AFLW Player Poppy Boltz (2023-)

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Poppy Boltz to the Den

Poppy Boltz is the newest Brisbane Lion, selected with Pick 16 in tonight’s 2023 AFLW Season Eight Supplementary Draft.

22-year-old Boltz is known for her physicality and her ability to win her own contested ball and brings quality tackle pressure.

Currently playing for the Southport Sharks in the QAFLW competition, her football resume boasts accolades including being named in the 2022 QAFLW Team of the Year.

In 2021, while playing for the Cairns Saints, she was awarded the prestigious Jo Butland Medallist as the best and fairest in the Cairn’s Women’s competition.

In 2017, Boltz was also a part of the Queensland team which took part in the NAB AFLW U18 National Championship and becomes the ninth player from that team alongside Lions Vice-Captain Nat Grider, as well as Tahlia Hickie, Sophie Conway, Belle Dawes, Zimmorlei Farquharson, Dee Heslop, Jade Ellenger and Ellie Hampson to now call the Den home.

Brisbane Lions Women’s Head Coach, Craig Starcevich, said he was excited to see Boltz’s years of football hard work pay off earning a spot on the Lions list.

“Poppy has been a friend and teammate for a lot of us since her days in the Queensland talent pathway,” Starcevich said.

“She made the move from Cairns to Southport specifically to give herself the best chance to advance her footy career and we’re so happy to be able to provide her with an opportunity at the Brisbane Lions.

“Her 2022 season with Southport was outstanding playing mainly as a medium sized midfielder earning her a spot in the QAFLW team of the year.

“Her ability to win contested ball and then power on to the next contest was impressive.

“Poppy’s story is a great one for those young players who don’t get selected at their first draft.

"The QAFLW continues to provide a pathway to the AFLW, if you're prepared to work hard, anything is possible."

 

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Young Lion hits track after unlucky year, gun blitzes time trial

Draftee Poppy Boltz was the one to watch out on the track. Boltz, whose parents are former world champion long distance runners, was right in the mix during gruelling repeated running sessions, while the likes of Orla O'Dwyer and Sophie Conway led the pack.

 

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Brisbane Lions v Geelong Cats AFLW Finals 2023: Poppy Boltz on her Olympian parents, growing up in Cairns and becoming a Lion

As the daughter of two Olympians, Brisbane defender Poppy Boltz was always destined for a future in sport.
But for a long time footy was never on her radar – let alone AFLW.

At home in Cairns life was all about running. It was part and parcel of growing up with two world-class runners as parents.

Mum Jill represented Great Britain at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, the 1992 Games in Barcelona and won silver in the 10,000m at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland.

Her father, Daniel, ran the marathon for Switzerland at the 1992 Games.

Brothers Ollie and Milo also competed. Ollie just moved to the US on a running scholarship.

But with all that pedigree came a lot of pressure. Boltz felt she had to live up to those lofty standards.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself at such a young age and it being a solo sport was a lot for me,” the 23-year-old told this masthead.

“My parents never put any pressure on me, it was more the expectations I had for myself.

“I was 16, 17 and competing but I just put so much pressure on myself when they honestly wouldn’t care if I did or didn’t run.”

Boltz needed a team sport to channel her competitive nature and in Cairns, where Aussie rules almost rivals rugby league in popularity, she found the Sherrin.

“It would have been when I was in Grade 11 for a game at school,” she recalled.

“Anything for a day off, I told myself.”

It didn’t take long to fall in love with footy. But as a later-than-most convert she never saw herself as good enough to compete with the best.

“I was still up in Cairns and most of the other girls lived down here pretty much – I was flying down from Cairns all the time,” Boltz said.

“I was picked to go away for Queensland but I didn’t go. From there I just played club. I didn’t really think I was good enough to make it until I moved down here.”

Boltz won the Jo Butland Medal as the AFL Cairns’ Best and Fairest player in 2021 before moving to the Gold Coast to link with Southport for the 2022 QAFLW season.

After a stellar campaign for the Sharks there was an expectation at the Lions that she would nominate for the AFLW draft. She didn’t.

“I was talking about it to (Brisbane coach) Craig (Starcevich) this week. He told me, ‘we were upset you didn’t nominate’,” laughed Boltz.

“Honestly I just didn’t really understand how it worked. I thought they would ask me to nominate if they wanted me. It didn’t really cross my mind.

“I thought then that I would have to wait another year for my opportunity. So that would have been around this time this year.”

But when Boltz learned of the Supplementary Draft she vowed not to make the same mistake twice.

In early April the Lions snapped up the 178cm midfielder-turned-defender with the No. 16 pick.

Fast-forward seven months and she is a mainstay in a Brisbane side preparing to play in an AFLW preliminary final.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better year if I’m honest,” she said.

“I think I’ve played eight games now. Crazy. I just feel so lucky. There’s some people who go through their whole career and don’t get to play finals.”

Like many of her Lions teammates, the first foray into AFLW was made much easier by those around her.

Starcevich coached Boltz at U18 level. That team featured a host of current Brisbane teammates.

“Normally coming into a new team is scary but because I knew half of the girls already it was such a smooth transition,” she said.

Boltz says the shift from midfield to defence hasn’t been quite as seamless – though you wouldn’t know it watching from the sideline.

“I’m still not convinced I’m a defender,” she joked.

“I mostly played midfield at Southport … but considering my height they thought we needed some height back there.

“I still go into games asking (Bre Koenen and Shannon Campbell) to just tell me what to do. Having your captain and vice-captain down there certainly helps.”

She may not feel at home in defence just yet, but Boltz has already established herself as a key cog in a premiership contender.

The Lions have once again unearthed a ready-made AFLW talent in their own backyard.

 

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Lions back young duo against Roos' three-pronged attack

FRESH-FACED Lions Poppy Boltz and Jennifer Dunne have arguably two of their team's toughest assignment in Sunday's NAB AFLW Grand Final against North Melbourne.

The Kangaroos' three-pronged tall forward line of Emma King (187cm), Kate Shierlaw (186cm) and Tahlia Randall (175cm) looms as a trump card for the hosts after causing headaches for opponents all season.

And although the trio are all veterans of the competition, Brisbane stalwart Shannon Campbell is confident her two inexperienced sidekicks are made of the right stuff to stand up on the biggest day of the season.

Boltz, from Cairns, was taken in last year's Supplementary Draft, while Dunne arrived in Australia less than four months ago after helping Dublin win the All-Ireland Gaelic football title in front of more than 45,000 fans at Croke Park.

With Kate Lutkins sitting out the season to have her first child and Jade Pregelj playing just one match before suffering an ACL injury, Boltz and Dunne (both 178cm) were quickly thrust into the key defensive spotlight.

And they've thrived.

Both women have played 10 matches, and alongside Campbell, captain Bre Koenen, vice-captain Nat Grider and the experienced Phoebe Monahan, have steadily improved through the season.

"They've been growing each week," Campbell said.

"For Jen to come to a completely different country, play a new game, every week working on her craft and keep getting better is incredible.

"And Poppy is still pretty new to the game too. They've put in a lot of work to be where they are.

"We're pretty grateful to have those two in our team because they've added a little bit of extra height to us.

"We were averaging 173cm, which is quite short when you look at some of the tall forwards in our competition.

"To have those two is extremely valuable."

Dunne has had an excellent finals series, keeping tabs on dangerous Crow Caitlin Gould and countrywoman Aishling Moloney in the preliminary final triumph over Geelong.

Like Boltz, Dunne is extremely athletic, with the pair able to halve contests when seemingly at a disadvantage.

Campbell described North's forward line as "potent", but said after a season with her new teammates, she now had total confidence in them ahead of the decider.

"Our backline over the years has been pretty consistent," she said.

"Having two new members is pretty difficult to start with, but we knew we could back them.

"Jen picked up things so quickly and Poppy was going so well during the pre-season. They're both really good players and we'll back them this weekend."

 

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Debutants 2023: The future looks promising

Welcome to the club. This season the Brisbane Lions blooded a total of 7 new and exciting players.

www.lions.com.au

 

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Boltz and Svarc commit to the Den

Brisbane Lions AFLW premiership players Ruby Svarc and Poppy Boltz have both committed to the Club beyond 2025.

The pair inked contract extensions during the offseason with Svarc penning a two-year extension while Boltz extends for one-year.

Boltz in just her first season at the Club had a dream year winning a grand final and playing a key role in a new-look defence.

Boltz shared a similar sentiment to her teammate highlighting the fact that it had been a whirlwind start to her AFLW career.

“Last season was such a blur for me personally, I was drafted in April and then winning Grand Final in December, which is crazy,” Boltz said.

“To be able to go around again for the next two seasons at least and look forward to playing with this group of girls, is super exciting.”

AFLW senior coach, Craig Starcevich made note of the crucial roles both players have within the team.

“It is great to see both girls commit to the Club for the next couple of years,” he said.

“We are in a solid position as a team, so to have two players who play important roles within our group want to stay is an outstanding outcome for our program.

“Both players provide us with great athleticism and versatility on field and are also fantastic people off it which is something we value highly at the Brisbane Lions.”