Chloe Gaunt Draft Profile

Lions AcademyKey Forward

#31

Chloe Gaunt

height: 182cm

weight:

D.O.B: 22-07-2006

Leagues: Coates Talent League Girls, AFLW U18 Championships

Snapshot
Analysis
Summary

SNAPSHOT: “An athletic key forward who can also roll through the ruck and looms as a high-upside project player for the future.”

Chloe Gaunt is a relative late bloomer to elite level programs, having developed her craft through first the Gold Coast Suns Academy, and then the Brisbane Lions Academy, before moving into Queensland. Always tall and athletic, she had those key traits going for her from day dot, and 2024 marked about adding some extra elements to her natural abilities.

Gaunt started her football journey not too long ago, opting to join the code over rugby league which her brother played at the time. Given Gaunt’s high-level athleticism, it was a natural fit, with the former track and field star finishing ninth in the country for triple jump as a young teenager.

Eventually though, team sport came calling, with Gaunt admittedly “bored” by the individuality of athletics, and with the support of her father suggesting Aussie rules, Gaunt made the transition. She spent two years at Southport in the Suns Academy, before relocating to Coorparoo where she has been the past three years, and a member of the Lions Academy.

The 182cm tall played all four games in her Lions Academy debut season for the Coates Talent League Girls competition, booting three goals in that time and averaging 6.0 disposals, 2.3 marks and 2.8 tackles. Despite an abundance of talls in the Queensland lineup, Gaunt earned her place representing the Maroons, where she provided a forward target inside 50. Though she did not kick a goal through the national carnival, she showed promising signs and a nice set of hands inside 50.

It was Gaunt’s first full year playing at the top sub-elite level, while also mixing her time with Coorparoo. She played nine games for the Kings and was named in the best six times, kicking two goals. Her main aim was to play through the ruck to mix with her forward work this year across the board, but also worked out her fitness – which she earmarked as an area that must improve – would be a stumbling block.

However by the end of the season, Gaunt had shown enough potential to earn an AFLW National Draft Combine invite even though the tall herself admitted she never thought she’d get to that point this year. While she is still developing areas of her game, quick and athletic key forwards are very much in vogue at the moment.

PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS:

STRENGTHS:

+ Contested marking
+ Speed
+ Aerial ability
+ Strength
+ Upside

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Endurance
- Production

PROFILE:

Chloe Gaunt personifies the future of key forwards. Standing at 182cm, the Queensland prospect has a nice balance of contested marking and speed. While her endurance is still a work in progress, ehr ability to gain separation on the lead is invaluable, and makes it difficult for most opponents - who will need to be close to her height to match her one-on-one - to stick with her.

She announced her potential against Eastern Ranges at Box Hill this year where she booted two goals, and while only having the six disposals, clunked four marks and looked ever-dangerous. She kicked another goal against Calder Cannons a week later from 10 touches and four marks, indicating that she could compete at the level.

Still raw in terms of her production, Gaunt is never going to be a massive ball-winner, but her impact-per-possession is quite high when inside 50. She is a mark, kick, goal player who can convert her opportunities when they come around. With her strength, she is not afraid to get involved in a one-on-one, and once she gets any space at all, she is so difficult to defend with her reach and speed off teh mark.

Gaunt is capable of scrapping for the ball below her knees, though naturally her best work comes in the air. She might not have the runs on the board that other key forwards do, but showed in a short space of time that she could be a big improver in the right program. That, and her presence inside 50 really caught plenty of eyes.

The main improvements for Gaunt include her endurance and production, with the former ultimately effecting the latter, as well as elements such as consistency. Her fundamentals are okay but can improve, with her hands and speed her two main weapons in her game.

Overall, Gaunt looms as a value long-term prospect that clubs can put work into and develop given she boasts some capabilities that are not easily taught. Not one likely to impact immediately, she will work hard to develop areas of her game she needs to in order to get better throughout the year.

DRAFT RANGE: 40+

SUMMARY:

Chloe Gaunt has had quite the journey to get to where she is today, with the former triple jump talent in the mix to be picked up by an AFLW club. She is still raw with areas to work on so expect her to feature later in the draft, with the Lions sure to keep close tabs on the tall.