Motivated McNiece still reaching for the stars
LIKE many fellow footballers, Darebin defender Karly McNiece has faced serious injury throughout her career, but has come back stronger and more motivated than ever. The 24 year old suffered a knee injury just as she was coming into senior footy, but a return to the game she loves is what kept her motivated through […]
Premiership Dog has unfinished business
FORMER AFLW Bulldog now Darebin Falcon Angelica Gogos has achieved a lot in her short football career. Unlike many players with on-par accomplishments, Gogos did not start her career until she was an adult. She initially fell in love with the sport by watching Collingwood as a kid. “I grew up following Collingwood Football Club, […]
Barwick’s busted knee unlocks coaching door
HEADLINING developments in the AFLW Draft space this week is the unfortunate news that Tasmanian midfielder Brooke Barwick has suffered a serious knee injury. The star top-ager ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee while playing a local touch footy match with friends, less than a month out from the start of the […]
Stalwart skipper Simpson has still got the spark
DAREBIN Falcons’ skipper Stephanie Simpson has seen a lot of change in her 14 years at the Falcons, but although her teammates have changed quite a bit in that time, her love for the game has not. From starting when the likes of Daisy Pearce and Aasta O’Connor were her teammates to now, Simpson has […]
Ripari racing towards dreams
SOUTHERN Saints’ forward Kayla Ripari did not have the most conventional path into footy, but is certainly not letting that hold her back now. “I’ve been playing now for I think 11 years, 12 years” she said. “I didn’t have the whole parent thing of they played footy so I wanted to play footy, it […]
Lawrence to give draft “one more go” in new-look role
AFTER being overlooked at the end of his top-age campaign last year, Giants Academy product Luke Lawrence is preparing to give the AFL Draft “one more go” in 2023. The 18-year-old comes with a plan and expects to put his name forward for draft contention thanks to a revised role, devised by academy coach Tadhg […]
Daring De Angelis still searching for more
SOUTHERN Saints goalsneak Gabriella De Angelis has always loved Aussie rules football. “I fell in love with footy when I was very, very young,” she said. “I grew up in a very strong and vocal Collingwood supporting household, so I didn’t really have a choice over which team I went for, but my mum […]
Richardson, Graham gain ground in preseason
BILLY Richardson and Will Graham were two of six Queenslanders to have run out on AFL Grand Final day in last year’s Under 17 Futures match, and are now primed to make a splash as top-agers. The Sunshine State products, of the Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast Suns academies respectively, have had different paths to […]
Bertuna bounces back to set lofty goals
SOUTHERN Saint Melanie Bertuna has loved the game of Aussie rules football for a long time, but had a few familial hurdles to overcome to even start playing the sport at all. As she recounts, Bertuna signed up to play football with her dad, but was met with a stumbling block when her mother found […]
Read, Rogers ready to light up the Gold Coast sky
THE GOLD Coast Suns Academy boasts some prime AFL Draft talent in 2023, headlined by a trio of National Academy inductees. Among them are nippy midfielder-forward Jake Rogers and mobile ruckman Ethan Read, both of whom sat down with Rookie Me Central for a Q&A at the recent Queensland preseason testing event. >> Squad: 2023 […]
