By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Dandenong’s Sunny has risen to the ranks of AFLW ‘mini-legendom’.
As part of the 2021 Mini Legends ad, the eight-year-old flicks back braided hair extensions in imitation of Richmond star forward Sabrina Frederick.
In recent times, the pair have hung out, kicked a footy, done media and recorded a TV interview together for AFLW grand final weekend.
Sunny was chosen along with lookalikes of Bailey Smith, Stevie-Lee Thompson, Zach Tuohy and Mitch Robinson in the latest round of Aussie Rules child-replicas.
It started with signing on with a model agency two years ago. Her father Chris Cooper said he thought it might lead to a bit of work in Kmart catalogues.
“We didn’t have any great aspirations. And then Covid came and nothing happened for a year, so we let the subscription lapse.
“Then out of the blue we got an email that she was put up for work with the NAB Mini Legends.”
A Geelong fan, Sunny has done something that her team’s champion Patrick Dangerfield is still aspiring to do. That is, to be chosen for Mini Legends – according to the ad.
But she’s been level-headed with the attention.
And quietly, she’s switched allegiance to Richmond – in the AFLW at least.
