G Unit
Grace Parsons
Australian football · Port Adelaide (AFLW)
Grace’s story
Grace Parsons was meant to fly to Melbourne the night before her 2025 AFLW State Combine. Thunderstorms cancelled her flight. She flew in on the morning of testing and was put through her paces around 30 minutes after arriving, without her usual warm-up. She still put up competitive results. When draft night came, her name wasn’t called.
For much of her junior footy, Grace had flown under the radar. In her draft year, things started to change. She came through the Sydney Swans Academy, earned All-Star selection and received a combine invitation. She’d finally put herself in the conversation, and then had to decide what to do when the opportunity didn’t come.
Grace went back to work. She got herself stronger, reset mentally and returned as an over-age player with more to offer. She was already an aerial threat as a key forward. Now she was developing her ruck craft too. Against the Gold Coast Suns Academy in 2026, she kicked three goals and contributed in the ruck, showing what she could do in both roles.
Port Adelaide signed Grace as an injury replacement player, and she moved from Sydney to Adelaide to take her chance. In Round 4 of 2026, she made her AFLW debut against Gold Coast at Alberton Oval. She played three games in her first season and earned a contract extension with Port Adelaide. Less than a year after going undrafted, she’d earned a chance to keep building her AFLW career.
What Grace brings as a mentor
Grace knows what it’s like to put everything into a big opportunity and have the day go differently from how you pictured it. She can help you make a plan for trials, testing or a big game, including what to do if your preparation gets thrown off. Afterwards, you can talk through what happened and decide what you want to take into the next opportunity.
She can also help you build confidence in a new role. When Grace added ruck work to her game, she gave herself another way to contribute. If you’re learning a new position or trying to add something to your game, she can help you break it down, pick a skill to practise and set a goal you can measure. At your next check-in, you’ll look at what’s improving and decide what to work on next.