Sunny’s choice: The ‘stressful’ call facing father-daughter prospect

SUNNY Lappin has a decision to make. And it’s a big one.

The 17-year-old is eligible for the Telstra AFLW Draft at the end of the year, and far from stressing about being picked up at all, has the luxury of options.

Matthew also played 55 games for St Kilda in the 1990s, which under the AFLW minimum of one-game qualification, means Sunny is eligible to play for both clubs as a father-daughter selection.

Complicating matters further is the fact Lappin has grown up on the Gold Coast, and is tied to the Suns’ Academy.

Sunny’s choice is in her own hands, and if all three clubs are keen to sign her, she makes the call.

It should be noted that it remains to be seen how Gold Coast best attacks this draft, given the ludicrous amount of elite talent tied to its Academy this year, with Ava Usher, Dekota Baron, Georja Davies and Alannah Welsh all ahead of her in the pecking order.

“It’s stressful, it’s very stressful. I have no idea at the moment,” Lappin told AFL.com.au.

“There’s just so many pros and cons to all of it. I can move to Melbourne (as a father-daughter), or I could go anywhere (general draft), or I could stay up north with my family (Gold Coast).

“It’s really just whatever the best option is when it comes around. But at the moment, I’ve got nothing planned. I’ve got plenty of options, for sure.”

Matthew retired three months before Sunny was born, then worked at both Carlton and Collingwood as an assistant coach. He then served as Gold Coast’s head of development from 2015-2017, before moving into the NEAFL and QAFL.

This year, he is Sunny’s coach at QAFLW powerhouse Southport, although the pair have only lined up for one game so far due to her Coates Talent League commitments with the Suns, where she averaged 23 disposals over four matches.

“We won by [219] points, so it was pretty easy,” she said with a grin.

“It was good. I was stressed about it at first, but I love it now. I trust him. I know what he says is good, and he has my best interests at heart all the time, which I know I can trust.

“I can pick him up pretty easily. I know when he’s mad, I know when he wants me to work harder and I know what he wants from me.”

Lappin impressed on the wing on Sunday, playing for the All Stars against the AFLW Academy, recording 20 disposals, six tackles and five inside 50s, although it’s not her primary position.

Wearing long sleeves, she demonstrated a kicking style eerily similar to her dad’s.

“Usually, at the Suns, I play a high forward role, and then have gone into the mids a couple times. But I can definitely see how someone would look at my game and be like, ‘Yeah, she’d be a winger’,” Lappin said.

“I love getting like a good inside 50, finding that target and then – I don’t even care if they kick the goal after, just knowing that I got it there makes me feel really, really good.

“When I’m playing at my best, I’m hitting people up, and I know I’ve done well when they’re marking inside.”

While not quite in the “footy all the way through” category, Lappin has plenty of games under her belt, having started playing in grade five.

“The second AFLW got introduced, Dad threw me in. He was like, ‘Now there’s somewhere to go, you’ve got to do it’. And I just loved it ever since,” she said.

“My big goal this year was to work on my contested ball and just develop my defensive mindset, because I’m a very offensive player.

“My natural instinct is, ‘How can I receive this ball?’ [rather than] ‘How can I win this ball?’ I’ve definitely been working a lot on that, and I’ve seen it a lot over my last few games, how I’ve been laying more tackles.

“I’ve been getting my head over the ball more, and I’ve been very happy with how I’m progressing in that, but there’s still heaps of room to lock in, stop ball watching and just get my head over it.