MATTER OF TIME IN SOMERSET’S AFLW AMBITION
SOMERSET College head of sport Shane Lunnis says it’s only a matter of time before the school has a graduate make the AFLW after dominating at the APS Gold Coast grand finals.
Somerset won four of the six of the Associated Private Schools (APS) Australian rules grand finals last Friday, taking out the junior and intermediate boys titles along with the intermediate and senior girls trophies.
It continued an enormous run of success for Somerset since the introduction of the sport to the APS competition in 2011, particularly for the college’s female players who have helped it win five of past seven senior girls finals.
Lunnis said Somerset’s continuing development of high qualify players meant their hopes of producing an AFLW player were at an all-time high. “That is one of our aims and we have some very good players at the moment,” Lunnis said.
Suns women’s academy member Madizen Wilkins, 17, is one of the leading players who is on the path to the top level.
Lunnis revealed a plethora of well credentialed mentors, like former Tigers AFL player Mark Pitura, Bond Uni QFA Division 1 coach Sam Whish-Wilson and former Brisbane Lions AFLW player Molly Ritson.
Many of the Bond University QWAFL players also act as assistants for the school teams.
“We have a really strong sporting culture here,” Lunnis said.
“In particular it’s huge for the girls and the numbers have really ballooned. That has a knock-on effect with many of our girls going on to play for local clubs.”