{"id":151473,"date":"2024-02-28T20:24:03","date_gmt":"2024-02-28T10:24:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/?p=151473"},"modified":"2025-02-18T10:09:14","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T00:09:14","slug":"qa-tara-harrington-suns-academy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/2024\/02\/28\/qa-tara-harrington-suns-academy\/","title":{"rendered":"Q&A: Tara Harrington (Suns Academy)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

QUEENSLAND AFLW Draft prospect Tara Harrington<\/a> is a top-ager who has cut her teeth in a range of positions, with the predominant midfielder boasting skills and smarts. We spoke to the teenager at the recent Queensland Preseason Testing Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Tara, tell us about your footy journey, and what did you take from that?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TH: <\/strong>“Going through the Suns Academy we got to train up and train with older girls which is always good experiences. I’d say the Suns were really helpful in that way.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: You made the AFLW Academy and played in the Under 17 Futures game as well as making Queensland’s side, what does that mean for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TH: <\/strong>“It means a lot, it obviously puts your name out there and gets you noticed by different clubs. This year playing the games I reckon it will be a really good opportunity to show your talent, your skills and what you can do.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: You’re currently not testing because you’ve got a knock, tell us how you’re going with your rehab process?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TH: <\/strong>“Back into running now and then I’ll just slowly move into change of direction and then go back into the training so I should be good for Round 1.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: That’s a positive. What was the Injury?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TH: <\/strong>“It was torn ligaments and bone bruising in my ankle.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: That sounds nasty, how you’d do that?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TH: <\/strong>“I was playing basketball. I just landed on someone’s foot and rolled it out.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Are you still playing other sports?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TH: <\/strong>“I play a bit of golf. I’ve grown up playing golf and footy mostly takes up my time.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: How’d you get into footy?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TH: <\/strong>“My brother played at a young age and I just trained with him and my dad, kicking the footy out the back.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: What lead you to choose football exclusively?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TH: <\/strong>“I think it’s just been the team environment. I grew up playing golf, very individual, very one-minded I guess. It’s good just being around the girls in the team environment.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: When you’re back on the field, what role will you play?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TH: <\/strong>“Hopefully mid, I’m a bit of a utility player so I can play back, forward, wherever I get put, but mid is my main position.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Will your role change with each squad you represent?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TH: <\/strong>“I reckon relatively the same, but rotation will just get chucked in a couple of different positions.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: You’ve got plenty of talented kids to play alongside this year across every squad particularly here (Queensland), who you looking forward to playing with?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TH: <\/strong>“I always love playing with ‘Hav’ Havana<\/strong> (Harris<\/a>). Good in the ruck, she always taps to me which is always good. Ava<\/strong> (Usher<\/a>) alongside in the mid is always good, and then Dekota <\/strong>(Baron<\/a>) always a good leading target in the forwardline.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: You were down in Melbourne and Geelong for AFLW Academy and of course there’s the decision around national nomination and state nomination, are you open to play footy interstate?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TH: <\/strong>“I’m open minded. Pretty much whoever wants me, happy to talk to other clubs and everything and open to moving. It would be a big change, but open to it always.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Do you support the Suns?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TH: <\/strong>“Yeah grown up a Suns supporter.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Do you have any mentors or people you look up to try and mould your game on?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TH: <\/strong>“I’d say a couple of girls from the Suns like (Charlie<\/strong>) Rowbottom<\/strong> and (Claudia<\/strong>) Whitfort<\/strong>. They’re always rolemodels at the Suns. Sometimes when we get to train with them, it’s always amazing seeing them out on the track. I like to play similar roles to them in the midfield.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you set up goals for the year?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TH: <\/strong>“Well obviously a big goal is to get drafted. But smaller goals like fitness wise and in the gym.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mentions<\/span><\/span><\/div>