We name the star senior AFLQ Darling Downs players of 2024
With the 2024 winter sporting season now in the rearview mirror, we take a look back to reveal the best male and female senior Aussie rules players in the Darling Downs this year. See which players starred for every club here.
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With another scintillating AFLQ Darling Downs season in the books, we have run the rule across the competition to reveal the best senior Aussie rules players in the competition for 2024.
See who made the list from your club here including the Holman and Heather Green Medallists.
Tiarna Jericho (Tigers)
The 2024 Heather Green Medallist was a star for the Tigers en route to the women’s premiership.
She was dominant 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.
Jayden Smith (Coolaroo)
It was another sensational year for Jayden Smith as he took home his third Holman Medal after another superb campaign with the Roos.
He is a ball magnet in the middle, gathering up countless possessions and kicked a team-high 19 goals from 16 games.
Lara Paget (Tigers)
The most dominant and lethal forward in the 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.
Charlee Lamb (University)
The Downlands and University young gun is another exciting prospect who has great potential.
She has a lethal left boot and also chipped in with three goals in 13 games from the wing.
Nelly Bruce (Tigers)
What a debut senior season it was for the Toowoomba Tigers and Downlands young gun.
After leading Downlands to the under-17 premiership at the beginning of the year, she backed it up in style with the Toowoomba Tigers in the senior women’s competition where she was a pivotal player in their premiership run.
She ended the season as runner-up in the leading goalkicker race with 27 majors from just 12 games.
Shaye Easton (Goondiwindi)
The talented veteran is a two-time Heather Green Medallist and was a key figure for the Hawks in their run to the finals.
Maya Coote (Goondiwindi)
Coote is a young gun who is an incredible athlete and was one of the competition’s most consistent players in 2024.
Bridie Spottiswood (Goondiwindi)
An elite defender who thwarts any attack which comes her way.
Spottiswood was another consistent contributor for the Hawks as she was named in her side’s best players in eight of her 15 games.
Nicole Gunston (South Burnett)
The Saints rookie dominated the halfback line in her rookie season while also making her mark around the contest when needed.
She was a standout player for South Burnett as she featured in the best players in 12 of her 15 games.
Teresa Foster (South Burnett)
A powerful midfielder who was an ever-reliable performer week-in week-out.
Kayley Collins (South Burnett)
Collins was a perennial threat in attack this season and was always in the right place for a goalscoring opportunity.
Annabel Myatt (University)
The Uni captain led from the front in 2024 and was a model leader for the Cougars in their run to the grand final.
In 17 appearances, she kicked 11 goals and featured in her side’s best players in all but one game.
Nyengela Mwajuma (University)
Mwajuma has elite ball skills and brings a brilliant football IQ.
While she may have only played nine games this season, she still managed to make her impact felt every time she stepped onto the field.
Nyakuan Aleer (University)
An exciting young gun who showed she has what it takes to be pivotal player in the Cougars set-up for years to come.
Despite being just 15 years old, Aleer dominated through the midfield and backline in 2024.
Morgan Prior (South Toowoomba)
While it wasn’t quite enough to steer the Bombers to a finals berth, Prior was a force to be reckoned with in the forward line in 2024.
She kicked an impressive 25 goals from just 11 games, with only Bruce and Paget kicking more than her.
Kati Wright (University)
The Cougars star spearheaded her side’s forward line this year as she booted a team-high 24 majors in 16 games.
Courtney Browne (Tigers)
Browne was a key catalyst for the Tigers this season as the club claimed its ninth women’s premiership in 10 years.
With 23 goals and 11 best player mentions in 15 games, the athletic talent continued to prove why she is one of the top calibre players in the league.
Phoebe Baird (University)
Baird starred as a rover for Uni this season and pulled the string to the fast-paced Cougars game style which saw them reach the decider.
She is a fearless player with elite ball skills and chipped in with 11 goals.
Kayley Collins (South Burnett)
Collins was the leading goalkicker for the Saints with 10 majors from 14 games and was a part of her side’s best players on 11 occasions.
Ada McKenzie (Coolaroo)
McKenzie made the switch from netball to Aussie rules and her versatility was vital for the Roos in a difficult season for the women’s side.
While results didn’t go their way in 2024, the captain stood tall throughout the season and was a key contributor every week.
Jessica Stevenson (Coolaroo)
A strong talented midfielder whose experience was invaluable for the Roos.
In 13 games, she featured in her side’s best five times and also kicked a goal in the round 7 clash with the University juggernauts.
Ryan Hodgson (South Toowoomba)
The Bombers big man is strong in the contest and elite at taking contested marks.
Hodgson finished the season as South Toowoomba’s leading goalkicker with 16 goals from 15 games.
Wherever he plays on the field, Hodgson lifts his team and controls the contest.
He proved he has what it takes to perform alongside the top players in the state as he featured in South Queensland’s thrilling two-point win over North Queensland back in June.
James Packer (South Burnett)
The Saints gun is rapid around the contest and a consistent contributor.
His efforts were rewarded when he was called up to represent the South Queensland rep side earlier this season.
Charlie Farrer (Goondiwindi)
Farrer was the Hawks’ target man in the forward line on their way to a grand final berth this season as he slotted home 34 goals from 14 games.
Rohan Drummond (Tigers)
After missing the opening four rounds of the season, the imposing tall forward made up for lost time with nine goals in his first two games.
He ended the campaign with a league-high 34 goals in the home and away season but could not add to his tally in finals.
Daniel Brown (Goondiwindi)
He may have only featured in eight games this season, but what an impact Brown had.
The Hawks gun showed he meant business in his second game of the year when he kicked nine majors against the Redbacks before ending the season with 25 majors at an average of 4.375 goals per game.
Henry and Jacob Sheath (Coolaroo)
The ever-dominant Sheath brothers were a class above this season and created plenty of drive off the halfback line.
Their ball use is a class above and they can turn defence into a lethal counter-attack in a matter of seconds.
Harry Claydon (Coolaroo)
The Coolaroo captain led from the front this season and was a midfield monster for the eventual premiers.
He regularly influenced the contest and also had a knack of going forward and impacting the scoreboard as he ended the campaign with 16 goals from 15 games.
Sebastian Alvarez de Toledo (Goondwindi)
A workhorse who is a hardball getter in the midfield and is one of the most consistent players not only in the talented Goondiwindi program, but the entire AFLQ Darling Downs competition.
He was a game-changer around the contest and his consistency was on full display as he featured in his side’s best players 11 times and also kicked 15 majors in 14 appearances.
Fletcher Brown (South Burnett Saints)
Brown was a gun in attack for the Saints this season as he slotted through a team-high 16 goals from 12 games and was named in his side’s best players 10 times.
Jaiden Fidge (University)
Fidge was a pivotal member of the 2024 Cougars outfit and made an impact on the game almost every time he stepped onto the field.
In 14 games, he kicked 13 goals and was at his best in round 1 where he kicked four goals against the Redbacks.
James Potter (University)
Potter led the way for University in attack as he kicked 16 goals in 10 games, including a bag of five in round 1 against Warwick.
Brendan Iles (Warwick)
While it was a difficult year for the Redbacks as they ended the season with one draw and 13 defeats, Iles was one of their shining lights in attack as he kicked 14 goals and earned eight best player mentions in 10 games.
The veteran hit his form late in the season with eight goals in the last two games, including six in his side’s draw against University.
Jack Mines (South Burnett)
Mines is another impressive talent in the Saints line-up who has a natural talent for finding a goal.
He kicked 15 goals in 14 games and featured in his side’s best 11 times.
He also kicked a goal in his one game for the Zillmere QFA Division 2 reserves against Jindalee in April.
Josh Liddington (South Toowoomba)
Liddington formed a lethal partnership with Hodgson in attack as he kicked 16 goals in 11 games.
Bailey Glasscock (Tigers)
A dependable leader in the Tigers ranks, Glasscock was a versatile option who made his mark in the midfield or the ruck.
Nick Schmidhauser (Goondiwindi)
Schmidhauser was the field general for the Hawks in the backline and brought an unenviable workrate as he never stopped running game after game.
Zac Wall (Warwick)
An ever-reliable performer, Wall was one of the Redbacks’ most consistent players this year as he featured in their best players in 11 of his 12 games.
His size made an incredible addition to the backline and he made life difficult for opposing forwards.
Tyhe Clarkson (Warwick)
The ultimate team player who featured in his side’s best players in all 14 of his games he played.
The Warwick gun also slotted through eight goals for good measure.
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