It’s audition season for Suns’ hopefuls

BETH Pinchin and Erin Sundstrom know that 2019 is audition season.

Just 14 QAFLW games stand between the girls and the AFLW draft and after representing the Suns in last years’ Winter Series, both are hoping their names will be read out by the club later this year.

“I know personally it’s going to push me a lot this year,” Bond University player Sundstrom, 21, said.

“I’ve put a lot of things on hold this year to give football a good crack and see if I can make something of it.”

Coolangatta player Pinchin, 22, added: “It’s exciting but also nerve-racking that you’re on show and trying to perform well every single week.

“We’ve already had a taste of what it’s like which gives us that extra motivation because we know how good it was.”

Both girls can’t believe their home town is set to field an AFLW side for which they and future generations of females can aspire to play.

“I’m a primary school teacher so I can see the girls coming through and I know that if it’s a dream of theirs (to play AFLW), they can now make it a reality,” Pinchin said.

“To have that pinnacle of the Suns here on the Coast will be really great for girls to aspire to.”

Sundstrom says she can already see the impact.

“My sisters are five and seven and they’ve only just started Auskick so I can’t wait for them to have a women’s side on the Coast and for them to hopefully represent that side,” Sundstrom said.

While the two were teammates in last year’s Winter Series, history will be put aside when they compete for the Coolangatta Bluebirds and Bond Bull Sharks in the upcoming QAFLW season.

“Being the only two teams on the Gold Coast in the QAFLW definitely adds some extra motivation to be the best and claim those bragging rights,” Pinchin said.

Sundstrom called it “a little extra pressure”.

“(We want to) claim the title of the Coast’s best women’s team,” Sundstrom said.

“In saying that, there’s also a lot of respect between the clubs and I know that there’s always a little bit of Coast pride when Coolangatta beats one of our Brisbane rivals.”

After being bundled out of finals in week one last season, Pinchin is optimistic about her side’s chances in 2019.

“The vibes are up and we’re looking really good,” she said.

“That’s the dream, to make finals, so we’ll be working as hard as we can to try and get there.”

Sunstrom, part of the Bond side that missed finals on percentage last year, believes that the addition of a second reserves side will help the club’s push for success this season.

“We didn’t have two teams last season so we were forced to send our players to feeder clubs which was a huge hit to our culture,” she said.

“There’s been a lot of positive change around the club with the new team and we’ve got some talented new girls.”