The under-14 Crusaders line-up from Cape York and the Torres Strait impressed with wins in two of their four games at the North Queensland Community Carnival in Cairns. Photo: Supplied.
Thursday Island’s Mistee Sagigi has a bright future ahead of her after being selected among 38 Indigenous players to participate in the AFL’s 2024 Woomeras program.
The program, hosted in Brisbane, had some of the country’s best female Indigenous Australian football talent take to the paddock at Brighton Homes Arena on 13 July, and is recognised as one of the key steps for players in the national talent pathway.
Sagigi performed strongly throughout the game, with her second efforts, hard-tackling style and confidence a standout.
After sealing the Woomeras’ win with the final goal of the game, she was awarded the team’s best-on-ground honours.
AFL Indigenous programs talent lead Ben Davis said Sagigi’s performance had put her in the spotlight for AFLW clubs for 2025.
“The program aims to provide a platform for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander females to improve their football and leadership skills through physical training and personal development activities,” he said.
“The top talent in these games will be selected by an external panel and invited into the AFL 2025 National AFLW Indigenous Academy.”
Mistee Sagigi (left) celebrates her best-on-ground performance for the Woomeras with her family. Photo: Supplied.
Crusaders impress in Townsville
Last weekend, 20 of Cape York and the Torres Strait’s best under-14 female AFL players travelled to Townsville to compete in the North Queensland Community Carnival.
The Crusaders played four matches against teams from Cairns, Townsville, Capricornia and Mackay in a round-robin style tournament and finished with two wins from four games, a great effort for a line-up that only met a day before taking to the field together.
The Crusaders beat Townsville 9-7 and Cairns in a 21-1 romp.
Torres Strait champions Townsville bound
The AFLQ Schools Cup team from up north will lace up its boots at the North Queensland Championships in Townsville on 23 July after finishing the Cairns event undefeated earlier in the year.
The championships will be held at Riverway Stadium today, with with the winners progressing to the state championships on the Sunshine Coast in October.
AFL Cape York development co-ordinator Kieran Sciberras said the team’s success to date was a huge achievement.
“The girls have worked so hard to get to this event and they’ve been training well since the Cairns competition,” he said.
“There were over 300 school teams involved in the program across the North Queensland region, so for this team to even be playing at the North Queensland Championships is a huge achievement.”
The AFLQ Schools Cup girls team will take to the Riverway Stadium playing surface in Townsville on 23 July as they vie for a spot at the Queensland championships later in the year. Photo: Supplied.
