Jade Pregelj

Pregelj was born and raised in Logan, Queensland{{Cite web|url=https://www.goldcoastfc.com.au/news/553905/aflw-feature-pregelj-s-path-to-the-pro-s|title=AFLW Feature: Pregelj’s path to the pro’s|publisher=goldcoastfc.com.au|last=Cheadle|first=Josh|date=16 January 2020|access-date=20 January 2020}} and attended Shailer Park State High School throughout her teenage years.{{Cite web |date=2006-06-22 |title=Bright Futures – School Newsletter, Issue No. 9 |url=http://www.shailerparkshs.qld.edu.au/documents/Issue%209,%2020%20June.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060821215432/http://www.shailerparkshs.qld.edu.au/documents/Issue%209,%2020%20June.pdf |archive-date=2006-08-21 |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=Shailer Park State High School |page=4 |via=Trove}} She began playing junior football at the age of 10 and joined the Logan City Cobras as a teenager. While playing for Logan alongside future AFLW superstars Katie Brennan and Aasta O'Connor,{{Cite web|url=https://womens.afl/teams/11/gold-coast-suns/squad/460/jade-pregelj|title=AFLW Profiles: Jade Pregelj |publisher=womens.afl|access-date=20 January 2020}} Pregelj played in five straight QAFLW premierships and was awarded back-to-back league best and fairest honours in 2010 and 2011.{{Cite web|url=https://womens.afl/news/18669/new-sun-hopes-to-hit-old-heights-after-seven-years-away|title=New Sun hopes to hit old heights after seven years away|publisher=womens.afl|access-date=20 January 2020}} She later decided to quit football and enlisted with the Australian Army in January 2015.{{Cite web|url=https://www.goldcoastfc.com.au/news/111443/jade-pregelj-emerging-player-of-the-qw-winter-series|title=Jade Pregelj – Emerging Player of the QW Winter Series|publisher=goldcoastfc.com.au|date=31 August 2019|access-date=20 January 2020}} In a remarkable twist, she relocated to Townsville to continue her military service in 2018 and was reacquainted with a former junior coach and Gold Coast Suns head of women's football Fiona McLarty who convinced Pregelj to begin playing football again.{{Cite web|url=https://womens.afl/news/18669/new-sun-hopes-to-hit-old-heights-after-seven-years-away|title=New Sun hopes to hit old heights after seven years away|publisher=womens.afl|last=Whiting|first=Michael|date=17 November 2019|access-date=20 January 2020}}

Pregelj was drafted by the Gold Coast Suns with the 86th pick in the 2019 AFL Women's draft. She made her AFLW debut against Greater Western Sydney in round 1 of the 2020 AFL Women's season{{Cite web|url=https://www.goldcoastfc.com.au/news/560876/aflw-team-announcement-round-1|title=Gold Coast Suns AFLW Team Announcement: Round 1|publisher=goldcoastfc.com.au|date=6 February 2020|access-date=6 February 2020}} and was selected to play in every game of the 2020 AFLW season. She went on to be selected in the initial 40-woman squad for the 2020 AFL Women's All-Australian team for her inaugural AFLW season performance.{{cite news|last=Black|first=Sarah|title=REVEALED: Magpies lead the way in All-Australian squad|url=https://womens.afl/news/50080/revealed-magpies-lead-the-way-in-all-australian-squad|work=womens.afl|date=3 April 2020|access-date=5 April 2020}}{{cite news|title=AFLW statement: 2020 AFLW All-Australian Squad|url=https://womens.afl/news/50079/aflw-statement-2020-aflw-all-australian-squad|work=womens.afl|date=3 April 2020|access-date=5 April 2020}} She tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during 2022 season 6.{{Cite news|title=Gold Coast Sun Jade Pregelj becomes sixth player to injure ACL during AFLW's first four rounds|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-02/sun-becomes-sixth-aflw-player-to-injure-acl-after-four-rounds/100798442|website=ABC News|location=Sydney|date=2 February 2022|access-date=22 June 2025}} In March 2023, Pregelj was delisted by Gold Coast.{{cite web|url=https://www.goldcoastfc.com.au/news/1279456/suns-make-aflw-list-changes|title=SUNS make AFLW list changes|publisher=Telstra|work=Gold Coast Suns|date=7 March 2023|quote=The Gold Coast SUNS have informed defender Jade Pregelj and small forward Tori Groves-Little that they will not be offered contracts for the upcoming AFLW season.}}

A few weeks later, Pregelj was signed by Brisbane as a delisted free agent.{{cite web|url=https://www.lions.com.au/news/1288355/lions-sign-queensland-stalwart-jade-pregelj|title=Lions Sign Queensland Stalwart Jade Pregelj|publisher=Telstra|work=Brisbane Lions|date=22 March 2023}} She made her Lions debut in round 1, 2023,{{Cite news|title=Knee injuries rule Lions recruit, Saints mid out for season|url=https://www.afl.com.au/aflw/news/1036356/knee-injuries-rule-brisbane-lions-recruit-jade-pregelj-st-kilda-saints-mid-hannah-stuart-out-for-season|last=Bastiani|first=Gemma|website=AFL Women's|location=Melbourne|date=19 September 2023|access-date=22 June 2025}} but was omitted from the lineup the following week.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lions.com.au/matches/5752#timeline|title=Port Adelaide v Brisbane Lions|website=Brisbane Lions|quote=Outs for Lions: E.Smith (Omitted), J.Pregelj (Omitted)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250622054243/https://www.lions.com.au/matches/5752#timeline|archive-date=22 June 2025|access-date=22 June 2025}} She then injured her ACL once more, ruling her out for the remainder of the season. After a second season on the Lions' list, she announced her retirement from the AFLW.{{Cite news|title=Pregelj Announces Retirement|url=https://www.lions.com.au/news/1703696/pregelj-announces-retirement|website=Brisbane Lions|date=11 December 2024|access-date=22 June 2025}} She finished her career having played nineteen games for Gold Coast and one for Brisbane.{{cite web|title=Jade Pregelj|url=https://australianfootball.com/players/player/Jade%2BPregelj/20925|website=australianfootball.com|access-date=22 June 2025}}

{{Australian rules football statistics legend}}

{{AFLW player statistics start}}

|-

| scope="row" | 2020 || {{AFLW|GC}} || 42 || 7 || 0 || 1 || 68 || 15 || 83 || 13 || 13 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 9.7 || 2.1 || 11.9 || 1.9 || 1.9 || 0

|-

| scope="row" | 2021 || {{AFLW|GC}} || 42 || 9 || 0 || 0 || 64 || 17 || 81 || 20 || 20 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 7.1 || 1.9 || 9.0 || 2.2 || 2.2 || 0

|-

| scope="row" | 2022 (S6) || {{AFLW|GC}} || 42 || 4 || 0 || 0 || 13 || 3 || 16 || 4 || 4 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 4.3 || 1.0 || 5.3 || 1.3 || 1.3 || 0

|-

| scope="row" | 2022 (S7) || {{AFLW|GC}} || 42 || 0 || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || 0

|-

| scope="row" | 2023 || {{AFLW|Bri}} || 24 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 4 || 3 || 7 || 1 || 3 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 4.0 || 3.0 || 7.0 || 1.0 || 3.0 || 0

|-

| scope="row" | 2024 || {{AFLW|Bri}} || 24 || 0 || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || 0

|- class="sortbottom"

! colspan="3" | Career

! 20 !! 0 !! 1 !! 149 !! 38 !! 187 !! 38 !! 40 !! 0.0 !! 0.1 !! 7.5 !! 1.9 !! 9.4 !! 1.9 !! 2.0 !! 0

|}

{{reflist}}

• {{AustralianFootball}}

{{Inaugural Gold Coast AFL Women's team}}

{{2019 AFL Women's draft}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pregelj, Jade}}

Category:1991 births

Category:Living people

Category:Sportspeople from Logan, Queensland

Category:Sportswomen from Queensland

Category:Gold Coast Football Club (AFLW) players

Category:Australian rules footballers from Brisbane

Category:Brisbane Lions (AFLW) players