Premiership defender Poppy Boltz has joined the GIANTS from the Brisbane Lions ahead of the 2026 season via the AFLW Trade Period.
 
The GIANTS secured Boltz as part of a trade with the Lions, receiving the emerging third-year defender along with a future second-round pick. 

In exchange the GIANTS sent pick 19 in the 2026 Draft to Brisbane - a pick granted to the club as part of the recent special assistance package.  

A Queensland junior, who was drafted to the Lions in 2023 with pick 16, the 25-year-old defender notched 28 games for Brisbane, including their Grand Final win over the Kangaroos in 2023. 

The athletic defender was a mainstay of Starcevich’s backline throughout the 2024 season where she featured in every match, including their Grand Final loss to North Melbourne. 

Boltz’s 2025 campaign was interrupted by a hamstring strain ahead of their round one match and didn’t return to the side until round nine, managing three appearances for the club across the season.  

Boltz bolsters a young but formidable GIANTS backline, adding plenty of strength in contests and endurance, adding a strong run-and-carry option to partner Cambridge McCormick on the arc.  

GIANTS Executive General Manager of AFLW, Alison Zell, said she was excited to welcome Boltz into the GIANTS’ fold. 

“We’re ecstatic that Poppy selected the GIANTS for the next chapter of her AFLW career,” Zell said.  

“She will be an important addition to our backline and brings plenty of strength to our defensive structure and contest game and we believe she will thrive in the GIANTS program and culture.  

“We look forward to welcoming her to the club and team and are excited to see what she can do in the orange and charcoal next season and beyond.”