Time to play for keeps
NEWLY appointed Suns head of women’s football Fiona McLarty says the dreaded “go home” factor won’t be an issue for the Suns AFLW team in 2020.
McLarty, 40, says the club has learned from the mistakes of the past and will use the experience gained from their AFL list build to ensure Gold Coast get their second one right with their women’s team, who will enter the AFLW in two years.
Suns captain Tom Lynch is the latest of a string of the men’s sides best talent to leave and head home to Victoria. Gary Ablett and Dion Prestia are also on the list.
McLarty declared more
than 80 per cent of the Suns AFLW list would be made up of Queensland talent, ensuring the engagement and culture built by the team is strong from the outset.
“There has been some really good lessons from the club and even when we were going through the bid process
we talked about what they did to set up the men’s program and what worked well, what didn’t work well and what we can learn from that.
“It was really valuable. Also, talking to some of the AFLW clubs and what they have been through so we are in a great position where we can learn from those people who have gone before us and what we do.
“We will probably be a bit different to the men’s program because we will have so many homegrown players and homegrown talent.
“The reason Queensland got a second licence was because of the talent we have coming through.
“We have been really successful at under-age nationals for the last few years and I’d comfortably group us in the top three states with Victoria and Western Australia.
“The majority of our list will be Queensland players and from the Suns academy zones as well.”
The recent under-17 Queensland championship final was played between North Queensland and Gold Coast, two of the Suns academy regions.
McLarty said the club was eager to reverse the trend that has cost the AFL program and lure some of their former female academy players – who have had to sign with other clubs in Gold Coast’s absence – back into the fold.
“It would be nice to see. They are having an experience somewhere else and they will do what is best for them as individuals but it would be nice to see some of the Gold Coast girls come home,” McLarty said.
She said the list would likely include a diverse range of ages, with the club open to bringing mature-age players who can play alongside their brightest academy prospects.