AFTER sustained success over the last few seasons through the draft and a bumper 2025 crop this year, the Suns Academy are still growing talent in the future years. Their results on paper were not great – with 40 and 49-point losses respectively, but coming up against opposition such as Vic Metro and Western Australia was a great learning curve for the team. A couple of bottom-age prospects stood out, as well as a handful of top-agers to watch over the next two seasons.

RESULTS:

Gold Coast Suns Academy 6.8 (44) def. by Vic Metro 12.12 (84) | Scouting Notes
Gold Coast Suns Academy 4.6 (30) def. by Western Australia 12.7 (79) | Scouting Notes

TOP TALENT:

#17 Lily Moana
Burleigh | 165cm | 23/03/2010

Considering Moana is a bottom-ager, it was an ultra-impressive carnival for the talented midfielder who showed a mix of outstanding athletic traits, with natural footballing abilities. In particular her stoppage craft and extracting the ball from the inside to the outside underpinned her performance. She was able to get forward and set up teammates for scoring opportunities and each time she went near it looked likely to do damage. Has the confidence to tuck the ball under the arm and go for broke as well

NAMES TO REMEMBER:

#8 Tara Nieass
Surfers Paradise | 172cm | 14/03/2009

The Surfers Paradise prospect was particularly promising in game one against Vic Metro where she rotated between attack and midfield. Booting two goals in that loss, Nieass also had a purple patch at the start of the fourth term where she set up two goals to Mena Warria out of the centre stoppage. Has some nice footy IQ and speed that allows her to break away from opponents. One to watch develop over the next two seasons.

#20 Allie Cameron
Burleigh | 161cm | 04/03/2009

Returning for another year after impressing last season, Cameron again tried her heart our for the Suns Academy in tough losses, cracking in and putting her body on the line. There might not be much of her, but Cameron is not afraid to try and break the lines through fend-offs or bone-crunching tackles, and while that can lead to holding the ball calls against her, the midfielder rolls the dice and backs herself. Will be able to play as a pressure forward in addition to her in-and-under role.

#21 Asia Single
Burleigh | 171cm | 11/10/2009

Only managed the one game at this year’s carnival, but the sister of Gold Coast’s Lucy has talent to burn. She is an ultra-athletic talent with nice decision making ability to put the ball into dangerous spots. Her work rate up and down the ground stands out be it when she is playing midfield or forward, and she showed in the loss to Western Australia that she was able to set up a goal from a set play bursting through a forward stoppage. Could be one who might feature at Under 18s level at some point.

#27 Mena Warria
University (Townsville) | 170cm | 18/08/2010

A livewire up forward, it was great to see another North Queenslander getting the job done in the Suns Academy, with most recently Heidi Talbot (Cairns) bringing her talents up from the Far North region. Warria is rare, but her athletic talents – especially speed and agility – really catch the eye, and she was able to hit the scoreboard in both games with three goals total. She can turn an inch into a mile and really hurt opposition defenders if they are not paying attention. A bottom-ager so will be eligible for Under 16s level again next year.

OTHERS WHO IMPRESSED:

While it was a tough carnival for the Suns from a results perspective, Nikki Sandeman (Burleigh) showed some promising signs as a player who can play high half-back and push up the ground to impact. A couple of other names who did their best were Tobi Skalij (Burleigh) and defensive duo, Kadara Marisa-Scott (Cairns) and Shayla McDonald (Southport).