GOLD Coast has signed Shannon Danckert and Jacqueline Dupuy as replacements for inactive sisters Maddi and Teagan Levi.
The Suns were keen on local products after the Levis opted to stick with rugby next year, having been offered full-time contracts by Rugby Australia.
Danckert, 24, had a strong season captaining Bond Uni, taking out the Emma Zielke medal as QAFLW best and fairest.
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The midfielder has been a train-on player in the past for the Suns, and is seen as a replacement for Teagan.
Dupuy has worn Suns colours before, representing the club in the 2019 Winter Series.
The Maroochydore product has a netball background – having played in her native Victoria and in the Queensland State League after moving to Cairns – and will slot in as Maddi's replacement as a powerful forward/ruck.
She finished second in the QAFLW's MVP this year, as well as being named in the team of the year alongside Danckert.
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At national rugby level, the Levis aren't quite yet established members of the team – Maddi was a surprise call-up to the Olympics squad after showing rapid development in the space of a few months, while Teagan has represented the country at junior level.
It was understood they were told their best chances of selection for the upcoming 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham lay with a full-time commitment to the squad, while a more senior cross-code athlete like Chloe Dalton is able to juggle both sports.
The Suns are eager to retain the sisters for the 2022/23 season if available.
"We wanted to work together with Rugby Australia, we were a bit surprised the girls had to make a decision, and it came up pretty quickly," Gold Coast head of women's footy Fiona Sessarago told womens.afl.
"We’d been working pretty closely with Maddi and Teagan as they've worked through making the decision over the past three weeks, trying to support them through that process.
"Because we thought it might have been a possibility, we've been working through and identifying some local talent, so we didn't have to worry about any possible border issues."
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