STURT talent and South Australian vice-captain Sophie Thredgold would pack her bags in an instant if it meant relocating to chase her AFL Women’s dream. The Double Blues star has been grateful for the opportunities she has been afforded through the state league and South Australian Under 18s program in 2025 and after receiving a State Draft Combine invite, is ready to take the next step.

Thredgold – who is no relation to Sturt men’s player and fellow AFL Draft Combine invitee Blake – said she has “100 per cent” thought about relocating to play at the elite level.

“Talking to a few different people, they ask the question ‘would you be willing to go interstate?’ and I’d absolutely be willing to, chasing a dream,” Thredgold said. “I honestly would be willing to do anything so definitely. Excited for an adventure as well, it would be nice to branch out.”

The hard-running defender who has also spent time on-ball said it had been a long year, but she “definitely got the opportunities” that she had been gunning for at the start of the season.

“I said at the start of the year I was looking to broaden my capabilities in the midfield, show what I’m capable of and the work that I’ve put in over the past two years,” Thredgold said.

“I think there were things that I could have done different or changed, but I put out what I wanted to put out, maybe not necessarily showing my strengths such as my speed or my strength in the way that I wanted to, but I think I’m pretty happy with how I went this year.”

Among those opportunities was the South Australian vice-captaincy, and stepping up as acting captain in the absence of the injured Imogen Trengove for the Croweaters’ final game of the national carnival. For Thredgold, the role showed her a “shift in mindset”.

“It wasn’t ‘how can I help myself play better?’ it was ‘how can I encourage my team?’ not that its not like that all the time, but it shifted to a more team-first definitely focus which is something that I try to implement all the time,” Thredgold said.

“But just as a player not having a huge title like ‘Imi’, it was just different but I think it was a huge opportunity and it showed what I’ve built up over the past couple of years in the program as well which was really, really exciting.”

That role helped improve Thredgold’s communication throughout the course of the season, with that aspect of her game being one of her biggest improvements, alongside her strength and speed, the latter of which was on display at the State Draft Combine.

Upon receiving the invite to the Draft Combine, Thredgold said it was a “really exciting” moment.

“That’s been something I’ve been reaching towards since I started playing footy when I found out this is a potential pathway for me and it was really exciting,” she said. “Just coming into this doing all the preparation I can, all the work and controlling all I can control. At the end of the day I don’t know what is going to happen, but being here is amazing, I didn’t think I’d get here, so its pretty nice.”

While her focus now turns to Year 12, completing exams and looking to get into university through the exercise science or physiotherapy pathway, Thredgold said she was not entirely sure what she would do so she’d “see where the wind blows me”.

“Just focusing on school and making sure I can get that straight, in case the draft doesn’t go the way that I want it to,” Thredgold said. “Trying to get into uni and studying. I’m not sure exactly what I want to do yet.”

As for on-field, the Sturt prospect is continuing to develop her skill in preparation of a big preseason be it back at the Double Blues, or hopefully, at an AFLW club.

“It’s definitely something that few people have flagged throughout my journey, coaches,” she said. “It’s always something that I’ve been looking to improve, and I’ve been slowly working into it, but it’s just repeated practice as well that I need to keep doing.”

For now it is a little wait until December 15 when Thredgold will get some more certainty on her future and what the next “big adventure” holds.