Lauren Bella

Club: Gold Coast

Playing Honours:

• AFLW Academy

• Queensland Representative 2017 & 18

• U/18 All Australian 2017 & 18

• AFLPA 22 Under 22 Team, 2020

Arguably the most dominant ruck over the past few seasons of Under 18 Football, Lauren can impact the game in the air and on the ground, allowing her team mates an advantage as she can play as an extra midfielder.

An elite Netballer as a junior, Lauren was faced with the challenge that most young athletes encounter and that was having to choose between the two sports as the workload increased. In the end footy won out and she has not looked back since.

Finishing her Year 12 commitments in Mackay at the end of 2017, Lauren shifted to Gold Coast an enrolled at Bond University where she also played footy throughout the Winter. After another outstanding U/18 carnival for Queensland in the middle of the year, Brisbane were never going to let her slip through their grasp, selecting her in the 2018 AFLW Draft.

Playing only the three games in her first AFLW season, Lauren unfortunately missed a number of games due to illness. At the conclusion of the season and with further AFLW club expansion in 2019, Gold Coast successfully lured Lauren across where she signed a two year deal with the Suns. Lauren featured in each of the Suns games in 2020 where she took he game to another level which was recognized by the AFLPA, featuring in the 22 Under 22 Team, as well as extending her contract with the club until 2022.