By Ant Wingard
Queensland’s presence in the female football space has again been highlighted with a strong contingent named in the in the 2019 NAB AFL Women’s All Australian team.
Following the NAB AFLW Under 18 National Championships which concluded on the Gold Coast last month, four Queenslanders earned their place in the team.
Queensland captain Lily Postlethwaite headlines the Queenslanders selected in the team as one of two players from the Sunshine State to earn dual All Australian honours.
Bond University’s Serene Watson was the second Queenslander to achieve the feat after a strong campaign as a key defensive pillar in the state side.
Ellie Hampson earned her place in the 2019 All Australian team after starring in the maroon where she averaged 18.5 disposals across the five games and was named Queensland Most Valuable Player.
Fellow pre-listed Gold Coast SUNS player Kitara Whap-Farrar rounds out the Queenslanders selected in the team after a consistent carnival where she played as a rebounding defender and tough midfielder.
The quartet of All Australian players follows the record six names included last year’s iteration with the focus now shifting toward the NAB AFL Under 18 Draft where both the Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast SUNS will both be bidding for Queensland talent for the first time.
AFL Head of Women’s Football Nicole Livingstone said the expansion period of the competition will allow for more talent to join the AFLW ranks.
“The 2019 NAB AFLW Under-18 Championships saw the country’s best young female talent displaying their skills for club recruiters, including representatives from the four expansion teams – West Coast Eagles, Gold Coast Suns, Richmond and St Kilda.
“The expansion of the AFLW competition in 2020 will provide another 120 places for talented female players from across Australia. I am excited to see what the next generation of players will be able to bring to the elite competition.”
