With the AFLW Sign & Trade period finishing last week, the SUNS will head into the 2020 NAB AFLW Draft with six list positions to fill. 

23 players from the club’s inaugural AFLW campaign will once again represent the club in 2021, with a new face in Alison Drennan joining the mix after a trade with St Kilda.

SUNS Head of Women’s Football Fiona McLarty said the club was in a fantastic position ahead of the draft which has been confirmed to take place in a virtual format on Tuesday October 6. 

“We’re really happy with our activity in the Sign & Trade period to firstly lock in a large core of our list from last season but to also welcome Alison to the club,” McLarty said.

“She is the type of player who will complement our existing midfield and we think she can bring some excellent experience and leadership to our group off the field.

“We have some really talented young Academy players available to us in the draft but we’ll also be looking to bolster our middle-age demographic with some players who we think can add to the team next season.”

The SUNS have commenced a re-jigged AFLW Winter Program which sees a squad of players train once a week with Head Coach David Lake.

The program includes all listed SUNS AFLW players as well as a small number of invited players. 

“It’s really great that the girls are able to get out and train together in some capacity given the current health climate,” McLarty said. 

“Most of them are playing club football in the QAFLW but we think it’s really valuable that they stay connected as a group in the AFLW off-season.

“Our Winter Program will run for the next five weeks and will focus on skill development and football education.”

Two interstate players who aren’t on the Gold Coast at the moment are South Australian pair Britt Perry and Cheyenne Hammond. 

The two played off against each other in the SANFLW Grand Final on the weekend, with Perry’s North Adelaide securing the premiership with a seven point victory over Hammond’s South Adelaide. 

Perry played an instrumental part in the victory, kicking two goals while Hammond was one of her team’s best performers with 12 disposals.