was a driving force behind the Warwick Cowboys’ impressive season where they seemed almost unbeatable throughout the opening few months.
Wilson was one of the best forwards in the TRL, making strong contributions every week.
41. Joel Hughes
While all eyes have been on Chris Woodbridge over the last two years, Joel Hughes showed in 2024 that he belongs among the TRL’s elite as he helped the Hawks take out the A-grade men’s premiership.
Hughes was simply unstoppable on grand final night as the Valleys defence had no answer for him in his player of the match performance.
Throughout the A-grade decider, his kicking game was elite and was involved in almost everything that went well for the Hawks as he crossed for two pivotal tries.
If he continues to perform at a similar level in 2025 then it will be hard to stop the Hawks in 2025.
40. Kaden Buhse
The Gatton Hawks product had a breakout 2024 season as he made his Hostplus Cup debut for the Western Clydesdales in round 8 and never looked back.
The teenager winger crossed over for five tries in 15 games and was one of the bright lights in a difficult campaign for the Toowoomba-based outfit.
39. Aidan Watterson
Watterson has been a force to be reckoned with since his return to the Toowoomba cricket scene at the beginning of the 2023-24 season.
The all-rounder kicked off 2024 by winning the Australian Country Cricket Championship with Queensland Country and ended the year by guiding Northern Brothers Diggers to their first A-grade one-day premiership in more than 10 years.
With Watterson named in the Queensland Country side next month, he looks set to continue going from strength to strength in 2025.
38. Jem Ryan
In a different life Jem Ryan could be playing in the AFL.
Jem briefly trialled with Richmond Tigers, the club that drafted his brother Samson in 2020, but his true sporting love, cricket, ultimately won out.
After carving up his GPS rivals in his final year of schooling at Toowoomba Grammar in 2022, he backed up with a great Brisbane Premier Grade season.
His efforts were rewarded with Queensland Cricket rookie contract ahead of the 2024/25 season.
37. Quinn Croker
Quinn Croker had a breakthrough 2024 as he took out the Australian Amateur championship in January before claiming the Queensland Amateur Matchplay Championship in September.
Since then he has made his professional debut, competed in the Australian PGA Championship – where he made the cut, finishing tied for 43rd at -3 and also competed in Q School for the Korn Ferry Tour.
36. Lilli Hamilton
She may still be a teenager, but Hamilton has the maturity and poise of some of the game’s most experienced stars.
The young spin bowler has been a force to be reckoned with over the last 12 months as she has made her mark for Queensland at youth level and was captain of the under-19 side which finished runners-up at nationals – a tournament where her and fellow Darling Downs young gun Lucy Bourke where both named in the team of the tournament.
She has already caught the eye of Brisbane Heat officials as she was called up for the T20 Spring Challenge this year.
35. Jack Wildermuth
While it has been a difficult couple of years for Wildermuth in the shorter form of the game as he continues to fight to try and return to the field in the Big Bash, Wildermuth is still a valued member in the Bulls ranks.
The all-rounder showed his class with bat and ball throughout the year as he scored 132 runs across two innings in a clash against Western Australia, and has taken two wickets in each of his last three innings in the field.
34. Mia Stower
Competing in one elite state competition is hard enough for most athletes.
To be able to compete in two different sports at the same time at an elite level is something very few sporting figures can achieve.
However, Mia Stower was unfazed by this challenge as she captained the Toowoomba Mountaineers women’s side to a QSL basketball finals berth, while also featuring for Bond University netball in the Sapphire Series.
Stower was a rebounding machine for Toowoomba’s premier basketball team as she made her mark in the paint, averaging a double-double every game, and had two 20-rebound double-doubles.
Her season-high of 24 rebounds came in the crucial win over the Southern Districts Spartans, where Stower also scored 19 points to seal a finals spot for the Mountaineers in the final round of the season.
33. Mac Grealy
One of the Queensland Reds most consistent players in 2024, including scoring a double against Wales, Grealy made a surprise move to the Western Force at the end of the Super Rugby season.
The exciting young back joined the Force on a train and trial after three seasons with the Reds.
Grealy instantly impressed Force officials playing all three of their South African tour games and scoring a try.
32. Samson Ryan
He didn’t reach the heights of his breakout 2023 season but Ryan did have a solid year for Richmond Tigers.
The ruckman averaged 6.5 disposals – including a career best of 14 against Collingwood – 3.9 kicks and 7.9 hit-outs across the eight games he played.
Ryan and the Tigers were below their best this season but the 24-year-old still shapes as a big part of the Melbourne club’s future.
31. Brian May
From helping Western Districts claim the 2024 A-grade two-day premiership, to scoring runs for fun, Brian May is still showing why he is one of the all-time great TCI batters.
In this season’s one-day competition, May scored 431 runs at an average of 86.2, with five 50s from seven innings and a top score of 98 not out.
Most recently, in the 2024-25 two-day competition season opener, May scored an unbeaten 143 from 208 balls against University.
30. Brendan Doggett
The former Southern Districts Magpies speedster had another solid year and was recently called up to the extended Australian Test squad.
29. Nat Webb
After putting the Darling Downs on notice in 2023 when she won the TRL’s Hancock Edwards Medal, Webb took her game to the next level in 2024, featuring heavily for the inaugural Western Clydesdales BMD Premiership side as well as with Canterbury in the Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership.
The Warwick product scored the Clydesdales’ most important try of the season as she crossed over late in the final regular season game to help tie the scores and seal a draw which booked a finals berth.
28. Selwyn Cobbo
The Cherbourg Hornets junior played 19 games for the Broncos this season.
Averaging 133m a game he scored six tries and was named in Queensland State of Origin squad.
He played twice for the Maroons – averaging 128m a game.
27. Lucy Bourke
One of several young Darling Downs female cricket talents, Warwick’s Lucy Bourke is going from strength to strength in her quest to make it at the elite level.
She featured heavily in the Brisbane Heat’s T20 Spring Challenge and is also a part of the Queensland Fire squad.
At just 19 the future is bright for the left-handed batter and it could only be a matter of time before she asserts herself in the WNCL and WBBL.
26. Ava Black
Promoted to the Sunshine Coast Lightning Super Netball squad as a temporary replacement player in 2023, Black quickly proved she deserved to be at that level.
After securing her first full-time contract with the Lightning for the 2024 season she went on to play in more than half the side’s games.
Black featured in nine matches for the team recording five intercepts, six deflections and a general play turnover.
25. Mark Steketee
While it has been a difficult 12 months for the Queensland Bulls, Mark Steketee is still as dangerous as ever with the ball in hand, regularly taking multiple wickets per innings and has also shown he is a handy tail-end batter.
24. Chloe Pallisier
Pallisier is one of Toowoomba’s most promising rugby league talents in years.
Rapidly rising through the elite junior ranks she made her BMD Premiership debut against the Sunshine Coast Falcons in round 3 this season.
Pallisier made three senior appearances for the Western Clydesdales this season and her form did not go unnoticed.
Now the talented teen playmaker is headed south – taking up a deal with Penrith Panthers.
23. Zara Kruger
Returning home after spending the 2023/24 season with the Championship-winning Sydney FC, Kruger has featured five times for Brisbane Roar this season.
Kruger regularly featured for the Young Matildas during her first stint with the Roar and nothing has changed this time round with the young midfielder playing in rounds 1 and 2 of the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers.
22. Beau Fermor
The Dalby junior was a key player for the Gold Coast Titans in the 2024 season featuring in 22 of the team’s 24 games, scoring five tries and averaging 130m a game.
Fermor’s consistency was rewarded with a call-up to the Prime Minister’s XIII at the end of the season.
21. Hamish Stewart
Stewart became Wallaby 986 when he ran out against Argentina on August 31.
The 26-year-old played alongside fellow Toowoomba junior Matt Faessler in Australia’s 20-19 win over the Pumas and backed up against the same opposition a week later.
The Wallabies were less convincing in that match losing 67-27.
Stewart played 72 games for the Queensland Reds before switching to the Western Force in 2023.
A versatile player who can cover fly half, centre and fullback he will be eager to add to his Test caps in 2025.
20. Emily Bass
Bass battled injury for much of the 2024 NRLW season but when she was on the field she made her mark.
The Gold Coast Titans flyer scored six tries in seven games and averaged 72m a game.
Bass also featured in State of Origin game one – scoring a try for Queensland in their loss to NSW Blues.
19. Steph Hancock
Hancock was the first name on the Western Clydesdales wishlist when their BMD Premiership membership was confirmed.
She wasn’t the first signing but she certainly was one of the most influential.
Hancock tormented opposition teams with her barnstorming runs and punishing defence.
Off the field she was an inspirational leader sharing her experience and advice with the club’s rising stars and rookie talent.
18. Chris Woodbridge
Arguable one of the greatest country rugby league players in the country right now, Chris Woodbridge backed up his astonishing 2023 season with another electric campaign to claim his second straight Webcke Price Medal.
Along with his two best TRL men’s player of the year awards, the Dalby fullback has taken home the 2023 John “Cracker” McDonald Medal, has scored more than 80 tries and 624 points in one of the greatest two-year runs in Toowoomba Rugby League history.
17. Dave Armstrong, Lyhkan King-Togia, De La Salle Va’a and Georgia Sim
The Darling Downs’ quadrant of 2024 NRL/NRLW debutants produced plenty of highlights throughout the year.
While it was only a brief stint midway through the season with the Knights while Kalyn Ponga was out, David Armstrong set the NRL world alight with his trademark electric plays which were a common sight with the Goondiwindi Boars in 2021.
Armstrong crossed over for a try just 10 minutes into his debut and then scored a hat-trick in Magic Round in a stellar run at Newcastle.
Dalby duo King-Togia and Va’a both made their debuts late in the season and both showed signs there is plenty to come in years ahead.
In just her first season of rugby league, rugby sevens convert Georgia Sim starred for the Western Clydesdales to be named in the BMD Premiership team of the season and earned a contract with the Gold Coast Titans.
She eventually broke into the Titans’ line up, making her the region’s fourth debutant of the year.
16. Returning Olympians
A number of Toowoomba and Darling Downs athletes returned to Olympic Games stage in Paris.
Peter Bol (athletics) and Taliqua Clancy (beach volleyball) made their third straight Games appearances with Harriet Hudson (rowing) back for a second time.
All three finished out of the medals but their performances were commendable and competing on the world stage is a feat in itself.
Javelin thrower Corey Anderson also made his second Paralympic Games appearance after debuting in Tokyo.
Rugby Sevens stars Dominque du Toit and Charlotte Caslick also laced up their boots again.
Caslick, who captained the side, was appearing in her third straight Games and du Toit played in her second Games campaign.
Prior to the Paris Games du Toit’s announced her intention to retire from rep duties with Australia going on to finish fourth.
15. Brooke Neville
Inspired by another equestrian rider on this list, Chris Burton, Neville has her sights set on representing Australia at the Paralympics Games level one day.
Competing in the intermediate division this year – the level below the Olympic Grand Prix – Neville finished Queensland State Para Champion and National Grade 4 Champion in the dressage.
She plans to saddle up in the Grand Prix division in a bid to represent Australia on the grandest of stages.
14. Isaac Cooper
Despite being one of Australia’s form swimmers in 2024, Cooper has decided to hang up his goggles and swim cap.
Cooper, who represented Australia in the 4x100m mixed medley relay team and 100m backstroke at the Paris Games, won 50m backstroke gold at the world long course championships in Doha earlier this year.
Competing in the world short-course championships in December in Budapest, he missed out on gold in the same event by just two-hundredths of a second.
Swimming under a neutral banner, Russian teen Miron Lifintsev set a world junior record 22.47sec to Cooper’s 22.49.
13. Will Power
Power wrapped up the 2024 IndyCar season just seven points shy of the podium.
The 43-year-old secured three race wins and a further seven top five finishes to end the year with 498 points – seven behind New Zealand’s Scott McLaughlin.
Power challenged eventual series winner Alex Palou for much of the season but couldn’t get over the line.
The two-time champion and 2018 Indy500 winner is one of IndyCars’ greatest ever drivers – he is currently ranked fourth for all-time wins and podium finishes and is first in all-time pole positions.
12. Tom Dearden
Dearden wrote his name into the NQ Cowboys history books when at just 22 years of age he became the club’s youngest ever captain.
The young five-eighth had a 2024 season to remember playing a leading role for the Cowboys, featuring in all three State of Origin games for Queensland and making his Kangaroos debut.
11. Tom Nolan
The Big Train was steamrolled in his January UFC debut – knocked out by Nikolas Motta in 1 minute and 3 seconds – but the Aussie lightweight bounced back in style.
Nolan picked up wins in his next two fights with a first round KO of Victor Martinez, and a UD victory in Perth over Alex Reyes.
He has been added to an already stacked UFC 312 in Sydney on February 9, 2025 with the lightweight fighter to face Viacheslav “Slava Claus” Borshchev.
10. Matt Faessler
Faessler made history in November as the first hooker to score a hat-trick for the Wallabies.
The feat was a special milestone for Faessler who has been a mainstay in the Wallabies squad, playing 14 games, since making his debut against New Zealand in 2023.
9. Debut Olympians*
Joseph Deng (athletics), Ben Armbruster (swimming) and Jeremy Peacock (Paralympic triathlon) all realised lifelong dreams making their Games debuts in Paris.
8. Patrick Tiernan
Erasing the painful memories of two race falls at the Tokyo Olympics, Toowoomba runner Tiernan wrote his name into Australian sports history at the Paris Games.
Finishing 24th in a time of 2:10:34 he shaved 35 seconds of the mark set by de Castella at the 1984 Los Angles Olympics.
7. Jackson Griffiths
Jackson “Stoneleigh” Griffiths put the world boxing landscape on notice in 2024 as he claimed the WBC World Youth Title with a dominant win back in March.
6. Tara Reinke and Shenae Ciesiolka
It a landmark year for rugby league in the Darling Downs and South West Queensland, NRLW stars Tara Reinke and Shenae Ciesiolka lined up for the inaugural Western Clydesdales BMD premiership team as co-captains.
Ciesiolka was once again immense at NRLW and rep level as she starred for the Maroons in their 2-1 series win over New South Wales, crossing over for her first Origin try in the process.
5. Tatum Stewart
While it was an injury interrupted year for the Brisbane Blaze and Hockeyroos young gun, it was still a year which will live long in the memory of Stewart.
Stewart was a force to be reckoned with from set pieces as she scored three goals during the team’s run to the quarter-finals.
4. Georgia Voll
As we go from number five to number four on our list, we go from an Olympic hockey player, to a cricketer who lined up alongside Stewart in the Ipswich/Logan Hornets Jodie Fields Shield second grade women’s cricket competition in 2018.
She immediately put the international cricket scene on notice with a century in just her second game.
In her maiden three-game series against India, the Sydney Thunder star scored 173 runs at an average of 86.5.
3. Christopher Burton
Burton capped off his fourth straight Olympic Games appearance in style in Paris.
Riding Shadowman in Paris, Burton won silver in Equestrian Individual Eventing adding to the Team Eventing bronze he secured riding for Australian at the 2016 Rio Games.
2. Matt Denny
The boy from Allora continues to make headlines in the athletics world and 2024 was the ultimate redemption year for Matt Denny.
Between Olympic medals and constantly setting new national records, Denny also defended his Diamond League title with a monster Australian and Diamond League record throw of 69.96m.
1. Will Brown
2024 started and ended with Will Brown taking over the Garden City.
Brown kickstarted his Red Bull career in style, winning the 2024 V8 Supercars Championship, claiming a podium in every event.
His tenure with Triple Eight was launched at Wellcamp Airport when the Red Bull Ampol Racing team launched their new livery in front of thousands of passionate Darling Downs revheads.
To cap it all off, it was announced that the 26-year-old will receive the keys to the Toowoomba region in the new year.
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