2023 at a glance
QAFLW: Premiers
Club Champion: Courtney Sexton
QFA: Runners up
Club Champion: Ollie Burrows-Cheng
John Le Lievre Club Person of the Year: David Williams, Darren Williams.
Season highlight: The Bull Shark attack at Brighton Homes Arena on QAFLW Grand Final day when our girls claimed premierships in the seniors and reserves.
2024 the year ahead
QAFLW with Andy Lovell
Big ins: Arianna Clark AFLW (Brisbane), Imogen Evans AFLW (Collingwood), Tahlia Meyer AFLW (Suns)
Big outs: Lily Tarlington AFLW (Adelaide), Mikayla Pauga AFLW (GWS),Sienna McMullen AFLW (Suns), Kiara Bischa AFLW (Suns)
Captains: Paris Lightfoot (c) Courtney Sexton (vc), Grace Moodie (dvc)
Player to watch: Ella Calleja ex-Suns Academy player who is a great mark and elite kick and has very good goal sense as a medium forward.
Don’t miss: Rd 2 v Southport and the Rd 5 Grand Final reply v Aspley, both at The Canal.
Big improvers: Coorparoo will be the big movers in 2024. They have a strong midfield and plenty of pace.
Welcome back: Abbey Bevan, Imogen Evans and Arianna Clark- Abbey has been travelling overseas and returns to The Canal after 2 years off and we can’t wait to see her rotating between the ruck and deep forward. Imogen Evans is a strong, skilful midfielder returning from a 2-year stint at Collingwood in the AFLW and brings a wealth of experience and a fierce competitive nature. Arianna Clark is an ex-Brisbane Lions AFLW player who was drafted from the Bull Sharks way back in 2018, she is super skilful and smart and can play forward or in defence so her versatility will be a huge advantage to our team.
What’s new: We have worked hard at moving the ball more directly through the corridor in an effort to convert more of our opportunities.
Headline I’d like to see: “Bull Sharks go Back to Back”
Predictions: Grand Finalists - Bond v Aspley. Competition Best and Fairest - Tahlia Meyer
QFA with Shaun Hart
Big ins: Kain Ford, Nick Scott, Jack Mitchell, Matt Green (all from Surfers Paradise), Nick Francis (Riewoldt Family AFL Excellence Scholarship) plus many other players from around the country who will help us get better.
Big outs: Axel Moore (Surfers Paradise), Jayden Pengelly (year out of footy), Dylan Lancaster (Cairns Cutters), Morgan Ferres (Sturt FC)
Captains: Matt Smith (c), Oliver Burrows-Cheng and Will King (vc), Jack Tilley (dvc)
Player to watch: Sam Bowen has worked extremely hard to improve himself athletically and looks ready to grow his impact on the game.
Don’t miss: Rd 1 v Carrara at The Canal, it is just going to be a tough game, always is against them and I think they are a team who will improve this year. Rd 3 v Burleigh, also at home, the rematch with the side who beat us in last year’s Grand Final.
Big improvers: I would expect Coolangatta to make ground this year. I’ll also be interested in how the new team Southern go. This is an amalgamation of Ballina and Byron Bay footy clubs. Finally, I hope to see Dean Solomon’s Tweed Tigers improve and taste victory in 2024.
Welcome back: Ben Merrett has told us he wants to play when he returns from overseas and is reportedly in amazing shape. He is a club favourite and can definitely make our side better.
What’s new: We have renewed our stoppage strategy which will help players be clear on how to play all roles required at and away from stoppages. This should grow our connection as a team.
Headline: ‘Solomon’s Tigers enjoy the taste of victory.
Predictions: Grand Finalists - if not Bond then Burleigh v Carrara. Best and Fairest - Leigh Osborne (Carrara).