The Gold Coast SUNS have made the difficult decision to not offer contracts to defender Jade Pregelj and small forward Tori Groves-Little for the upcoming AFLW season. Pregelj, a foundation player for the club, played 19 games over four seasons and was previously a member of the SUNS leadership group. Meanwhile, SUNS Academy product Groves-Little made a debut for the club in Round 5, 2020 and played 11 matches, scoring four goals.
In 2021, Groves-Little made history by becoming the first non-binary athlete in the AFLW, paving the way for others to follow in their footsteps. Despite their contributions to the club, the SUNS have decided not to offer them contracts for the upcoming season.
GC SUNS Head of Women’s Football, Fiona Sessarago, spoke highly of both players. “Jade has been a fantastic servant for the club having returned to the top level in 2020,” she said. “We are forever grateful for the dedication she showed to the club after returning to the sport whilst also balancing commitments with the Australian Defence Force.”
Sessarago also spoke of Groves-Little’s contributions to the club. “Tori has been part of the SUNS fabric for a long time having risen through our Academy ranks and being part of our inaugural squad in 2020.”
