GOLD Coast’s impending AFLW Draft haul has been by far the most talked about of the competition, and followed on from the discussions around the Suns’ Academy program which yielded a stack of top-end boys, and now will do so again in the girls. Gold Coast did not relax in trade period, trading out the number one selection and a stack of picks next year in order to build a war chest capable of matching bids across the first five selections should their plethora of Academy players cop a very early – and expected – bid.

>> FREE: View the 2025 AFLW Draft Guide

2025 RECORD: 18th (H&A) | 2-10 | 41.3% | Eliminated: Regular Season
2025 PICKS: 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 32, 74, 92
FUTURE PICKS: ’26 R2 (North Melbourne), ’26 R3 (Western Bulldogs), ’26 R3 (Brisbane), ’26 R4 (Gold Coast)

LIST CHANGES:

IN
Anne Hatchard (trade, Adelaide)

OUT
Keely Fullerton (delisted), Tayla Gregory (delisted), Ella Maurer (delisted), Taya Oliver (delisted), Wallis Randell (delisted), Ella Smith (delisted), Kiara Bischa (delisted), Lauren Bella (trade, Carlton), Claudia Whitfort (trade, Carlton), Jac Dupuy (trade, Hawthorn)

To fit in as many as 10 Suns Academy members, Gold Coast had to really shake up the list, trading out Carlton-bound duo Lauren Bella and Claudia Whitfort, as well as Jacqui Dupuy who went to the Hawks. There were some stiff delistings too, none more so than defender Kiara Bischa who played 18 games the past two seasons and was an Academy prospect herself. However in wheeling and dealing, the Suns also brought in the biggest name of the trade period in star Crows onballer Anne Hatchard to add vital experience around one of the youngest lists in the competition.

FIRST PICK:
Pick 19

Unlike all the other teams, we – and anyone who has been paying even the slightest of attention – knows exactly what will happen and what names will be on the Suns’ list by the end of the night. Expect generational talent Ava Usher to be the first name read out by an opposition club, potentially GWS Giants, but certainly Adelaide at worst, so she will become a pick 3-5 despite clearly being the standout in the draft crop.

While we haven’t seen her in a competitive setting for almost two years, her professionalism and all-round ability – with few flaws and her combination of footballing and athletic traits – but she will hit the ground running and if fit, will tear the AFLW apart.

If not Usher you could throw a blanket over the next three in Georja Davies, Dekota Baron and Sunny Lappin who could be bid alongside Usher, or over the following selections just after that.

REMAINING CROP:
Picks 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 32, 74, 92

Given the AFLW bidding system, the Suns are prepared to match bids at picks 1-5 which will cover the above four players and even Alannah Welsh who will come a little later. Both she and Mikayla Nurse should receive bids around that first round mark, with another selection in Pick 27 there for insurance as well to cover until about Pick 14. Essentially unless a club goes rogue and makes all top 10 picks, they are all Gold Coast bound.

After that it gets a touch trickier to predict, but the big watch will be on Bronte Parker. Like Usher, she has missed the year with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury but was highly touted coming into 2025. That Pick 32 will surely be utilised on her even if a bid does not come as the Suns can ill-afford to not pick up an Academy player and potentially not match a bid after that.

Those seven players form the core of the Suns haul, and as it stands Gold Coast has nine list spots with 10 Academy Draft Combine invites. The remaining three are Rhianna Ingram, Annabelle Foat and Aleah Stringer, and pending a further list change, 10 does not go into nine which means another club can certainly secure one of the above, especially with the long gap between 32 to 74, granted 74 will slide up once final picks are determined.

There is no point discussion non-Academy players as Gold Coast has its hands completely full and will just focus on that, watching on as any non-aligned player gets scooped up, and just waiting to hear the next Sun off the list to press the ‘bid matched’ button.

KEY QUESTIONS:

– How many Suns Academy members will receive a top 10 bid?
– Will Gold Coast end up picking the likes of Parker with the seventh pick?
– Which of the Suns Academy members will step straight into the Round 1 side?