Tayla Thorn
{{short description|Australian rules footballer (born 1998)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Tayla Thorn
| nickname = Thorny
| image = Tayla Thorn 2019.2.jpg
| caption = Thorn playing for Southern Districts in November 2019
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1998|5|31|df=y}}{{cite web|title=Tayla Thorn - Player Bio|url=http://australianfootball.com/players/player/Tayla%2BThorn/19880|website=Australian Football|access-date=12 March 2017|language=en}}{{cite web|title=Player profiles|url=http://www.afc.com.au/women/player-profiles|website=afc.com.au|publisher=Adelaide Football Club|access-date=12 March 2017}}
| birth_place = Darwin, Northern Territory
| death_date =
| death_place =
| originalteam = Southern District (NTFL)
| draftpick = No. 90, 2016 AFL Women's draft
| debutdate = Round 1, 2017
| debutteam = {{AFLW|Ade}}
| debutopponent = {{AFLW|GWS}}
| debutstadium = Thebarton Oval
| height = 174 cm
| weight = <67kg>
| position = Utility
| currentclub =
| guernsey =
| years1 = 2017
| club1 = {{AFLW|Ade}}
| games_goals1 = 5 (0)
| years2 = 2020
| club2 = {{AFLW|GC}}
| games_goals2 = 3 (0)
| games_goalstotal = 8 (0)
| statsend = the 2020 season
| careerhighlights = Junior
- Northern Territory Under-18 captain{{cite web|last1=Kurdas|first1=Chyloe|title=AFLW sees a wave of young stars coming through|url=http://www.espn.com.au/afl/story/_/id/18839192/the-next-generation-aflw-stars-most-promising-player-every-club|website=ESPN|access-date=12 March 2017|date=6 March 2017}}
- AFL Youth Girls All Star
}}
Tayla Thorn (born 31 May 1998) is an Australian rules footballer who played for Adelaide and Gold Coast in the AFL Women's (AFLW).
Early life
Thorn was born in Darwin, Northern Territory to a family of Indigenous Australian (Iwaidja) descent.{{cite web|title=AFL Players' Indigenous Map 2017|url=http://www.aflplayers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/AFLPA193_A-Indigenous-Player-Map-Update-2017.pdf|website=aflplayers.com.au|publisher=AFL Players' Association|access-date=20 January 2020|date=1 June 2017}} She was raised in the small town of Humpty Doo, playing football with cousin Nakia Cockatoo and others.[https://www.afl.com.au/news/110439/taylas-path-from-humpty-doo-to-role-model Tayla's path from Humpty Doo to role model] By Ashley Bolt for afl.com.au on 11 March 2017. She was captain of the first Indigenous Northern Territory representative side, and won a "best and fairest" award at her home club, St Mary's. In September 2016, Thorn was one of only two Northern Territory players selected in the women's all star exhibition match at the Whitten Oval, when she played for {{AFL Mel}}.{{cite web|title=Female stars under lights|url=http://www.afc.com.au/news/2016-07-13/female-stars-under-lights|website=afc.com.au|publisher=Adelaide Football Club|access-date=12 March 2017|date=13 July 2017}} That same year, she was named in the Youth Girls All-Stars Team.
AFL Women's career
=Adelaide=
Thorn was drafted by Adelaide with the club's twelfth pick in the 2016 AFL Women's draft.{{cite news|last1=Marsden|first1=Matt|title=Meet all 145 members of the AFL Women's Draft class of 2016|url=http://girlsplayfooty.com/2016/10/meet-all-145-members-of-the-afl-womens-draft-class-of-2016.html|access-date=12 March 2017|work=Girls Play Footy|date=14 October 2016}} Thorn had previously moved to Melbourne to study accounting, and returned to the Top End to join the Darwin group of Adelaide players. She was the youngest player in the Crows' inaugural AFLW team. Thorn made her debut in the club's inaugural match, in round 1 of 2017 against Greater Western Sydney. After playing in ruck and defence in her debut, she impressed the club with her effective tagging against Western Bulldogs marquee player Katie Brennan in round 2.{{cite web|last1=Gill|first1=Katrina|title=What we learned: AFLW R2 - AFC.com.au|url=http://www.afc.com.au/news/2017-02-11/what-we-learned-aflw-r2|website=afc.com.au|publisher=Adelaide Football Club|access-date=12 March 2017|date=11 February 2017}} Thorn was omitted in round 5, but returned in round 6 to play against {{AFLW|Mel}} in front of her home crowd at TIO Stadium in Darwin.{{cite web|last1=Gill|first1=Katrina|title=AFLW: Thorn into side|url=http://www.afc.com.au/news/2017-03-09/aflw-thorn-into-side|website=afc.com.au|publisher=Adelaide Football Club|access-date=12 March 2017|date=9 March 2017}} Despite missing two rounds, she was one of the leading tacklers in the league. Thorn was not re-signed during the 2017 trade period.{{cite web|last1=McGowan|first1=Marc|title=Crows lock away AFLW stars to new deals - AFL.com.au|url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-05-25/crows-lock-away-aflw-stars-to-new-deals|website=afl.com.au|publisher=Telstra Media|access-date=27 May 2017|date=25 May 2017}}
=Gold Coast=
In August 2019 she signed with the next expansion team, Gold Coast.{{cite news |title=Tayla Thorn signs with Suns |url=https://www.goldcoastfc.com.au/news/250747/thorn-signs-with-suns |access-date=28 February 2020 |work=goldcoastfc.com.au |language=en}} At the end of the season, she was delisted.{{cite news |title=SUNS farewell five AFLW players |url=https://www.goldcoastfc.com.au/news/794395/suns-farewell-five-aflw-players |access-date=17 August 2020 |work=Gold Coast FC |publisher=Telstra Media |date=14 August 2020}}
Personal life
She has a large family, including seventeen sisters. Thorn was featured in a documentary, League of Her Own, telecast nationally by the Seven Network.{{cite news|last1=McGowan|first1=Marc|title=Darwin teen Tayla Thorn rapt to be part of successful Adelaide Crows women's team|url=http://www.ntnews.com.au/sport/local-afl/darwin-teen-tayla-thorn-rapt-to-be-part-of-successful-adelaide-crows-womens-team/news-story/410b7840e0eda4b17c23f834e16273f3|access-date=12 March 2017|work=NT News|publisher=News Corp Australia|date=8 February 2017}} As of March 2017, she works as an administrator for AFL Northern Territory at the Michael Long Learning and Leadership Centre. The Michael Long Learning and Leadership Centre is a major sports facility where the Crows train in Darwin, and is also a notable educational centre for indigenous Australians.{{cite web|last1=Conion|first1=Matilda|title=AFLW: History at home for Thorn - AFC.com.au|url=http://www.afc.com.au/news/2017-03-09/history-at-home-for-thorn|website=afc.com.au|publisher=Adelaide Football Club|access-date=12 March 2017|date=9 March 2017}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{GCplayer}}
- {{AustralianFootball|ref=Tayla%2BThorn/19880}}
{{Inaugural Adelaide AFL Women's team}}
{{2016 AFL Women's draft}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thorn, Tayla}}
Category:Adelaide Football Club (AFLW) players
Category:Australian rules footballers from the Northern Territory
Category:Indigenous Australian players of Australian rules football