Far North quartet set to shine on big stage
SOFTLY spoken off the field, North Cairns Tigers star Sodyla Kris will have a chance to showcase her potential against some of the best female footballers in Australia this weekend.
Kris is one of four AFL Cairns players who have been selected for the Gold Coast Suns’ inaugural squad for the 2018 AFL Women’s Winter Series, with Selina Goodman, Kitara Farrar and Luana Healey.
The quartet will take part in the three-round series as the Suns seek to audition the best emerging talent from across the state ahead of joining the AFLW competition in 2020.
The young stars already share a close bond, with Healey and Kris teammates at Watsons Oval, while Goodman played there too before joining the Brisbane Lions. Farrar is Kris’s cousin. “It’s a great experience and to do it alongside Luana makes it even bigger,” Kris said.
“I never thought I’d be able to play in a game like this and I’m just grateful that the Suns have given me, Luana and Kitara the opportunity.”
Joining the quartet will be former Tiger Jo Butland, who will serve as an assistant coach throughout the series.
“I’m personally happy that I’ve had a hand in all four girls’ development as junior players,” Butland said.
“It’s been a different challenge for me but the Suns have provided me with fantastic tools and information.
“So far, I’ve been really impressed. It’s really professional the way this has been done.”
Butland said she was particularly pleased to see Goodman named in the Suns squad, after being delisted by the Lions after just one season at the top level.
“For Sel to play every game in season one of the AFLW competition and then be delisted could have driven her to do something else,” she said.
“But she’s doing junior coaching and furthering her footy knowledge in other ways.
“That’s only going to help her and I think she’s really started to evolve as a player.”
As well as playing, Healey is an aspiring coach who said she would take knowledge acquired from the AFLW experience back to North Cairns.
“It’s a great opportunity to showcase our talent and the talent up north,” she said.
“Everything I learn I’ll try and put back into our youth girls and women’s team.”
The Suns play their first game of the series today against GWS Giants North at Tom Wills Oval.