GOLD Coast Academy product Ava Usher has earned the Telstra AFLW Rising Star nomination for round nine after starring against Melbourne on Saturday night.
Usher kicked an equal-career best two goals in the Suns' 22-point win over the league powerhouse, while she also collected 16 touches and had four marks (also a career-high), four tackles and seven score involvements.
The 19-year-old has played every game in her debut season and has been a key part of the Suns' impressive rise up the ladder in 2026.
The Suns matched a bid on Usher at pick No.7 in last year's draft, where they landed a total of eight Academy players in an incredible draft haul.Â
The young gun burst onto the scene as one of the country's top young prospects in her junior years. She earned under-18 All-Australian honours as a 16-year-old in 2023, but injury curtailed both her 2024 campaign and her 2025 draft year.
Usher is the third Suns player to earn a Rising Star nomination this season, following on from Alannah Welsh in round two and Dekota Baron in round seven.
Sunday's statement win was Gold Coast's seventh of the season - and sixth in a row - with the Suns holding down fourth spot on the ladder.
They have the chance to make it seven in a row when they travel to face 10th-placed Adelaide on Saturday afternoon.
2026 Telstra AFLW Rising Star nominees
Round one: Sierra Grieves (Richmond)
Round two: Alannah Welsh (Gold Coast)
Round three: Lauren Young (Port Adelaide)
Round four: Jordyn Allen (Melbourne)
Round five: Jade McLay (St Kilda)
Round six:Â Olivia Wolmarans (Richmond)
Round seven: Dekota Baron (Gold Coast)
Round eight: Ash Centra (Collingwood)
Round nine: Ava Usher (Gold Coast)
