SUNNY Lappin had a big decision to make. 

The daughter of 251-game player Matthew could nominate either Carlton or St Kilda as a father-daughter selection, but instead chose to nominate Gold Coast as an Academy prospect.

She was one of eight Academy products that the Suns landed on draft night, capping off a remarkable year for the program, but it was a decision she had mulled over for quite a while. 

"There were so many different things that went into my decision, seeing as it was probably the biggest decision I'll have to make in my life for a very long time," she said. 

"Ultimately it came down to family and friends and being able to stay home. Stay where I've played footy pretty much since I started playing and stay where all my favourite people are and be able to experience something so special to me. I think I needed to be somewhere I was comfortable and somewhere that I knew.

"To be able to play with all the same girls I've been playing with through the Academy, junior and school footy, it's something that not many other people get and I wasn't going to let that go."

Lappin said the pull of both the Melbourne-based clubs and Carlton in particular was strong, but ultimately she had to make a decision for where she thought she could produce her best footy.

"Of course there were heart strings that tied me there, I have my own personal connection with them as a club but ultimately I think I made the best decision for myself. It was a hard choice, I was never going to make everyone happy. It was very hard, but I'm happy with it" she said.

Lappin is now a part of a host of star youth that is set to lead the Suns to the promised land. While the addition of eight Academy prospects won't change the fortunes of the club overnight, give it a year or two and the Suns will be rising once more. 

"That was another big thing that went into the decision. I think that the Suns are building something really special," Lappin said.

"Seeing the girls through past Academy graduations, plus all the girls this year, I can see where it's going. Rhyce Shaw is working really hard to build something special and I'm really excited to be a part of that."

Shaw, who previously coached North Melbourne's men's side and played 237 games across Sydney and Collingwood, has been a key figure in Gold Coast's Academy pathway in recent years.

His genuine care for each and every player, love of the game and knowledge has left a lasting impact on many of the Academy prospects and it seems that has played a vital role in the young Suns continuing to progress with the Sherrin and ultimately wanting to stay at Gold Coast.

"He's been probably one of the biggest contributions to my growth as a player. He came into the Academy and had a whole different plan for me as a player that I hadn't even thought of even exploring," Lappin began.

"It changed everything for me. He believed in me more than I think I believed in myself. Someone of his experience saying stuff like that to you really pumps you up a little bit. 

"He led me in the right direction, his constant support all year, even when he transitioned out of the Academy into the AFLW space was huge, it was really helpful.

"He cares so much and you can tell. You can tell he knows what he's talking about and loves what he's talking about. His love for footy is so impressive and incredible. His ability to get involved with everything we were doing, he'd do every conditioning set, he'd do half the drills we were doing and he always got his hands dirty.

"It was so good to see someone like that really rip into what we were doing as young women and young athletes."

The family ties for Lappin have been well documented, but she's determined to forge her own legacy in the game after being selected by the Suns with pick No.4 in the draft.

"I'm really grateful that I have the family name and got all that genetic help, but at the same time, I want to be my own person," she said.

"I want to build my own game and want to play the way that I play because it's me and not because I'm my father's daughter. As much as I love him and I'm so grateful that I have his right foot, I do want to be my own player and person.

"Getting drafted at all was such a reward. To go as high as I did, I was a bit starstruck, over the moon and overwhelmed. The reward I felt the most was that I was happy with how I was playing and I was happy with the player I had become. To top it off by getting drafted … it was the icing on the cake."

From the time she first picked up a footy, AFLW was always on Lappin's mind. 

"I played basketball when I was young but the second AFLW started up, dad threw me into a club. That was sort of when it clicked for me, that it is in my blood, I've got something about me that I've inherited from somewhere," she said.

"When I started playing I realised I am built for this."

While her father is often spoken about as a key figure in Lappin's footy journey, she paid tribute to her mum as her "biggest supporter".

"They've been massive. My mum has been my biggest supporter since I started, she's been at every single game, every single away trip and without fail she's always there," she said.

"My little brother is my best friend, I love him to bits. My little sister, my big sister, to have all those people with me was so special. They're my favourite people and I couldn't do what I do without them, I love them to bits."

But the hard work is only just beginning, as Lappin and her Gold Coast teammates prepare themselves for a gruelling pre-season as they embark on the next chapter in their footy journeys.