2023 Preseason Testing Top 5s – Suns Academy
THE SUNS Academy convened in Queensland this month to partake in their annual preseason testing event, under the eye of Rookie Me. Under 18 talent from both the boys and girls squads underwent a range of physical tests; from vertical jumps, to sprints and endurance running. >> SCROLL for all top five results Top prospects from 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 […]
2023 Preseason Testing Top 5s – Lions Academy
THE LIONS Academy convened in Queensland this month to partake in their annual preseason testing event, under the eye of Rookie Me. Under 18 talent from both the boys and girls squads underwent a range of physical tests; from vertical jumps, to sprints and endurance running. >> SCROLL for all top five results There were standouts across […]
2023 Coates Talent League fixtures released
ANOTHER season of elite Victorian pathway football is less than a month away following the release of the newly named Coates Talent League fixtures. The AFL revealed the fixtures on Friday afternoon, with both the full boys and girls season calendars announced. Both leagues will feature 13 full-time teams with Tasmania Devils joining the six […]
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 […]
2023 Preseason Testing Top 5s – Swans Academy
THE SWANS Academy convened in Sydney this month to partake in their annual preseason testing event, under the eye of Rookie Me. Under 18 talent from both the boys and girls squads underwent a range of physical tests; from vertical jumps, to sprints and endurance running. >> SCROLL for all top five results Explosive over-ager Bililign Robertson […]
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 […]
