Women's Footy Brisbane Lions AFLW 2025

[The Flying Belgian]

New thread for a new year...

Ins: Neasa Dooley (Kildare), Claudia Wright (Claremont), Lily Baker (Maroochydore)
Outs: Kate Lutkins, Jade Pregelj, Luke Yoshida-Martin

#	Name	Previous Clubs	Games (as of start of season)	Height (cm)	DOB	Position	Contract
1	Eleanor Hartill	Collegians/West Coast	29​	185​	31/05/2000​	Ruck	2025*
2	Tahlia Hickie	Coorparoo	64​	182​	22/07/2000​	Ruck	2027
3	Bre Koenen (c)	Magnetic Island/North Cairns/UQ	91​	170​	31/12/1994​	Medium Defender	2027
4	Dee Heslop	Broadbeach/Yeronga-South Brisbane/Gold Coast	41​	169​	30/07/2001​	Medium Defender	2025
5	Jade Ellenger	Coorparoo	64​	164​	4/03/2000​	Wing	2026
6	Lily Postlethwaite	Maroochydore/Moreton Bay	39​	163​	29/10/2001​	Utility	2026
7	Ellie Hampson	Hermit Park/Coorparoo/Gold Coast	43​	169​	8/02/2001​	Medium Forward	2025
8	Jennifer Dunne	Dublin	25​	178​	13/12/1999​	Tall Defender	2027
9	Orla O'Dwyer	Tipperary	67​	173​	15/07/1998​	Wing	2027
10	Nat Grider (vc)	/Jindalee/University of Queensland	71​	166​	10/10/2000​	Medium Defender	2027
11	Shanae Davison	Noranda/Swan Districts/West Coast	22​	163​	18/08/2001​	Utility	2025*
12	Sophie Conway	Zillmere	74​	176​	6/04/1999​	Wing	2027
13	<vacant>
14	Dakota Davidson	UQ	63​	181​	31/12/1998​	Tall Forward	2027
15	Poppy Boltz	Centrals Trinity Bay/Cairns Saints/Southport	25​	178​	25/09/2000​	Tall Defnder	2025
16	Evie Long	Sandgate	11​	175​	22/08/2005​	Medium Forward	2027
17	Belle Dawes	Coolum Beach/Maroochydore	70​	162​	11/05/2001​	Midfielder	2026
18	Ally Anderson	Zillmere	93​	162​	25/03/1994​	Midfielder	2026
19	<vacant>
20	Shannon Campbell	Nambour & Hinterland/Maroochydore	88​	171​	24/09/1996​	Medium Defender	2026
21	Courtney Hodder	Peel Thunder	63​	152​	8/07/2000​	Small Forward	2027
22	Sophie Peters	Maroochydore	4​	163​	12/03/2005​	Wing	2025*
23	Rania Crozier	Wests Juniors/Wilston Grange/Aspley	0​	178​	18/11/2005​	Tall Forward	2025*
24	<vacant>
25	Cathy Svarc	Wilston Grange	68​	165​	25/11/1991​	Midfielder	2026
27	Indiana Williams	Hervey Bay/Maroochydore	0​	176​	12/06/2005​	Tall Defender	2025*
28	Charlotte Mullins	North Lakes/Aspley	27​	166​	28/10/2004​	Medium Forward	2027
29	Ruby Svarc	St Mary's Salesian/Essendon	43​	161​	28/09/1993​	Small Forward	2026
30	Jacinta Baldwick	Jindalee/Coorparoo	0​	169​	14/11/2005​	Medium Forward	2025*
31	Taylor Smith	Bond University/Gold Coast	62​	181​	13/02/2000​	Tall Forward	2026
	Claudia Wright	Subiaco Juniors/Claremont	0​	172​	30/10/2006​	Midfielder	2026*
	Lily Baker	Noosa/Maroochydore	0​	180​	14/08/2006​	Ruck	2026*
	Neasa Dooley	Kildare	0​				2025*

* denotes assumed contract expiry - no reports available.

 

[Perrip]

Will be interesting to see the contract decisions we make at the end of 2025 for our AFLW list.
OOC this year: Jacinta Baldwick, Poppy Boltz, Rania Crozier, Ellie Hampson, Dee Heslop, Sophie Peters, Ruby Svarc, Indiana Williams.

Not certain on if we have any top AFLW draft prospects for next year. Most of the Qld top talent seems to come from the SUNS academy.

 

[The Flying Belgian]

Will be interesting to see the contract decisions we make at the end of 2025 for our AFLW list.
OOC this year: Jacinta Baldwick, Poppy Boltz, Rania Crozier, Ellie Hampson, Dee Heslop, Sophie Peters, Ruby Svarc, Indiana Williams.

Not certain on if we have any top AFLW draft prospects for next year. Most of the Qld top talent seems to come from the SUNS academy.

There also might be a few overaged girls who hey might keep an eye on during the year like Isabella McDonough or Kaiya Hides whoa re back in Academy as overagers.

But 2026 is the year we have a few girls coming through and the Suns not quite so many: Mia Geere, Harlee McIlwain, Molly Ferguson, Stella Scott have all demonstrated ability and there's bound to be other pushing through. There's also Edie Fraser, Amelia Murray and Indiana Scheffler the year after.

Ruby Svarc is contracted to 2026. I've got a table of listed players I'll update the initial post with.

 

[Perrip]

There also might be a few overaged girls who hey might keep an eye on during the year like Isabella McDonough or Kaiya Hides whoa re back in Academy as overagers.

But 2026 is the year we have a few girls coming through and the Suns not quite so many: Mia Geere, Harlee McIlwain, Molly Ferguson, Stella Scott have all demonstrated ability and there's bound to be other pushing through. There's also Edie Fraser, Amelia Murray and Indiana Scheffler the year after.

Ruby Svarc is contracted to 2026. I've got a table of listed players I'll update the initial post with.

Thanks. Good to know next year shouldn't be too much of a concern for contract talks. 2026 is shaping up to be a big contract year, especially if we have a good academy crop coming through.

 

[Perrip]

Big milestones, stars returning: Everything we know about AFLW in 2025

First to 100
We will very likely witness the first players to reach the incredible milestone of 100 games in 2025.
There are five players currently sitting in the 90s - Brisbane duo Ally Anderson (93) and Breanna Koenen (91), Adelaide's Ebony Marinoff (93), and North Melbourne's Libby Birch (91) and Tahlia Randall (90).

 

[dlanod]

Big milestones, stars returning: Everything we know about AFLW in 2025

What's the bet it's Adelaide v Brisbane in Round 7?

 

[Perrip]

 

[Grasshopper17]

QSAC?

 

[Perrip]

QSAC?

Pretty sure it's purely for the running track to do the time trial going off past years for both AFLW and AFL teams.

 

[Jivlain]

Fixture:

Lions Queens of the Weekend for 2025 NAB AFLW Season

The 2025 NAB AFLW season fixture was released today with the Brisbane Lions to play exclusively on Saturday and Sundays throughout the season

www.lions.com.au

 

[Perrip]

Lions announce AFLW leadership group for season 2025

The Brisbane Lions AFLW side have announced three changes to their leadership group ahead of the 2025 NAB AFLW Season.

www.lions.com.au

Koenen captain again, Grider VC again with Dawes being elevated to co-VC.

 

[The Flying Belgian]

Brisbane AFLW coach set to become most capped coach following new deal​

Brisbane AFLW coach Craig Starcevich will become the competition's longest-serving coach after penning a one-year extension to lead the Lions until the end of 2026.

Link

 

[dlanod]

I'm more shocked that he's not currently, given he's an inaugural coach on an inaugural team.

Ah, Matthew Clarke, fair enough. Bit weird that the two best and longest tenured AFLW coaches were on our list at exactly the same time.

 

[AFLQLD]

Qld under 18 girls beat WA with the last kick of the game in Nat Championships. The girls had to fight back from about 20 points down and ran over the top of a bigger, older WA team. Some excellent ball movement and really finished all over WA, led by midfield winning more ball and defence standing up.

Queensland had mostly underagers, may be a queue of Lions underagers who will be draft ready next year and could get interest:
Ameliea Murray (medium defender, tough position and already looks competent)
Molly Ferguson (inside midfielder, reads play very well, tenacious, just needs to build strength)
Aiyana Pritchard (tall forward, very new but athletic and mobile, high ceiling, a touch of Joe Daniher about her - she looks like she is about to do something incompetent but then does something great instead)
Mia Geere (various - mid, medium def, very tough)
Harlee McIlwain (tall forward, still young but looks a natural forward)

This year I think the most likely Lions girls:
Kaiya Hides (inside/outside mid, good tackler)
Monique Corrigan (ruck/ forward, her height alone will likely get her drafted)
But there might be a couple injured.

Plus there was one 2027 draft aged player from the Lions:
Edie Fraser (seems to get moved around, forwardish?)

 

[The Flying Belgian]

Qld under 18 girls beat WA with the last kick of the game in Nat Championships. The girls had to fight back from about 20 points down and ran over the top of a bigger, older WA team. Some excellent ball movement and really finished all over WA, led by midfield winning more ball and defence standing up.

Queensland had mostly underagers, may be a queue of Lions underagers who will be draft ready next year and could get interest:
Ameliea Murray (medium defender, tough position and already looks competent)
Molly Ferguson (inside midfielder, reads play very well, tenacious, just needs to build strength)
Aiyana Pritchard (tall forward, very new but athletic and mobile, high ceiling, a touch of Joe Daniher about her - she looks like she is about to do something incompetent but then does something great instead)
Mia Geere (various - mid, medium def, very tough)
Harlee McIlwain (tall forward, still young but looks a natural forward)

This year I think the most likely Lions girls:
Kaiya Hides (inside/outside mid, good tackler)
Monique Corrigan (ruck/ forward, her height alone will likely get her drafted)
But there might be a couple injured.

Plus there was one 2027 draft aged player from the Lions:
Edie Fraser (seems to get moved around, forwardish?)

Murray is also 2027. Is looking scary good at this stage.

Wouldn't surprise to see us try to trade back into next year to help secure the likes of Ferguson, Geere and McIlwain.

Was there a stream available? Would love to check it out.

 

[Perrip]

Was there a stream available? Would love to check it out.

Stream: Western Australia v Queensland
Report: Queensland wins a thriller, Vic dominates on opening day of U18 championships

 

[dlanod]

Really starting to get excited about this these days. Bring it on!

 

[Perrip]

 

[Nathan Barley]

I think the AFL needs to take responsibility for expanding too quickly. Although it would have been unfair to clubs who didn't have teams and if the teams were new franchises they might have struggled not being able to tap into existing fan bases.

Probably just need to stick to short seasons, late in the year for the foreseeable future

 

[dlanod]

Trust Collingwood to argue that the AFLW is less deserving of money than improvements for all footy fans, such as
"upgrading the MCG".

 

[Elixuh]

Trust Collingwood to argue that the AFLW is less deserving of money than improvements for all footy fans, such as
"upgrading the MCG".

Collingwood, you mean the same club that took grant money for womens sport then canned their netball team and repurposed the facilities for footy? I’m shocked to be sitting here.

 

[Section 5]

AFLW has improved the following of the game in all states in particular Queensland/SEQ.

The AFLW was always a big chance to lose money especially as it grew and it is no surprise that it is doing so.

There are way too many teams in the AFL so why did they go down that same path.

I thought they needed to go down a sort of franchise/state of origin path, not a club path as the top side.
The clubs could have a side (hardly any money involved) and be the feeder pathway to the State side competition.

2 x Melbourne teams and one from NSW, Qld, SA, WA.
Give them all a made-up name like Queensland Sapphires (apparently that's our gem emblem).
Play each other twice and a 3 game final series
That should improve the skill area.
Hopefully with a better game product and a more diverse pool of spectators to draw upon, the crowd numbers increase.
With reduced total player numbers, the salary cap can increase to pretty good money.

With reduced player numbers in the top echelon, that means the next level down also gets more quality players than currently running around.

One hard part is done and that is to have a pathway to the top of the sport for women and girls.
The next hard part would be to say to clubs it is not sustainable going forward and drastically reduce the team numbers.

It won't happen but that my 2 cents worth.

 

[MSB ROYS]

Section 5 Unfortunately, the horse has bolted.

 

[Mr Ripper]

First thing AFLW should do is play with synthetic all-weather footies like rugbaleeg does. Improved ball-handling will go a long way to enhancing he spectacle.

 

[AFLQLD]

First thing AFLW should do is play with synthetic all-weather footies like rugbaleeg does. Improved ball-handling will go a long way to enhancing he spectacle.

I had an interesting discussion once with an old wise coach of boys teams who said that hand size is actually critical in terms of the ability to control the ball and changing the footy size only solves part of the problem.

Adult sized male hands have a very big advantage just with basic things like grip strength. (Plenty of very strong fit women can’t open a jar that the average male can easily because of this, for example). Catching and marking the ball is not just dependent on the size of the ball but the size and strength in the hands. Adult male hands have much more ability to quickly grip and hold the ball because of a number of biomechanical advantages. The marks that the average male player take comfortably, and a female player is more likely to drop, is not poor skills, just boring old physics at play.

He was an advocate for grip assistance on synthetic footballs for youth players in games rather than the slick leather. He felt they would develop the skills better and faster. The women’s game would probably benefit equally.