Plenty of Queensland talent was on display at the Austworld Oval on Sunday as part of the StreetSmarts SUNS Academy triple-header against the Brisbane Lions.
U16W v Brisbane Lions
The Under 16s girls kicked off the tournament with a dominant pre-season hitout to secure a six-goal blitz over the Lions (78 to 40) - a fourteen-goal turnaround from their previous meeting last fortnight.
A strong and dominant performance in the contest awarded Harriet Howe best on ground while fellow top-age SUN Lily Moana showcased her speed and power alongside Ella Ballantyne who made the most of her scoring opportunities (three goals).
Seven girls from across Sunshine State made the trip to Carrara to trial for a spot in the Gold Coast SUNS National Championships side set to compete later this year.
Mackay product Lani Minster put the SUNS on the board early alongside neighbouring small-forward Kirra Nun (two goals) who highlighted her speed and craft. Cairns’ Lacey Bell was also solid in defence.
“Our focus as coaches was for the team to really take the game on and show some speed and we were pleased to see that’s what they executed,” Gold Coast SUNS Emerging Talent Coordinator Casey Haw shared with SUNS media.
Girls Talent League Round 1
The first clash of the Girls Talent League season got off to a tight start in hot and windy conditions, with the SUNS ultimately falling short to the Lions 4.8 (32) to 6.5 (41).
Despite the deficit, StreetSmarts SUNS Academy Head Coach Emily Avery highlighted the marked improvement and grit on display.
“The coaching group was really pleased with the girls’ performance yesterday,” Avery said.
“In a two-week turnaround, the group reduced a previous 80+ point margin to just nine points.
“The girls competed all day and challenged Brisbane until the final siren. Brisbane’s polish ultimately proved the difference, but it was a strong step forward for our program.”
Tobi Skalij (four i50s, two score assists) and Allie Cameron (11 contested possessions, six clearances) were named as part of the top performers on the day alongside 19-year-old StreetSmarts SUNS Academy talents Lilly-ann Ryder (seven intercept possessions, five r50) Sienna Burnham (19 disposals, seven tackles) and Amelia Ella (nine tackles, 10 contested possessions) who fired their 2026 Rookie Draft campaign off to a hot start.
In the SUNS forward half, Grace Cooper’s craft and dominance saw her score two majors to go with a game-high five marks and also earn a nod. However, all eyes were on Thursday Island talent and dual-code competitor Mistee Sagigi (five tackles, six contested possessions) who journeyed south for her first official AFL outing of the season and slotted right in.
Boys Talent League Round 2
The Lions boys proved too strong in Sunday afternoon’s final match, downing the SUNS 6.5 (41) to 16.19 (115).
Young SUNS duo Callum Samuelson and Paddy Fitzgibbon impressed as double-bottom-agers to finish in the Gold Coast’s six best-on. Standing at 198-cm at just 15-years-old, Samuelson showed positive signs in the ruck while Fitzgibbon was clean through the midfield and SUNS forward half where he snagged a goal.
Jake Callinan (19 disposals, one goal) battled through the midfield for four quarters alongside Reave Gehling (nine uncontested possessions) who worked hard on the wing.
Further up the field, Caleb Williams (four tackles, one goal) made an impact as a small forward and applied plenty of pressure, while ruckman Jesse Wenzel competed in the air and contributed two majors of his own.
Cooper Johnson (four intercept possessions, five r50s) was strong defensively and moved the ball well coming out of the back line.
Academy Head Coach (U18M) and Director of Coaching (Male Pathways) Jarrod Cotton noted the season opener as a “great opportunity to learn.”
“We played patches of good footy but we couldn’t sustain our pressure for long enough and absorb their opposing pressure,” Cotton added.
“The game provided feedback and we’ll take that in as we prepare for our next challenge against Sydney.”
The StreetSmarts SUNS Academy U16 girls, U18M and U18W head to Blacktown International Sports Park (BISP) after Easter to take on Tasmania and Sydney respectively. The U16 boys are set to compete in the Zone Championships across Lismore and the Gold Coast’s People First Stadium.
