Howarth was born on the Gold Coast[1] into a family of Indigenous Australian (Yuin) descent[2] and attended Helensvale State High School throughout her upbringing.
[5] She later switched clubs to play for Labrador and eventually Coolangatta Tweed in the top level Queensland competition in the lead up to her draft year.
[7] Howarth named Lance Franklin as her football idol growing up and wears the number 23 guernsey in recognition of her desire to play like him.
[12] In the inaugural women's QClash between intrastate rivals Gold Coast and Brisbane, Howarth kicked three of the Suns' four goals against her former side and drew comparisons to Geelong forward Steve Johnson following her performance.
[14] Three weeks later, Howarth kicked a career-high four goals and was voted best on ground in her team's 25-point win over West Coast,[15] which ultimately secured a place in the finals for the Suns.