THE 2026 AFLW Preseason Draft on Monday, May 4 represents one last chance for those who missed out last October to hear their name called. Across the country, players who previously nominated for the AFLW Draft but missed out will be hoping for a recall.

Queensland has a genuine cluster in the conversation. Between the Gold Coast Suns Academy and Brisbane Lions Academy, five prospects stand out as players AFLW clubs should be weighing up – each with a different story for why they’re still available, and each with a compelling case for why that should change on May 4.

GOLD COAST SUNS ACADEMY

Sienna Burnham
Midfielder | 162cm | 12/07/2007

The story of Burnham in 2025 is one of unfortunate timing. A delayed start to the season due to injury put her behind the eight ball in what was, by any measure, one of the most extraordinarily stacked Academy cohorts Queensland has ever produced. With the Suns having nine Draft Combine-tied players the list spots simply ran out for a player who, in a different year, may well have been in with a great shot.

What Burnham brings is a combination of physical traits and footy qualities that translate at the next level. A hard-running midfielder who built her endurance base through cross-country running in her junior years, she is a tenacious tackler, a smart reader of the play, and a first and second-possession winner who forces turnovers and makes life uncomfortable for opponents.

Her early 2026 form through the Talent League has backed that up — gaining midfield minutes and providing pressure around the coalface from the outset. She has repeatedly tested well in Queensland Preseason Testing for the yo-yo test, a tangible data point for clubs who need to know the engine is there.

She is openly aware that her draft stock depends on fitting a need. The tools are not in doubt. The question is whether a club sees her as the piece they need on May 4.

Why she was overlooked: Injury-interrupted top-age season in a historically stacked Suns group where list spots were at an absolute premium.

Why she’s a chance now: Clean-handed midfielder with elite endurance, strong tackle pressure and a point to prove. Excellent fitness data and strong early 2026 form suggests the timing may finally be right.

Annabelle Foat
Midfielder | 164cm | 23/04/2007

A Gold Coast junior through and through, Foat has been in the Suns system since the Under 16s and has been a consistent presence at every level. The numbers back it up: averaging 18.3 disposals and 5.3 tackles through the Talent League Girls in her top-age season, she was producing at a rate that would warrant serious consideration in most years. The Suns’ depth made it complicated.

A natural inside midfielder who thrives on contested ball, Foat has shown adaptability by filling half-back and forward roles when the situation required it – a willingness to do what the team needs that speaks well of her attitude. Her reading of the ball at stoppages is what distinguishes her from a purely physical player, and the yo-yo result of 16.06 level at the Queensland Preseason Testing – equal fourth in the state – confirms the engine is real.

The question mark has always been on Foat’s speed compared to others. She is not flashy, but rock solid and reliable. Her smarts around the ground and neat skills in transition stand out. If clubs overlook that lack of explosiveness – after all she had a Draft Combine invite last year – then she is a readymade player. In 2026, she has hardly put a foot wrong, averaging 23.5 disposals, 3.8 marks, 5.8 tackles and 4.8 rebound 50s, working hard to support the defence.

Why she was overlooked: The sheer volume of draftable talent tied to Gold Coast meant the numbers simply didn’t add up, and that lack of explosiveness from the stoppage.

Why she’s a chance now: Averaging 23-plus disposals in the Talent League with genuine contested ball quality and adaptable positioning, Foat is a readymade player who is a what you see is what you get type.

Lilly-Ann Ryder
Tall Defender/Utility | 173cm | 24/04/2007

If there is a player in Queensland’s over-age group who feels most like an unlocked opportunity, it might be Ryder. The 173cm tall has the athletic profile AFLW clubs consistently chase – strong in the air, accountable with her positioning, a solid tackler and body-smart around the contest. Her coaches at both the Academy and Southport have consistently spoken highly of her, and she comes into 2026 with a new dimension added to her game.

In her top-age season, Ryder was a reliable shutdown defender for the Suns and Queensland. The early 2026 season has shown a player who is now pushing higher up the ground, playing a high defensive line, coming out to meet the ball and generating metres through transitional chains.

Her athleticism gets her out of trouble when she ventures forward, and the repeat possessions she earns through those chains are a sign of a player still growing her senior game. That she came through school sport rather than the traditional club pathway arguably means there is further upside still to unlock.

Why she was overlooked: Competitive national class of talls in 2025 left her just outside the cut in a loaded group.

Why she’s a chance now: A 173cm tall with athleticism, defensive reliability, and a developing outside run is a compelling Preseason Draft option. The new offensive dimension she is adding in 2026 only makes the proposition stronger.

BRISBANE LIONS ACADEMY

Lily Quigley
Wing/Forward | 160cm | 26/112007

Quigley might be the most physically elite athlete in Queensland’s over-age group. The former GWS Giants Academy member who relocated to Queensland heading into 2026 announced herself to the Sunshine State with a preseason testing performance that made people sit up and take notice. Her agility test result of 8.146 seconds is the fastest ever recorded in Rookie Me’s testing history. Her yo-yo result of 17.05 level led all Queensland testing participants and sits comfortably at the elite end of what is tested nationally.

The physical data alone would turn heads. But the football backs it up. In Round 2 against the GWS Giants Academy, she registered eight marks from the wing – a standout return for a small – with her reliability in the air driven by an “incredible work rate and speed-endurance mix.” She added a goal from a moment of opportunism near the goalsquare, and was described as effective at both ends, with “two-way running and clean decision making” the hallmarks of a polished performance. On the weekend she booted three goals from 24 touches against the Geelong Falcons rotating forward and really pouncing on her opportunities.

Overall, Quigley is averaging an incredible 20.5 disposals, 6.3 marks, 3.5 tackles, 2.3 inside 50s and 1.5 goals, kicking six goals from her four games thus far spending most of her time on a wing but pushing forward.

Why she was overlooked: Quigley had a quiet campaign with the Giants Academy in the Talent League Girls competition meaning she missed out on Allies selection and therefore, limited the opportunity to build a visible body of work in front of recruiters.

Why she’s a chance now: The fastest agility score in Rookie Me testing history, a yo-yo result of 17.05, and some remarkable, consistent football in the opening few rounds make her an extremely compelling athletic prospect for clubs in need of a high-endurance, two-way running wing/forward.

Jemma Foley
Defender | 166cm | 28/11/2007

Of the five players in this piece, Foley might be the one whose story resonates most with anyone who believes in football IQ as a drafting criterion. Former Queensland Talent Manager Mark Browning – someone who has seen generations of young players come through the state system – described her as one of the most knowledgeable players he had ever encountered. That is not a description that is thrown out lightly.

A rebounding defender with genuine smarts, Foley was earmarked as the Lions Academy player to watch by coach Emma Zielke heading into her top-age season. The campaign bore that out: averaging 13.8 disposals, 4.8 tackles and 6.8 rebound 50s through the Talent League. Foley consistently found herself involved in turning defence into offence — high or deep in the back 50, applying pressure in the air and at ground level, and transitioning the ball forward with intent.

Then injury intervened. Foley missed the bulk of the 2025 season at the precise moment AFLW recruiters needed to see her, and the circumstances of the draft meant she wasn’t able to get in front of the right people at the right time. Back healthy in 2026 and again flagged as the over-ager at the top of the Lions’ watchlist, the same intelligence and defensive awareness that always made her stand out remains firmly intact.

She is not a flashy player. She is a smart one. Smart defenders who can rebound and transition tend to have very long careers when they get their opportunity.

Why she was overlooked: A significant injury in 2025 robbed her of the visibility she needed at exactly the wrong time given she had lit the Talent League Girls up, and would have certainly featured prominently for Queensland at the AFLW Under 18 Championships last year.

Why she’s a chance now: Fully fit and producing in an environment that suits her, Foley’s combination of elite football IQ, rebounding instinct and defensive awareness is exactly what AFLW clubs seek in a back six player. If she stays healthy through May 4, her name should be on the board.

FINAL WORD

Queensland has been a haven for AFLW Draft talent for a number of years now, with incredibly strong Academies that are producing elite-level players. Last year’s incredible intake for the Suns Academy meant some had to miss out, while injuries and form struck for others. Now for players such as the five above, it gives them an opportunity to step up to the next level, and if not on Monday, then at the end of the season.