| Lauren Bella | |||
|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Bella with Gold Coast | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Born | (2000-09-12)12 September 2000 (age 25) Mackay, Queensland | ||
| Original team | Bond University (QAFLW) | ||
| Draft | No. 45,2018 AFL Women's draft | ||
| Debut | Round 1, 2019,Brisbane vs.Greater Western Sydney, atMoreton Bay Central Sports Complex | ||
| Height | 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position | Ruck | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Gold Coast | ||
| Number | 2 | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2019 | Brisbane | 3 (0) | |
| 2020– | Gold Coast | 47 (1) | |
| Total | 50 (1) | ||
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of the 2023 season. | |||
| Source:AustralianFootball.com | |||
Lauren Bella (born 12 September 2000) is anAustralian rules footballer playing for theGold Coast in theAFL Women's competition (AFLW). She has previously played forBrisbane.
Bella was born inMackay, Queensland.[1] Her father,Anthony, was a professionalrugby league player for theSouth Queensland Crushers,[2] and her uncle,Martin, also played rugby league professionally, representingQueensland inState of Origin as well asAustralia in international competitions.[3] Lauren began playingAustralian rules football as a child, but had to stop playing when the local competition no longer allowed girls to compete in mixed teams with boys.[4]
Bella then picked upnetball in high school, and excelled so much that she was placed in the 2017/18 Netball Queensland's Elite Development Program.[5] Despite finding success in netball, she returned to play football for Bakers Creek in the localAFL Mackay competition in 2017, and accepted an invitation to join theGold Coast Suns Academy in 2018. She relocated to the Gold Coast in early 2018 to play club football forBond University in theQAFLW competition and fulfil her academy commitments with the Suns.[4] The decision paid off when theBrisbane Lions drafted her with the 45th pick in the2018 AFL Women's draft.[6]
Bella made her debut in the Lions' round-one game againstGreater Western Sydney atMoreton Bay Central Sports Complex on 3 February 2019.[7]
In April 2019, Bella joined expansion clubGold Coast.[8] In an interview she disclosed she is legally blind and requires a customised pair of contacts to see.[9]
Bella had a breakout season in 2021, leading the league for hitouts up until the finals, as well as the average for the whole season.
G | Goals | K | Kicks | D | Disposals | T | Tackles |
B | Behinds | H | Handballs | M | Marks | H/O | Hit-outs |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | Votes | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | H/O | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | H/O | |||||
| 2019 | Brisbane | 32 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 15 | 0 | 6 | 50 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 4.3 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 16.7 | 0 |
| 2020 | Gold Coast | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 21 | 37 | 6 | 10 | 130‡ | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 5.3 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 18.6§ | 0 |
| 2021 | Gold Coast | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 32 | 58 | 12 | 19 | 190† | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 6.4 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 21.1§ | 0 |
| Career | 19 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 66 | 110 | 18 | 35 | 370 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.3 | 3.5 | 5.8 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 19.5 | 0 | ||
Individual
