Three years ago, Jamie Stanton became the first SUN to reach 50 AFLW games. Three weeks ago, she donned the Red and Gold for the 50^th time and in less than three days she will take field for her 75^th AFLW game.

Inaugural AFLW player, foundation SUN, Queensland women’s coach, teacher, teammate, friend, daughter, sister and aunty…

Between 75 AFLW games across 10 seasons, there aren’t many hats Stanton hasn’t worn, but the Gold Coast SUN revealed Aussie Rules has played a pivotal part in shaping the woman she is today.

Having overcome several injury setbacks across her decorated career, including a season-shattering full ACL rupture in Round 2 of 2022’s Season 7, the 29-year-old shared a silver-lining with SUNS media.

“The season I'm most proud of is probably my return from my ACL,” Stanton reflected.

“The adversity that that injury provides is really challenging.

“I'm a big believer that it's made me a better athlete but more importantly a better person, which I'm just really proud of.”

Like many of the AFLW’s maiden draftees, the former Australian schoolgirl soccer representative was recruited with 15 games of QAFL experience under her belt before debuting in the AFLW in 2017.

“It was a very weird time. I only put my name in for the draft to be a train on player with the (Brisbane Lions) and I thought it would be a cool experience to get to be around a professional AFL team,” Stanton recalled.

“I didn't think I was anywhere near capable of playing at a professional level, so it was a bit of a whirlwind experience from playing my first QAFL game to then playing my first AFLW game.

“It was really awesome, and the Brisbane Lions saw something in me that clearly is there and that I've shown over the past couple of years.”

It was former Brisbane Lions assistant coach and inaugural GC SUNS AFLW Head Coach David Lake who saw ‘something’ in the crafty and clever small forward we know today.

“David Lake has been a massive mentor for me and he's now pretty much like a father figure to me off the field as well,” Stanton smiled.

“(I wouldn’t be here) if it wasn't for him - he was one of the key reasons why the Lions ended up drafting me in the first place back with Craig Starcevich.

“Since then, he's been a massive stepping stone along my career being my head coach and a leader and now as my mentor and second dad.”

Selected by Brisbane with pick No.127 in the inaugural AFLW draft, Stanton went on to play for the Gold Coast’s rival for two years and featured in two grand final line-ups before moving to North Melbourne in 2019, and finally returning home to star as the SUNS’s first expansion recruit now boasting 23 games of AFLW experience.

During her time at the Gold Coast SUNS, Stanton has been named in the All-Australian squad (2020) and awarded several accolades including inaugural Club Champion (2020), SUNS Leading Goalkicker (2021, 2023) and SUNS Players’ Player (2020).

The experienced SUN now is now a leader in Rhyce Shaw’s young side with her “smarts on the field” understanding the game and what’s required – an element she has personally developed and continues to develop across the league.

“I really hope that the AFLW continues to grow the footballing component of it.

“Early days in the AFLW it was very much athletes playing footy and I think you can see now with the new draftees that they're football players and they understand how to play football.

“I think more footballers that are athletic is where we need to get to, not athletes that want to be footballers.”

Stanton will lace up her game-day boots for the 75^th time in her career on Friday, when the Gold Coast take on Melbourne.

Celebrate Stanton and cheer on the SUNS from 1.05pm AEST at Casey Fields or catch all the action live on 7mate, Fox Footy, Kayo and Binge.