The Gold Coast SUNS have informed defender Jade Pregelj and small forward Tori Groves-Little that they will not be offered contracts for the upcoming AFLW season.

Pregelj, one of the club’s foundation AFLW players, played 19 games over four seasons for the club following a seven-year hiatus from the sport after joining the Australian Defence Force and was a previous member of the SUNS leadership group.

SUNS Academy product Groves-Little debuted for the SUNS in Round 5, 2020 before going on to play 11 matches for the club, kicking four goals.

In 2021, they also announced themselves as the first non-binary athlete in the AFLW, paving the way for others to follow their stead.

“Jade has been a fantastic servant for the club having returned to the top level in 2020,” GC SUNS Head of Women’s Football Fiona Sessarago said.

“We are forever grateful for the dedication she showed to the club after returning to the sport in 2020 whilst also balancing commitments with the Australian Defence Force.

“Tori has been part of the SUNS fabric for a long time having risen through our Academy ranks and being part of our inaugural squad in 2020.

“On behalf of the GC SUNS, we would like to thank both Jade and Tori for their time at the club and wish them well in their next chapters.”