THOUGH the least surprising AFLW Draft haul, it was no less impressive as the Gold Coast Suns brought in a massive eight Academy athletes to their AFLW program. Building a massive war chest of picks to match early bids, the Suns were able to bring in all the players they were targeting and even passed on the last selection to allow the door ajar for another player.

>> EVERY PICK: National Draft
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DRAFT HAUL

Pick 4. Sunny Lappin
Pick 7. Ava Usher
Pick 9. Georja Davies
Pick 12. Alannah Welsh
Pick 13. Mikayla Nurse
Pick 15. Dekota Baron
Pick 32. Bronte Parker
Pick 44. Rhianna Ingram

>> CLICK each player’s names for full profiles & highlights

Gold Coast’s massive draft haul will help the struggling Suns in a fast-tracked way given the bulk of the inclusions are already able to stand up to the elite level. Though the order was essentially irrelevant with the draft hands the Suns had, opposition sides placed bids on the top three in Lappin, Usher and Davies within in the top 10.

Lappin chose the Suns’ rebuild and to remain at home in Queensland over preliminary finalists Carlton and finalists St Kilda where she was also eligible to head. She adds some slick skills and massive hurt factor to the lineup. Both her and Usher will be long-term midfield stars, with the latter the best junior footballer to come through the pathway, but has been on the sidelines for 18 months due to injury.

If she gets continuity for the 2026 AFLW season then watch out because Usher will make a massive mark wherever she plays. Davies on the other hand has height on the first two picks, and is the most versatile player in the AFLW Draft. She can play ruck, midfield, forward or back and loves to use elite evasion to work around opponents. The fourth of her family to reach the elite level, she joins sister Darcie at the Suns.

The next two bids came back-to-back with the pair of Welsh and Nurse linked as the two to come through the teens and so they did. Welsh is a powerful utility who predominantly just played forward in 2025, showing off her elite craft around the big sticks, while Nurse has great skills and explosive speed, often taking multiple running bounces and will go off a wing.

Baron became the somewhat slider of the Suns group, not being bid on until Pick 15, when the Suns matched Melbourne’s bid. She is a readymade key forward who can pinch-hit in the ruck, and though Baron had injury setbacks this year, is a quality player who starred through the QAFLW.

Rounding out the haul were Parker and Ingram, with the former being the only ‘selection’ by the Suns, having to use 32 in order to secure her services, before matching a seventh bid with Ingram when the Dogs called out her name. Parker is a powerfully-built inside midfielder similar to Charlie Rowbottom, while Ingram is a smooth-moving, smart defender who had an ultra consistent season.

GRADE: A+

Without a doubt Gold Coast won the draft given the sheer volume of players the Suns brought in, and just being able to sit back and match them all. It gives coach Rhyce Shaw almost a third of the club’s list, and with the Academy athletes from last year, means the side has a massive homegrown talent base to drive the side back up the AFLW ladder.