A decade of dedication on the sidelines for the Manly Seabirds has earned Indianna Carroll the opportunity of a lifetime.
The talented cheerleader has been confirmed as a member of the Las Vegas Raiderettes for the 2026-27 NFL season.
In doing so, she joins an elite and exclusive club, becoming just the fourth Australian ever to earn a spot on the NFL cheer squad in what has been a remarkable personal journey.
The achievement carries extra resonance given who's watching from the stands.
Her father, Mark 'Spud' Carroll, the hard-nosed Manly premiership-winning prop whose name still echoes through Sea Eagles folklore, expressed just how much his daughter's milestone means to him.
"I couldn't be prouder writing this about my beautiful daughter, Indianna. As a young child, her dream was always to cheer for an NFL side, and I'm here to announce she has made the squad for the NFL Raiders,” Spud wrote in a post to Instagram.
"Looking back in years the adversity she has had to get through blows my mind.
"As a young girl to be crippled with the most horrible disease, endometriosis. And now to be on the big stage of America NFL played on TV to millions and millions of people each game.
"Also, a massive shout out to my beautiful wife Monique, who has taught Indianna and has been by her side with the ups and downs in life. Today is a massive highlight for her. What a mother. Proud."
A story of resilience, passion, and family, Indianna's path to the bright lights of the NRL has been anything but straightforward, making the destination all the sweeter as the NFL season gets underway in September.
