Tayla Hart-Aluni suffered a serious broken leg in the NTFLW over the weekend.
Will there be a chance she plays next season?
STOP RUINING THIS THREAD 
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The circumstances are horrific.
Tayla was discharged from hospital on Friday evening 5 days after having surgery. She has a long slow recovery ahead, the surgeons had said up to 12 months and she’s just taking it 1 day at a time. On another note, I have spoken to Maddison Leach a reporter from 9News and she will be writing an article about the incident, I’m unsure at this point when it will be published but hoping this garners more conversation around the petition and what we’re asking for from AFLNT
We’ve signed a mobile ruck from the South East London Giants, Freya Hibberd.
Represented the GB Swans at the AFL Transatlantic Cup.
During Essendon VFLW trial day, finished 4th in the 2k, and won her sprint race.
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A Northern Territory mum is calling for a change in regulations to make it mandatory for the AFL to provide at least one person qualified to administer pain relief at all matches after her daughter suffered a gruesome injury on the field.
Tamara Hart heard daughter Tayla, 23, scream as she went down after what looked like a run-of-the-mill tackle during a match in Darwin on Saturday, November 30.
The sound of her bones snapping echoed across the field. Although AFL NT staff and trainers were present and qualified in first aid, it is not a requirement of the league that they must be able to administer pain relief.
Tayla, 23, was injured after a run of the mill tackle during a Saturday match in Darwin a week ago. (Supplied/Tamara Hart)
“As a community competition, NTFL Club-based sports trainers are qualified in first aid. It is important to note that administering pain relief, such as the ‘green whistle,’ requires specific qualifications,” an AFL NT spokesperson told 9news.com.au.
According to the The National Community Football Policy Handbook, each controlling body or club around Australia must ensure that at least one person with appropriate minimum medical qualifications is present at each match or training session.
For AFL/AFLW matches, that person must be a qualified medical professional or have completed an AFL-approved Level 2 Sports Trainer Course.
The course does not include the training required to administer the ‘green whistle’ (Penthrox Methoxyflurane), an opioid-free pain relief often used by sports clubs, or other pain relief medications.
An appropriately stocked first aid kit must also be available.
“My heart just dropped,” Tamara told 9news.com.au of the moment AFL NT staff told her there was “nothing they could do” to ease Tayla’s agony.
She had seen Tayla go down from the stands and rushed to her side on the field, where she found her daughter in a heap with her leg bent at a gruesome angle.
Two bones had snapped below the 23-year-old’s knee.
“The bone was centimetres from actually protruding from the skin. It was horrible,” Tamara said.
Tayla, who plays for the Darwin Buffettes in the NT and the Essendon Bombers in Victoria, was initially frozen in shock but broke down as the pain set in.
It broke Tamara’s heart to see her daughter in so much pain, knowing none of the AFL NT staff on site could offer her any pain relief.
“As a mother, hearing your child scream like that and not being able to do anything, it was horrible,” Tamara said.
“I would have quite happily just drove my car onto the oval and chucked her in but seeing the state that her leg was in, I knew that wasn’t an option.”
Instead, Tayla had to wait two hours for an ambulance to arrive and drive her to the nearest hospital, which was just 20 minutes away.
Fortunately, a medic from St John’s Ambulance was able to get to the scene in a different vehicle about an hour after Tayla was injured and administer the ‘green whistle’.
When an ambulance finally arrived, Tayla was raced to hospital and into surgery to repair the breaks to her tibia and fibula with metal rods and screws.
She was discharged after six days and is now recovering at home after being forced to put her AFL career on hold.
Tamara is confident Tayla will make a full physical recovery but fears the hour Tayla spent lying on that field without pain relief will leave lasting mental and emotional scars that could impact her future and AFL career.
She started a Change.Org petition calling for changes to the minimum medical qualifications required of staff at AFL matches so that there will always be someone on site at matches who can administer appropriate pain relief for serious injury.
The petition has amassed more than 1500 signatures in less than a fortnight.
“It’s about having someone there who is able to administer immediate pain relief when someone has a serious injury, because nobody should have to go through that,” she said.
“My daughter was in excruciating pain and as a parent, it was one of the most horrible things to see. I don’t want it to happen to other children.”
An AFL NT spokesperson said it is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all players and it will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure player safety.
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Another one out the door. Ruby Murdoch has been signed by Box Hill.
The obvious two to lure out of local/junior footy remain the same:
Chloe Baker-West (Calder Cannons / Vic Metro)
Small Utility | 163cm | 02/02/2007The reigning back-to-back Vic Metro Under 16s MVP, Baker-West has had an interrupted Coates Talent League Girls season due to injury and school football commitments. A natural ball-winner who can easily rack up 30-plus – and sometimes 40-plus – disposals, Baker-West has been deployed on all three lines. She gets into the right spaces, has an elite tank and is strong in the hips to shrug off would-be tacklers. Missed this year’s national championships due to injury but is no stranger to the big occasion.
Jade McLay (Calder Cannons / Vic Metro)
Tall Utility | 177cm | 01/02/2007One of the strongest players on the list, McLay is a towering presence who can play on all three lines. Though boasting the height of a key position player, McLay is just as adept in midfield at winning clearances, with a booming kick that can breakdown opposition defensive zone. Her hands overhead are reliable and she competes just as well at ground level. Has had to balance her Cannons commitments with her school football ones, but earned a spot on Vic Metro’s list for the national championships.
The other notable thing from the article below is Gold Coast are likely going to need a sacking/trading spree: they potentially have six Academy players from the top thirty of the draft!
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In the absence of any news (where’s the training reports?!?) I’ll take this as confirmation that Geelong haven’t stolen Scar.
That’s a cool looking bikini, well done designers.
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Yep, granddaughters’ birthday present sorted!
Had to reinvigorate interest here somehow…
(I haven’t looked, but I believe is player gear only. Been around for several years.)
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El Chaston is back this season.
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Excellent news
Country VIC key players:
TOP-AGERS:
Ava Bibby (Bendigo Pioneers)
Key Forward | 184cm | 09/05/2007
After a quiet start to the season, Bibby came alive against the Geelong Falcons slamming home five goals, then finished off the year strongly with a call-up to the Under 17 Futures squad providing a focal point in a crunch game. One of the most reliable set shots for goal, Bibby has a relaxed routine and once she gets her hands on it, makes opposition defenders pay.
Ella Jeffrey (Bendigo Pioneers)
Midfielder/Defender | 166cm | 09/08/2007
A pure midfielder who added a defensive role to her repertoire in 2024, Jeffrey is tough and does not back down from a challenge. She will attack the contest be it in the air or at ground level, and averaged six tackles per game from 10 touches last year. Given Lou Painter has moved up to the AFLW, a spot on-ball is likely to beckon for the top-ager.
Olivia Lacy (Bendigo Pioneers)
Defender/Midfielder | 167cm | 15/06/2007
Class with a capital ‘C’ is the way to describe Lacy whose Under 17s Futures call-up was impacted due to injury. Still named in the squad, she can play as a rebounding defender or through the middle, and her skills and decision making really shine. She adds a point of difference to teams and is a player to get the ball in the hands of to make plays happen.
(No bottom-agers from Bendigo were highlighted.)
City (Calder) girls no surprise. Both top-agers.
Chloe Baker-West (Calder Cannons)
Utility | 163cm | 02/02/2007
Often bringing her own ball to each match she plays, Baker-West racks up 30-plus – and even 40-plus – disposals. Her contest-to-contest work is enormous, she reads the ball exceptionally well on the inside or around the ground and has played across all three lines. One who will consistently provide an option and can dictate play with the amount of ball she wins.
Jade McLay (Calder Cannons)
Tall Utility | 177cm | 01/02/2007
Another ultra-versatile player, McLay has found herself across all three lines for Calder Cannons, and even as a ruck/defender for Vic Metro last year. As strong as any other player in the draft crop, McLay can dictate stoppages with her frame be it through the ruck or as a tall midfielder. A booming kick, McLay clears the danger from defence, and can equally put pressure on the opposition defence.
Nicked Broome Plummer from the Cats. That’s the good news.
I guess they both still have two months to be good for round one.
In the space of a month, Lucy has gone from training with Devils to Dons
Missing out on the AFLW draft was a little disappointing and somewhat upsetting for Lucy Thompson. But if she is to live out her dream of playing at the highest level, she could not dwell on the past. As a result, the 18-year-old has made the move to Victoria to join Essendon’s VFLW program for the upcoming season. “At the moment, I’m just excited. I have had a few of the girls reach out and I’m just keen to meet them and get amongst it,” Thompson said. "I think the opportunity to be in such an elite environment with players who have been exposed to the highest level [is great]. “Being drafted is still the ultimate goal, so having a few more people to bounce off who have had that experience and develop my game even further.” The Ulverstone junior has most recently plied her trade with the Tasmania Devils in the Coates Talent League where she co-captained the side in 2024. In that season, she also took to the field with the Allies as part of the under-18 national championship.
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