State teammates single Steed as one to watch
SWAN Districts midfielder Leo Steed has been the talk of the preseason out west, with several of his state summer squad teammates expecting big things in 2026. Steed missed out on last year’s winter squad, which he says has added “fuel to the fire” as he looks to impress during his top-age campaign. Having already […] The post State teammates single Steed as one to watch appeared first on Aussie Rules Rookie Me Central.
2026 SANFLW 15 to Watch: #12 Julia Faulkner
ANOTHER season of SANFL Women’s action is just around the corner, and while the league year is a little later than usual, South Australian footy fans have the brand new AAMI Talent League to look forward to starting February 28. As has become an annual tradition for Rookie Me Central, we name our top juniors […] The post 2026 SANFLW 15 to Watch: #12 Julia Faulkner appeared first on Aussie Rules Rookie Me Central.
TOP 5s | 2026 NSW-ACT Girls Preseason Testing
BOTH the GWS Giants Academy and Sydney Swans Academy were put through their paces last weekend with the NSW-ACT Girls Preseason Testing event taking place and a number of massive individual performances from AFLW Draft hopefuls headlined the weekend. > > SCROLL for the Top 5 in each test Swans Academy’s testing took place at the […] The post TOP 5s | 2026 NSW-ACT Girls Preseason Testing appeared first on Aussie Rules Rookie Me Central.
Preseason Q&A: Archie Hill (Suns Academy)
FOOTBALL fans, no less Gold Coast fans, can thank the 2018 AFL Grand Final for Archie Hill‘s love of the game. After being “glued to the TV” for West Coast’s dramatic defeat of Collingwood, the mad Geelong fan and nephew of Cameron Mooney is well on his way to reaching the big leagues. Hill, a […] The post Preseason Q&A: Archie Hill (Suns Academy) appeared first on Aussie Rules Rookie Me Central.
Taipans look to topple United in Thursday clash
ALTHOUGH the two sides are well-separated on the National Basketball League (NBL) ladder, the Cairns Taipans will be still optimistic that they will be able to upset Melbourne United on the eve of finals to kick off Round 21. The Taipans have already been ruled out of the postseason action having not performed well enough […] The post Taipans look to topple United in Thursday clash appeared first on Basketball Rookie Me Central.
2026 AFLW Draft Q&A: Tayah Nicholson
NAMED best on ground in last year’s Rogers Cup Grand Final, Tayah Nicholson is hoping that can propel her into an even bigger 2026 campaign. The top-ager started her West Australian pathway journey at local level, but has become a big feature of the Falcons’ three-peat at Rogers Cup level, and now her sights are […] The post 2026 AFLW Draft Q&A: Tayah Nicholson appeared first on Aussie Rules Rookie Me Central.
First portion of VFL/W fixtures released
A NEW era of Victorian state league football will take place in 2026, following the announcement of the first fixtures from the VFL and VFLW competitions. The fixture release – which was announced yesterday – included the first 13 rounds of the VFL, and the opening six rounds of the VFLW. > > FULL FIXTURES Alongside […] The post First portion of VFL/W fixtures released appeared first on Aussie Rules Rookie Me Central.
Borlase the benchmark in MVP season
ONE OF the brightest basketball talents in Australia has brought home the top Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) honour, with Isobel Borlase claiming the Suzy Batkovic Medal as the competition’s most outstanding player on Monday night. At just 21 years of age, the Bendigo Spirit young gun took home her first ever WNBL MVP award […] The post Borlase the benchmark in MVP season appeared first on Basketball Rookie Me Central.
2026 AFLW Draft Q&A: Aiyana Pritchard
ULTRA athletic tall forward Aiyana Pritchard has come on in leaps and bounds over the last few years, providing plenty of highlight reel moments along the way. For someone who only picked up the code in recent years, Pritchard’s rise into the National Academy has been well deserved. We spoke to Pritchard at the Queensland […] The post 2026 AFLW Draft Q&A: Aiyana Pritchard appeared first on Aussie Rules Rookie Me Central.
2026 AFLW Draft Q&A: Heidi Ireland
PEEL Thunder prospect Heidi Ireland had a memorable bottom-age season in 2025, predominantly playing WAFL Women’s League football, while also making the West Australian Under 18s state side. Mostly deployed as a defender who could also be a stronger body in the midfield, Ireland has a nice balance of offensive and defensive traits. We spoke […] The post 2026 AFLW Draft Q&A: Heidi Ireland appeared first on Aussie Rules Rookie Me Central.
