Maddison Levi
{{short description|Australian rules football player}}
{{Use Australian English|date=October 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name = Maddison Levi
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| full_name = Maddison Levi
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|27 April 2002}}
| birth_place =
| height_cm = 183
| weight_kg = 67
| school = Miami State High School
| youthyears1 = –2019
| youthclubs1 = Miami State High School
|superyears1=2025
|super1=Queensland Reds
|superapps1=
|superpoints1=0
| ru_sevensnationalyears1 = 2021–
| ru_sevensnationalteam1 = Australia
| ru_sevensnationalcomp1 = 5
| module =
{{Infobox AFL biography |embed=yes
| originalteam = Bond University (QAFLW)
| draftpick = No. 50, 2020 AFL Women's draft
| position = Forward / Midfielder
| guernsey = 6
| years1 = 2021
| club1 = {{AFLW|GC}}
| games_goals1 = 8 (3)
| statsend = 2021
| careerhighlights = *Gold Coast leading goalkicker (2021)
}}
|medals=
{{MedalSport|Women's rugby sevens}}
{{MedalCountry|{{AUS}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|Rugby Sevens World Cup}}
{{MedalGold|2022 Cape Town|Team competition}}
{{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}}
{{MedalGold|2022 Birmingham|Team competition}}
}}
Maddison Levi (born 27 April 2002) is a current player for the Australian women's sevens team. She is a former Australian rules footballer, having played for the Gold Coast Suns in the AFL Women's competition (AFLW). She is a two-time Olympian and the fastest Australian woman to score 100 tries on the World Sevens Series, having reached the milestone in just 15 events.
Early life
Levi grew up on the Gold Coast and attended Miami State High School throughout her upbringing where she was a member of their Rugby Sevens Excellence Program.{{Cite web|url=https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/sport/local-sport/maddi-and-teagan-levi-driving-queenslands-national-youth-sevens-campaign/news-story/a2411872e4013a6f5dd0287f2ab327d2|title=Maddi and Teagan Levi driving Queensland's National Youth Sevens campaign|publisher=Gold Coast Bulletin|date=28 November 2019|accessdate=18 October 2020}} An accomplished junior rugby player, she represented Queensland as well as Australia in junior competitions{{Cite web|url=https://womens.afl/talent-pathway/draft/maddison-levi|title=2020 Draft Prospects: Maddison Levi|publisher=AFL Women's|date=1 July 2020|accessdate=28 August 2020}} and was named player of the tournament in the under-17 Youth Rugby Sevens National Championships.{{Cite web|url=https://australia.rugby/news/2019/12/05/nat-youth-sevens-finals|title=New South Wales and Queensland emerge victorious at National Youth 7's|publisher=Rugby Australia|date=5 December 2019|accessdate=22 August 2020}} In 2018 Levi was asked to play Australian rules football for the first time with Miami High's AFLQ Schools Cup team and went on to play a pivotal role in the school's state championship win that year.{{Cite web|url=https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/sport/afl/aflq-schools-cup-miami-state-high-veteran-lucy-single-believes-current-players-could-follow-in-her-footsteps-and-potentially-become-aflw-draftees/news-story/02a647d7ce13984d36c48a49fabda6eb|title=AFLQ Schools Cup: Miami State High veteran Lucy Single believes current players could follow in her footsteps and potentially become AFLW draftees|publisher=Gold Coast Bulletin|date=9 September 2020|accessdate=27 September 2020}}
In 2019 she signed up to play club football for the first time with the Burleigh Bombettes and was placed in the Gold Coast Suns' developmental academy.{{Cite web|url=https://www.goldcoastfc.com.au/news/8048/under-18-afl-womens-queensland-state-academy-squad-announced|title=Under 18 AFL Women's Queensland State Academy squad announced|publisher=Gold Coast Suns|date=13 May 2019|accessdate=14 August 2020}} Just months later, Levi was selected to represent Queensland as a bottom ager in the AFL Women's Under 18 National Championships.{{Cite web|url=https://afl.draftcentral.com.au/2020/02/07/levi-always-learning-as-she-targets-elite-level/|title=Levi always learning as she targets elite level|publisher=Draft Central|date=7 February 2020|accessdate=6 July 2020}} In 2020 she turned down a contract with Rugby Australia to pursue an AFLW career and switched clubs to play for Bond University in the top level QAFLW competition.{{Cite web|url=https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/sport/afl/sisters-maddison-and-tegan-levi-are-a-fixture-of-bond-universitys-qaflw-side/news-story/d994a1220405943371d7855fb841e31a|title=Sisters Maddison and Tegan Levi are a fixture of Bond University's QAFLW's side|publisher=Gold Coast Bulletin|date=25 July 2020|accessdate=20 October 2020}} Levi cemented her spot in Bond University's senior team in 2020 and was named in the bests multiple times throughout the QAFLW season.{{Cite web|url=https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/sport/local-sport/sisters-tegan-and-maddison-levi-have-gotten-bond-universitys-qaflw-season-back-on-track-with-a-561-win-over-university-of-queensland/news-story/e0bd4d352f0a306009b3ad2f0b75d9d0|title=Sisters Tegan and Maddison Levi have gotten Bond University's QAFLW season back on track with a 56-1 win over University of Queensland|publisher=Gold Coast Bulletin|date=9 March 2020|accessdate=22 October 2020}} As a result of her 2020 performances, she was invited to take part in the AFLW Draft Combine, where she broke multiple national records including the 20-metre sprint and vertical jump.{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-09/miami-state-high-has-three-gold-coast-suns-afl-womens-players/12744036|title=Miami State High becomes home for three Gold Coast Suns AFL Women's players|publisher=ABC News|date=9 October 2020|accessdate=14 October 2020}}
AFLW career
Levi was drafted to her hometown team, the Gold Coast Suns, with pick 50 in the 2020 AFL Women's draft.{{Cite web|url=https://www.goldcoastfc.com.au/news/823240/academy-product-maddison-levi-drafted-with-pick-50|title=Academy product Maddison Levi drafted with pick 50|publisher=Gold Coast Suns|date=7 October 2020|accessdate=19 October 2020}} She made her AFLW debut for the Suns in Round 1 of the 2021 AFLW season{{Cite web|url=https://www.goldcoastfc.com.au/news/855681/a-season-opener-to-remember-for-5-debutants|title=A Season Opener To Remember for 5 Debutants|publisher=Gold Coast Suns|date=30 January 2020|accessdate=30 January 2020}} and played every game for the Gold Coast that year while also being named equal leading goalkicker for the team in the 2021 season as well as finishing in the top 10 in the club's best and fairest count in her debut season.{{cite web|title=2021 AFLW Club Champion: All the Winners|url=https://www.goldcoastfc.com.au/news/902612/2021-aflw-club-champion-all-the-winners|access-date=22 May 2022|date=11 April 2021|work=Gold Coast Suns}} It was revealed Levi signed a two-year contract extension with {{AFLW|GC}} on 10 June 2021,{{cite web|title=List changes: Dogs lose their Spark, Pies swoop on big Blue|url=https://womens.afl/news/72696/list-changes-dogs-lose-their-spark-pies-swoop-on-big-blue|last1=Black|first1=Sarah|access-date=11 June 2021|date=10 June 2021|work=AFL Women's Media}} however, she was placed on the Suns' inactive list in October 2021 to pursue a full-time position with the national rugby sevens team.{{cite web|title=Maddison and Teagan Levi placed on inactive list|url=https://www.goldcoastfc.com.au/news/1024009/maddison-and-teagan-levi-placed-on-inactive-list|access-date=3 February 2022|date=7 October 2021|work=Gold Coast Suns}}
Rugby sevens career
{{see also|List of players who have converted from one football code to another}}
In July 2021, Levi was announced as a shock inclusion for the Australian national rugby sevens team in the Tokyo Olympics competition at 19 years of age.{{cite web|title=Ponytail express bound for Olympics at just 19|url=https://www.rugby.com.au/news/maddison-levi-ponytail-express-bound-for-olympics-at-just-19-202172|access-date=3 February 2022|date=3 July 2021|work=Rugby Australia}}{{Cite web |last=Williamson |first=Nathan |date=July 2, 2021 |title=Australia announces Olympic Sevens squads | Latest Rugby News | RUGBY.com.au |url=https://www.rugby.com.au/news/tokyo-olympics-australian-sevens-squads-mens-womens-rugby-union-202172 |website=www.rugby.com.au}} The team came second in the pool round and was eliminated by Fiji 14-12 in the quarterfinals.{{Cite web |title=Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo 2021 |url=https://www.theroar.com.au/olympics/australian-olympic-team/ |access-date=2022-04-04 |website=The Roar |language=en-US}} She then committed to playing for the national team in the 2021–22 World Rugby Women's Sevens Series where she scored 24 tries on route to Australia securing its third championship which included titles in Canada, Spain and the United Arab Emirates.{{cite web|title=Who is Maddison Levi: Ten things you should know about the Australia sevens player|url=https://www.rugbyworld.com/players/who-is-maddison-levi-ten-things-you-should-know-about-the-australia-sevens-player-144392|date=26 July 2022|work=Rugby World}}
Levi won a gold medal with the Australian sevens team at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.{{cite web |last1=Williamson |first1=Nathan |title=Sevens squad confirmed for Commonwealth Games |url=https://www.rugby.com.au/news/sevens-squad-confirmed-for-commonwealth-games-202275 |access-date=2 August 2022 |website=rugby.com.au|date=5 July 2022 }}{{Cite web |date=2022-07-31 |title=Australia and South Africa win rugby sevens gold at Commonwealth Games |url=https://www.world.rugby/sevens-series/news/735452?lang=en |access-date=2022-08-05 |website=www.world.rugby}}{{Cite web |last=Williamson |first=Nathan |date=2022-07-31 |title=Australia claim Commonwealth Games gold |url=https://www.rugby.com.au/news/australia-claim-commonwealth-games-gold-2022731 |access-date=2022-08-05 |website=www.rugby.com.au |language=en}} She was a member of the Australian team that won the 2022 Sevens Rugby World Cup held in Cape Town, South Africa in September 2022, scoring a hat-trick of tries in the final against New Zealand.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rugbyworld.com/tournaments/sevens-world-cup/australia-women-win-sevens-world-cup-145542|title= Australia women win Sevens World Cup|website=Rugby World|date=September 11, 2022}}
=2024 Summer Olympics=
In 2024, Levi was named in Australia's sevens side for the sevens tournament at the Summer Olympics in Paris.{{Cite web |date=2024-07-23 |title=Rugby Sevens launches Australia's Olympics campaign tonight |url=https://www.rugby.com.au/news/rugby-sevens-launches-australias-olympics-campaign-tonight-2024723 |access-date=2024-07-25 |website=www.rugby.com.au |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2024-07-03 |title=Paris 2024 Olympics: Charlotte Caslick, Nicholas Malouf to Captain Australian Rugby Sevens Teams - Full Squads |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/australia-rugby-sevens-team-paris-2024-olympics-squad-list |access-date=2024-07-26 |website=olympics.com}} Levi scored a tournament-high 14 tries which also made her the leading points scorer of the tournament.{{cite news|url=https://olympics.com/OG2024/pdf/OG2024/RU7/OG2024_RU7_C85A_RU7WTEAM7-------------------------.pdf|title=Individual Overall Scoring Statistics|publisher=olympics.com|date=30 July 2024|access-date=4 August 2024}} In the group stage, Levi scored 5 tries in the opening match against South Africa, followed by three more against Great Britain and one against Ireland. In the quarter-finals, Levi scored a hat-trick against Ireland. In the semi-finals she scored one try against Canada which was Australia's only try of the match.
In the bronze medal match against USA, Levi scored both of Australia's tries. Levi scored 14 of Australia's 24 tries for the tournament. In November 2024, she was named as World Rugby Women's Sevens Player of the Year at the World Rugby Awards.{{cite web|website=World Rugby|accessdate=1 December 2024|title= Ellie Kildunne, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Maddison Levi and Antoine Dupont named World Rugby Players of the Year|url=https://www.world.rugby/news/974759/world-rugby-awards-2024-winners}}
Personal life
Her sister Teagan Levi also represents Australia in rugby sevens.{{cite web | url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/meet-the-incredible-australian-sisters-being-chased-by-three-footy-codes-20220607-p5ars3.html | title=Meet the 'incredible' Australian sisters being chased by three footy codes | date=22 July 2022 }}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{GCplayer}}
- {{AustralianFootball}}
{{Australia women's rugby sevens squad 2024 Summer Olympics}}
{{Australia women's rugby sevens squad 2020 Summer Olympics}}
{{Gold Coast leading goalkickers}}
{{2020 AFL Women's draft}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Levi, Maddison}}
Category:Australian rules footballers from the Gold Coast, Queensland
Category:Sportswomen from Queensland
Category:Gold Coast Football Club (AFLW) players
Category:Rugby union players from the Gold Coast, Queensland
Category:Rugby sevens players at the 2020 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic rugby sevens players for Australia
Category:Australian female rugby sevens players
Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Australia
Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in rugby sevens
Category:Rugby sevens players at the 2022 Commonwealth Games
Category:Medallists at the 2022 Commonwealth Games