Ava Usher

Last updated

Ava Usher
Personal information
Full name Ava Usher
Born (2007-08-11) 11 August 2007 (age 18)
Cairns, Queensland
Original team Bond University (QAFLW)
Draft No. 7, 2025 national draft
Height 162 cm (5 ft 4 in)
Position Midfielder
Club information
Current club Gold Coast
Number TBC
Playing career
YearsClubGames (Goals)
2026– Gold Coast 0 (0)

Ava Usher (born 11 August 2007) is an Australian rules footballer with the Gold Coast Suns in the AFL Women's (AFLW).

Contents

Early life

Usher was born in Cairns, Queensland and grew up on the Gold Coast from the age of two after her family relocated. [1] She attended Hillcrest Christian College throughout her upbringing [2] and became a state representative in basketball, swimming and surf lifesaving throughout her adolescence. [3] In 2019, one of her school friends and future Suns teammate Sunny Lappin convinced Usher to begin playing Australian rules football [3] and the pair would lead Hillcrest Christian College to an AFL Queensland Junior State Championship that year. [4] She subsequently signed up to play club football for Burleigh in the years that followed and joined the Gold Coast Suns Academy at 11 years of age. [5]

In 2023, at 15 years of age, Usher was awarded the best and fairest award at the under 16 national championships for her outstanding performances for Queensland as a bottom ager [3] and was voted second best on ground in Bond University's 2023 QAFLW Senior Grand Final victory behind best friend and future Suns teammate Havana Harris. [6] She impressed so much in 2023 that many scouts believed she was capable of playing in the AFLW at 16 years of age [7] before tearing her ACL on the eve of her 2024 bottom age season. [8] Along with football, Usher continued to play basketball for her school and was Hillcrest Christian College's top scorer in their 2023 under-17 Australian National Schools Basketball Championship win. [9]

AFL Women's career

Despite her ACL injury requiring 18 months of recovery, Usher was drafted as an academy selection by the Gold Coast Suns with the seventh pick in the 2025 AFL Women's draft, [10] matching a bid from Collingwood. [11]

References

  1. ↑ "The rise and rise of Ava Usher". Gold Coast Bulletin. 25 July 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  2. ↑ "Future Suns stars revealed". Gold Coast Bulletin. 13 June 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 "'She's fierce': Powerful story behind sad photo of young star… who was ready for AFLW at just 16". Fox Sports Australia. 12 December 2025. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  4. ↑ "Hillcrest Girls Win AFL Schools Cup State Championship". Hillcrest Christian College. 22 November 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  5. ↑ "Draft Diaries: Remember the name Ava Usher". AFL Women's. 5 May 2025. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  6. ↑ "BOND UNIVERSITY QAFLW SENIORS GRAND FINAL MATCH REPORT". AFL Queensland. 2 September 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
  7. ↑ "How the Suns' Academy pipeline delivered unprecedented eight-player haul". AFL Women's. 15 December 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  8. ↑ "Gold Coast academy star Ava Usher opens up about ACL recovery and choosing football". Code Sports. 14 December 2025. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  9. ↑ "A massive congratulations to our U17 Div 1 women who emerged victorious, clinching the National Championship in a nail-biting game that kept us on the edge of our seats". Hillcrest Christian College - Facebook Profile. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  10. ↑ "SUNS draft eight StreetSmarts SUNS Academy graduates". Gold Coast Suns. 15 December 2025. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  11. ↑ Bastiani, Gemma (15 December 2025). "Bolters, sliders, steals: how did your club go in the AFLW draft?". afl.com.au. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
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