Jo Butland
When there comes to female footy legends in Queensland, they don’t come much bigger, better or brighter than Jo Butland!
As the AFL continues to celebrate Women’s Coaching Month, we recognise the profound impact Jo has had on the growth of women’s football across the Sunshine State over the last 25 years.
On field, Jo’s football accolades include being named All-Australian player four times, including once as captain, four league Best and Fairest medals, eight premierships with North Cairns, three best on ground performances in a grand final and Queensland representative captain and player from 2005 to 2013.
In the coaching arena Jo has done it all; North Queensland U16 girl coach, AFL Cape York Crusaders Girls Coach, PNG Women’s International Cup Coach, Gold Coast Suns AFLW Winter Series Assistant Coach, Gold Coast SUNS Academy Coach and Queensland U18 Assistant Coach.
The AFL Cairns women’s best and fairest player for the season receives the Jo Butland Medal. It’s not the only Jo Butland Medal on offer, the best player in the AFLQ Schools Cup Senior Girls division also takes out the medal named after Jo.
Jo was named the 2012 AFL Cairns Female Coach of the Year and was honoured with the namesake for the Best Player award for the Queensland open-age Sunfire team with the Jo Butland Medal. In 2020 she became an AFL Cairns life member.
Jo is a cross code sensation, having represented Australia as a member of the Matildas between 1997 – 2001, which also included the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
But beyond her endless list of titles, accolades and awards, the hours Jo puts in to growing and promoting our game, is far reaching. Thank you Jo!
Sally Carter
Here’s to another outstanding Queensland coach as part of Women’s Coaching Month…Sally Carter has vast experience and knowledge of football in the Northern Rivers and Gold Coast regions.
In 2018 she coached the Northern Rivers U14 talent team and in the same year received the Northern Rivers Female Coach of the Year. Then in 2019, after a successful carnival with the U14’s she embarked on her second year as a coach with the Northern River Talent Program and stepped up to lead the U17 age group.
For the last two years Sally has been a part of the Coolangatta Bluebird QAFLW coaching team, a club which has a strong female presence with head coach Nicole Graves leading the way.
Ariana Rielly
Ariana Rielly has been a stalwart of the Coorparoo women’s team since its inaugural year in 2013. Throughout those years Ari has coached Coorparoo’s U9, U11, U15 and U17 girl teams, received the AFL Queensland Junior Female Coach of the Year and won five premierships.
2021 has seen her take the assistant coaching reins with the U19 Queensland State and Brisbane Lions Academy U19’s and U17’s teams.
Beth McLauglin
Beth took over the reins of Bond University QAFLW Development for the 2021 season. A past player for the club, Beth was the women’s forward line coach in 2020. On Saturday, July 4th Beth lead the Bull Sharks to premiership glory.
Rebecca Randazzo
Rebecca has been involved in coaching for several years winning the 2018 AFL Sydney junior coach of the year, coaching U11s at Miranda Bombers. After a move to Queensland Rebecca began coaching U10s at Coorparoo Junior Australian Football Club and in 2021 became the head coach of the Coorparoo Womens QAFLW Development team.
Roxanne Brock
The Zillmere Vice President champions female coaches with women making up 40% of the coaching staff at the junior club.
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