by Lawrence Worledge
The Morningside Panthers add to their men’s QAFL Premiership in 2024 with the entrance of a team to the Bond University QAFLW for season 2025.
The Panthers’ promotion to the QAFLW comes on the back of a storied history in the QFAW Division 1, and they will be joined by the Moreton Bay Lions, bringing the Bond University QAFLW to 10 teams.
Leading the Panthers’ charge into the highest level of women’s football in Queensland is Head Coach Damien Richards. Richards boasts an impressive resume, having coached both Coorparoo and UQ in the QAFLW including back-to-back flags with Coorparoo in 2013 and 2014.
More recently, Richards has been a development coach with the Brisbane Lions in the AFLW, part of a coaching staff that went to three grand finals, including winning the premiership in 2023.
Richards believes Morningside are already laying the groundwork for the women’s team to bring similar success to the men’s team, who brought their 11th premiership home to Jack Esplen Oval in September.
“Our focus has been getting the basics right and giving the squad an understanding of how we want to play. Key messaging has been work hard. Hard work beats talent,” he said.
“The group is super excited and have been working tremendously hard, the commitment has been outstanding and the want to get better is a pleasure for all of our coaching staff to work with.
“We are looking forward to the practice matches coming up and the start of the season to see how we are shaping up against the rest of the QAFLW competition.”
Morningside have welcomed some former Panthers back home for the club’s first foray into the Bond University QAFLW.
Lucy McCormick returns after winning back-to-back flags with the club at U17 level, taking out the Best and Fairest in 2022.
McCormick picked up nine best on ground nods from 22 games at UQ over two years in the QAFLW and now returns home to marshall the Panthers backline.
Joining McCormick in coming back to Morningside is her former QAFLW teammate at UQ, Gracie Roy. Roy is a Morningside senior Best and Fairest, as well as a member of the 2024 QAFLW Team of the Season.
Laura Roy will join her sister Gracie and long-time teammate McCormick in Morningside’s lineup in 2025, having also made the trip home from UQ over the summer.
Roy and McCormick were teammates in Morningside’s consecutive U17 flags, while Roy and Roy became the first sisters in over a decade to both be named in the QAFLW team of the season, despite Laura only playing seven games due to her Lions Academy and Queensland U18 commitments.
“It's been great to have Laura Roy, Gracie Roy and Lucy McCormick back at the club after all playing for the club previously and now have come back that we have the QAFLW licence,” said Richards.
“Courtney McDonnell, Lucy Bellinger have brought great experience in helping develop the squad and Charlotte Howard's knowledge of the game is exceptional!”
Morningside have already begun laying down the blueprint for long-term success ahead of their step up to the Bond University QAFLW. All eyes will be on how they acclimatise to their first taste of QAFLW football on April 5th.
Their Round 1 opponents? Fellow newcomers Moreton Bay at Red Rooster Park on April 5th.