Dekota Baron’s stunning performance in the Gold Coast SUNS victory over St Kilda has earned her the Round 7 Telstra AFLW Rising Star nomination.
The young gun ignited the SUNS’ second-half surge before finishing with a thrilling three-goal haul on Sunday evening. Her trademark aerial prowess was equally influential inside 50, with the tall forward also collecting a career-best four marks and 11 disposals.
Despite only four AFLW appearances to her name, the nomination isn’t the first nod the StreetSmarts SUNS Academy talent has earned, with Baron also securing a Mark of the Year contender in the SUNS win over Collingwood in Round 5.
The 19-year-old joins fellow Academy talent Alannah Welsh to have earned a Rising Star nomination this season.
“Dekota has had an impressive start to her AFLW career and it’s fantastic to see her rewarded with a Rising Star nomination,” Gold Coast SUNS General Manager of Women’s Football Erin Phillips said.
“We’re all extremely proud of her, she’s an exciting young talent who has embraced every challenge and continues to raise the bar each week.
“We’re looking forward to seeing Dekota continue to develop within our program. She’s already given our members and fans plenty to be excited about, and we know there’s much more to come.”
2026 Telstra AFLW Rising Star nominees:
R1: Sierra Grieves (Richmond)
R2: Alannah Welsh (Gold Coast SUNS)
R3: Lauren Young (Port Adelaide)
R4: Jordyn Allen (Melbourne)
R5: Jade McLay (St Kilda)
R6: Olivia Wolmarans (Richmond)
R7: Dekota Baron (Gold Coast SUNS)
