The Bull Sharks have suffered a huge blow on the eve of the QAFLW season with star recruit Kierra Zerafa set for a lengthy stint on the sidelines with an ankle injury.
The 2025 Riewoldt Family AFL Excellence Scholarship recipient underwent surgery this week to repair ligaments damaged in her first trial for the Bull Sharks against her former side Southport.
Zerafa, who won two QAFLW premierships with Southport, is expected to miss 16 weeks.
Zerafa arrived at The Canal late in the pre-season after a standout season in the Northern Territory Football league where she played alongside premiership-winning Bull Sharks Georgia Johnson, Sally Evans, Gabrielle Deller and CJ Landweher for the Nightcliff Tigers.
Undefeated throughout the home and away season, Nightcliff were left heartbroken when they lost the grand final by one point to PINT Football club.
Zerafa, a born and bred Darwin local, wrapped up the home and away season claiming the Pam Watson Medal for Nightcliff’s best and fairest after averaging 22 disposals a game and booting 12 goals for the season.
“I’m from the NT, I was born and raised in Darwin and I’ve played NTFL my whole life,” Zerafa said.
“When I was 18 and finished school, I moved down to the Gold Coast to try and further my football career and try and get on a list somewhere.
“This year I decided to come home for six months and play with Nightcliff for the first time.”
The NTFL plays its season from early October through to March, allowing players to return south for state league competitions once it concludes.
“Majority of the girls from Nightcliff are locals, teams do have fly-ins but 80 per cent of us are locals and then the other ones are flying up to play the football season out,” Zerafa said.
“The comp is graded on a point system, to limit the point caps and the number of players who fly in.”
The inside mid made the move from the Southport Sharks to the Bull Sharks for the 2026 season, after she was awarded the Riewoldt AFL Family Excellence Scholarship to study a Bachelor of Health Sciences.
“I moved to Queensland to obviously start playing at a better level in the QAFLW,” Zerafa said.
“I did love my time at Southport, and I won two flags with them, but I’m super excited to be given a scholarship at Bond and to have a change.”