Australian rules football in Queensland has celebrated a remarkable year, with 11 nominations recognised at the upcoming 2024 Queensland Sport Awards.
Headlining the nominations are the Premiership-winning Brisbane Lions AFL and AFLW teams, nominated as Health and Wellbeing Queensland 2024 Queensland Sport Team of the Year. This recognition caps off an extraordinary 12 months for the Lions, who became the first AFL club to hold both the AFL and AFLW Premiership Cups simultaneously following their victories in the 2024 Toyota AFL Grand Final and 2023 NAB AFLW Grand Final.
Brisbane AFL Head Coach Chris Fagan has been nominated for the Queensland Government 2024 Queensland Sport Coach of the Year after leading the Lions to premiership glory in September. Fagan was also honoured by his peers as the AFLCA Senior Coach of the Year for 2024.
Fagan faces competition from his colleague, Brisbane Lions AFLW Head Coach Craig Starcevich, who led the AFLW team to their second grand final victory in three years.
Premiership captain Breanna Koenen is nominated for Channel 9 2024 Queensland Athlete of the Year after leading the Lions to their second AFLW Premiership, and earning the Best on Ground Medal.
Brisbane Lions General Manager of Football Operations, Danny Daly, has been nominated for Gallagher 2024 Queensland Sport Administrator of the Year. After six years with the coaching team, Danny was appointed General Manager in 2020. Overseeing the football department, he has been instrumental in the club’s successes.
Also nominated for Gallagher 2024 Queensland Sport Administrator of the Year is Trisha Squires, Head of AFL Queensland. Since taking over as head of the code in Queensland in 2020, she has overseen significant growth in the sport, with year-on-year record-breaking participation at all levels.
The AFL Queensland U17 Boys team has been nominated as Sports Accounting Australia 2024 Queensland Junior Sport Team of the Year, after they made history by defeating the Victoria Metro team in Melbourne earlier in the year. Coached by John Deitz, the team showcased their talent with a 20-point victory (Queensland 12.8.80 def. Vic Metro 8.2.60).
Two players from the StreetSmarts Gold Coast SUNS Academy, Leo Lombard and Havana Harris, are nominated for Channel 9 2024 Queensland Junior Athlete of the Year.
Havana has emerged as a top prospect for the upcoming 2024 NAB AFLW Draft, recognized as the Under 18 Queensland Women’s MVP and earning All Australian status at the National Championships.
Leo’s standout year includes winning the prestigious Larke Medal for best and fairest player at the Under 18 National Championships. He was named Allies MVP and earned a spot on the Under 18 All Australian team. As captain of the StreetSmarts SUNS Academy, he was also recognized as the Male Academy Player of the Year and is a top 10 national prospect eligible for the 2024 AFL Draft in November.
Mt Gravatt Vultures Life Member and 2024 AFL Merit Award recipient for Queensland, Kate Guy, will also be acknowledged with a Queensland Government 2024 Service to Queensland Sport Award. Kate has devoted 35 years to Australian rules football, making an indelible mark on the Mt Gravatt Football Club. Her extensive involvement spans numerous roles, including player, coach, team manager, football director, and committee member, reflecting her unwavering commitment to both the club and the broader football community.
The 11 nominations highlight an exceptional year for Australian rules football in Queensland, which has currently experienced a 15% growth in participation, with more people than ever playing, supporting, and engaging with the sport.
The winners will be announced at the 2024 Queensland Sport Awards and Hall of Fame Induction at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on November 21.