GOLD Coast Suns Academy member Summer Browning is well aware her knee injury that delayed the start of her season and flared up again mid-season could have been worse, but her dedication to recovery was the key to returning and playing out a solid national championships.

“I hurt my knee at the very start of preseason, and then I played the last two Suns games and hurt my knee again just before the last National Academy game so I missed the first Queensland game,” Browning said.

“It was hard at the start because I’ve never really had a real injury, and then I adapted to it really quick and just realised the quicker I did my rehab, the better I do my rehab, the faster I’m going to heal and get back into footy. “It was hard but I got through it and it definitely made me better mentally, and mentally prepared me for whatever could happen in footy.”

The hard-running winger had initial fears that it could have been an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear when copping a knock at training, but after her scans showed no tearing of any kind, Browning was able to draw a sigh of relief.

“I didn’t have any tears in my knee which was awesome, best outcome,” Browning said. “I had a massive bone bruise from the top of my femur down to my shinbone so we had to wait for that to fully heal which took months, but that was it.”

Browning managed to still represent Queensland off the back of a couple of Suns Academy games ensuring she remained in AFLW club sights. Her form was enough to earn the top-age talent a place at the National Draft Combine. There, the Queenslander beat her estimated 1.6km time-trial time which was a relief having not run a 2km time-trial since 2025.

The Suns Academy member loves to run and carry be it on her preferred wing, or in another position, but she is happy to play anywhere that allows her to see grass and take the game on.

“Ever since I’ve started Suns I’ve just been put on a wing and I’ve definitely adapted to that, so probably wing,” Browning said. “But I definitely liked playing half-back and even a bit of half-forward last year when we had ‘Shawry’ (Rhyce Shaw) as our coach and definitely liked that, so anywhere I can just see the ground, see the ball, see space, that’s where I like to play.”

Browning said her confidence had definitely improved throughout 2026 and admitted the injury had helped “get out of my shell a little bit and just back myself a lot”. She cited that as an ongoing improvement, constantly striving to take those risks when on-field and back her speed to breakdown opposition defensive zones.

Gold Coast seems a natural home for the Academy athlete, but as has been the case for a sprinkling of club-tied players at different points, there is the chance another club looks to pounce. Browning said she would have no qualms making a move if an interstate side took a chance on her.

“I’m fine with moving anywhere, a change wouldn’t bother me at all. Suns are going really well this year, I’d love to go there, but anywhere would be awesome. The goal’s just to get drafted.”

As for the first thing she’d do when walking into the door at preseason, Browning is keen to make an early impact and grab any opportunity that came her way.

“I just want to show that I won’t give up, and I’m grateful for whatever happens and just that I will be a good teammate and not take anything for granted,” she said.

DRAFT FEATURES:

New South Wales: Evie Bowie
Queensland: Zoe Petrides
South Australia: Emily Mableson
Vic Country: Greea McKeegan, Lily Milner
Vic Metro: Bailee Martin, Tayla Olivieri
Western Australia: Lexi Strachan