Kalinda Howarth facts for kids

Kalinda Howarth, born on August 2, 1999, is a talented Australian rules footballer. She plays for the Collingwood Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW) league. Before joining Collingwood, Kalinda played for the Brisbane Lions in 2018. She then played for the Gold Coast Suns from 2020 to 2023. Kalinda is a two-time leading goalkicker for the Gold Coast Suns. She was also named in the special 2020 AFL Women's All-Australian team for her great performance.

Kalinda's Early Life and Football Journey

Kalinda Howarth was born on the Gold Coast in Queensland. Her family has Indigenous Australian (Yuin) heritage. She went to Helensvale State High School as she grew up. As a child, Kalinda loved rugby league. She also played touch rugby, soccer, and basketball.

When she was 12, her brother encouraged her to try Australian rules football. She started playing with the Southport Sharks. Later, she moved to play for the Labrador club. Finally, she joined Coolangatta Tweed. This was a top team in the Queensland competition.

In 2016, at age 17, Kalinda kicked the winning goal for Coolangatta Tweed. This goal helped them win the QAFLW grand final. She also joined the Gold Coast Suns Academy. In 2017, she was named in the Under 18 All-Australian team. This was because she played so well at the national championships. Kalinda looked up to Lance Franklin as her football hero. She wears the number 23 jersey because she wants to play like him.

Kalinda's AFL Women's Career

Starting with Brisbane and QAFLW (2018–2019)

The Brisbane Lions picked Kalinda with the 31st choice in the 2017 AFL Women's draft. However, she was released a year later without playing a game for them. After that, she joined the Bond University team. She scored 31 goals in 15 games in 2019. This made her the leading goalkicker in the QAFLW league. She also finished second in the league's best and fairest award. Because of her strong performance, the Gold Coast Suns chose her. This meant she would be part of their first-ever AFLW team.

Playing for Gold Coast (2020–2023)

Kalinda played her first AFL Women's game in Round 1 of the 2020 AFL Women's season. This was against the Greater Western Sydney team. In the first-ever women's "QClash," a big game between Gold Coast and Brisbane, Kalinda scored three of the Suns' four goals. She played so well that people compared her to famous player Steve Johnson. She was also nominated for the AFLW's Round 3 AFL Women's Rising Star award.

Three weeks later, Kalinda scored a career-high four goals. She was voted the best player on the field in her team's win over West Coast. This win helped the Suns reach the finals. For her amazing season, she was named in the 2020 AFL Women's All-Australian team.

Moving to Collingwood (2024–Present)

Before the 2024 AFL Women's season, Kalinda Howarth moved to the Collingwood Football Club. This happened during the trade period. It was part of a three-club deal that also involved Brisbane.

Honours and Achievements

• AFL Women's All-Australian team: 2020
• 2× Gold Coast leading goalkicker: 2020, 2021
• AFL Women's Rising Star nominee: 2020
• AFL Women's 22under22 team: 2020