
Martin leans on Stanton for football journey
WHEN you are new to a sport such as Australian rules football, you always look to find a mentor who can fast-track your development. When your football coach at your high school is an AFL Women’s player, then it is even better. For Haze-Lee Martin, that was exactly the situation she found herself in when […]

Watson thrives on Aussie rules aggression
ORIGINALLY hailing from the rugby league heartland of Sydney, Serene Watson grew up trying her hand in multiple sporting codes. She was “born and bred” through rugby league, went on to find herself fouled out in her attempts at basketball, but found a true home for her competitive spirit on the football field. It has […]

Family support inspires Zanker-Close to footy pathway
HAVING so many footballers in the family certainly helps. It is even more beneficial when one family member has reached the elite level of AFL Women’s football. For Queensland AFL Women’s Under-18 representative, Emmii-Lee Zanker-Close, she has been surrounded by footballers and always seemed destined to cross into the sport from her chosen code of […]

Hickie dives into football pathway
MANY AFL Women’s Under-18 Championships players have played other sports at some point in their life before ultimately choosing Australian rules football. But for Tahlia Hickie, she had a few less talked about individual sports, partaking in gymnastics and diving, and then getting involved in Oztag which proved to be a transition sport into her […]

Injury leads Moore to the footy field
QUEENSLAND’S Hayley Moore had a different start to her Aussie Rules career, eventually finding her way to the sport after a brief stint at netball. “I was playing netball and then girls from school that were in my netball academy started to play AFL. One time the team just needed an extra player and they […]

Code-crosser Garnett grateful for the journey
TWO years was all it took for Georgia Garnett to be recognised on football’s national stage. Growing up in the rugby league heartland of Western Sydney, Garnett was naturally taken in and down the rugby path through Oztag and touch footy. But when her footballing father took her out for a kick of the oblong […]

Future bright for pre-listed Sun
FOLLOWING a more traditional pathway to many of her contemporaries, Queensland’s Charlotte Hammans is one of the few Under-18 young guns who does not need to wait until the October AFL Women’s Draft to discover her future. The talented defender and outside midfielder, who is capable of playing other roles, was prelisted by the Gold […]

Gregory aims to run with her strengths
WITH a neat left foot and plenty of speed to burn, Queensland’s Chloe Gregory has always been told to back herself when deciding whether to take the game on. The utility has played between midfield and forward, and crossed over from netball because of her ability to do just that. “I started out playing netball,” […]

Passionate Lion eyes AFLW future
BRISBANE is a long way from Frankston in the south eastern suburbs of Victoria, but the Sunshine State, and more accurately, the Brisbane Lions is where exciting mid-forward Belle Dawes‘ heart lies. She moved from Victoria up north and brought her love for Australian Rules football with her, and credits much of her recent development […]

Exam or no exam, I’m getting drafted today
THERE are many dominant midfielders in this year’s AFL Women’s Draft, but Alyce Parker may be the best. The athletic machine has been smashing various youth girls competition for the last three years, each time with All Australian honours. She is the one player the state of New South Wales (NSW) has been waiting for, […]