Academy: Gold Coast SUNS Gun Factory

[Ben Drever]

Team Selwood and Team Naitanui named for AFL Futures match

The AFL has today announced the teams to compete in the 2023 AFL Futures match which will be played at the MCG ahead of the 2023 Toyota AFL Grand Final.

www.afl.com.au

Leo’s had a massive week.

 

[Young_Guns]

It is amazing how quickly I’ve gone from

‘do we really need to invest in another 180cm mid with Rowell, Touk, Flanders, Rogers already in the guts’

to

‘get Leo on our list right now’.

The kid is a Touk clone but with more natural footskill.

 

[ajhgcs]

It is amazing how quickly I’ve gone from

‘do we really need to invest in another 180cm mid with Rowell, Touk, Flanders, Rogers already in the guts’

to

‘get Leo on our list right now’.

The kid is a Touk clone but with more natural footskill.

He has an incredible football IQ, and he's 16.

On SM-G996B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Supersuns]

Hows Leo going?

 

[Jirik13]

Hows Leo going?

Smart with a ball. Looks a bit tired understandably.

 

[Young_Guns]

Admittedly, he’s played pretty much entirely outside on the wing, but I like that he rarely just blazes away when he gets it in a bit of space. He’s either always looking to create an overlap, or has the skill to reward a leading forward lace out.

Very good head on his shoulders and has the confidence to back himself.

 

[TheSunGod]

Good defensive efforts and pressure too.

 

[Supersuns]

Looked okay. Definitely very tired, poor bugger has had a bloody big year

 

[Ben Drever]

Famous names shine as 2024 draft crop puts on a show

Ben and Lucas Camporeale were among the stars of the 2023 AFL Futures game on Grand Final morning

www.afl.com.au

 

[Southern Sun]

Watched most of the game without volume but firstly I must say the standard was very impressive. I think next years draft will be very deep, not that it affects us much. We have a beauty in Lombard, what impresses me most is his mix of inside and outside game. He's tough inside and always gives the first handball(unlike his team mates today) but is damaging on the outside. We are set with touk, Rowell, Anderson, Flanders, Humphrey, Rogers and Lombard.

 

[Jirik13]

Watched most of the game without volume but firstly I must say the standard was very impressive. I think next years draft will be very deep, not that it affects us much. We have a beauty in Lombard, what impresses me most is his mix of inside and outside game. He's tough inside and always gives the first handball(unlike his team mates today) but is damaging on the outside. We are set with touk, Rowell, Anderson, Flanders, Humphrey, Rogers and Lombard.

Yeah, Leo looks like team first. Always trying to move on the ball, makes good decisions. He could be a beauty for us. I like his toughness.

 

[eppo67]

That's exciting! Lombard in particular will be one we're all keeping an eye on. It's been a big season for Leo having made his VFL debut for our ressies just a few weeks ago, playing for the victorious Allies team as a bottom ager, taking part in our academy series as a bottom ager, playing close to half the QAFL seniors season for Broady, competing in his first QAFL seniors finals series with Broady, representing the Queensland U17s team a few weeks ago and now he gets a shot at a QAFL reserves premiership. It was also announced earlier today that Lombard will take part in the U17 Future Stars game on AFL Grand Final day later this month:

Future stars to feature ahead of 2023 Toyota AFL Grand Final | AFL Queensland

www.aflq.com.au

Keep in mind, Lombard played predominantly for the Burleigh U16s last year so not only has he switched clubs and adjusted to senior footy at two separate levels, but he's also done all this while completing Year 11 and participating in Varsity College's AFL ASPIRE program. Unreal year for Leo and we all hope he continues to develop on the same trajectory in his 2024 draft year.

It was U17

 

[GC2015]

It was U17

Was it? The PlayHQ stats website suggests otherwise. Either way, a remarkable rise for Leo in the last 12 months. I don't think even the most optimistic fan would have predicted a VFL premiership medal for Leo if they were asked at the start of the season.

 

[Ben Drever]

Trade radio saying there’s another Suns academy player.. on top of the 4 already.

Think Rollins was his last name. He was from The NT and has just had a shoulder reco

Talk someone might pick him up otherwise maybe Suns will rookie him…

Anyone know more info

 

[Supersuns]

Trade radio saying there’s another Suns academy player.. on top of the 4 already.

Think Rollins was his last name. He was from The NT and has just had a shoulder reco

Talk someone might pick him up otherwise maybe Suns will rookie him…

Anyone know more info

Will Rowlands?

 

[Ben Drever]

Will Rowlands?

I’ll do some research on him then.

Thanks

 

[Ben Drever]

Ex academy

 

[Sun Stormer]

Ex academy

View attachment 1828752

Potentially one to keep an eye on in the later draft period. Good reliable defender and just may prefer to come home. Probably unlucky to not get drafted a year or so back.

 

[Sun Stormer]

U18 Squad has just been announced for 2024. 64 young hopefuls and a few future Champs among them. I'll try and find the full list for future discussion purposes unless someone already has it for us?

 

[robo_1]

U18 Squad has just been announced for 2024. 64 young hopefuls and a few future Champs among them. I'll try and find the full list for future discussion purposes unless someone already has it for us?

List is here

Academy U18 Preseason Squad Selection

The Gold Coast SUNS is proud to announce the initial 64 player squad for our U18 Academy program for season 2024.

www.goldcoastfc.com.au

 

[Jirik13]

North Queensland Academy Update

As part of a review into the Academy programs in North Queensland, the SUNS Academy have made some changes to the North Queensland Under 17s male and female programs, to further assist with the development of players in regional areas in the talent pathway.

www.goldcoastfc.com.au

 

[GC2015]

This is a significant announcement for women's footy in Queensland. Getting the elite female private schools in SEQ to run a proper footy comp each year means it'll be taken seriously and resourced correctly. As for the Gold Coast specifically, St Hilda's competes in the QGSSSA competition and former Sun Jesse Joyce

38

Jesse Joyce

Age

26

Ht

191cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.9

4star

K

7.9

3star

HB

6.0

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

1.8

4star

MG

186.5

3star

D

14.0

3star

K

9.0

4star

HB

5.0

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.0

2star

MG

256.0

4star

D

9.4

3star

K

6.2

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

1.8

2star

T

1.8

4star

MG

188.6

4star

coordinates their sports programs so I think he would have been pushing hard for this to happen and will probably coach the senior team himself. Hopefully we see some future Suns coming out of St Hilda's as a result of this announcement. Now we just need the male equivalent GPS competition to follow suit so TSS can start taking footy seriously too.

Australian Football named as official QGSSSA sport in 2024 | AFL Queensland

www.aflq.com.au

 

[GC2015]

2024 U16 Academy Programs

Our Academy provides an update on trial times and squad selection for our 2024 U16 players.

www.goldcoastfc.com.au

First

Surname

Club

Ryan	Ballantyne	Broadbeach
Jack	Barratt	Labrador
Blake	Bebendorf	Broadbeach
Nicholas	Bouwmeester	Surfers Paradise
Mason	Bradley	Labrador
Jez	Brindley	Burleigh
Archie	Brown	Tweed Coolangatta
Harry	Bull	Tweed Coolangatta
Cameron	Burgess	Broadbeach
Jake	Callinan	Surfers Paradise
Jack	Clarke	Tweed Coolangatta
Lachlan	Coles	Southport
Dylan	Gardiner	Palm Beach Currumbin
Xavier	Gonthier	Southport
Blake	Gowing	Pacific Pines
Jett	Green	Surfers Paradise
Lukas	Hall	Surfers Paradise
Josh	Hall	Southport
Archie	Hill	Broadbeach
Ayden	Hinz	Labrador
Nixon	Houlihan	Broadbeach
Hugo	Howard	Broadbeach
Sam	Hynes	Tweed Coast Tigers
Kody	I'Anson	Burleigh
Zac	Jacobson	Broadbeach
Jackson	Jarvis	Palm Beach Currumbin
Cooper	Johnson	Southport
Matthew	Joyce	Surfers Paradise
Leroy	Kaesler	Burleigh
George	Kemmetmuller	Tweed Coast Tigers
Clash	Kevern	Palm Beach Currumbin
Ned	Lawton	Palm Beach Currumbin
Ty	Lockwood	Tweed Coast Tigers
Jake	Marsh	Broadbeach
Isaac	Mayne	Ormeau
James	Milham	Broadbeach
Cooper	Motum	Jimboomba
Brody	Muller	Burleigh
Sam	Murray	Ormeau
Taj	Murray	Burleigh
Deacon	Nikolajevic	Pacific Pines
Tom	O'Brien	Palm Beach Currumbin
Kane	Peters	Burleigh
Max	Phillips	Labrador
Jake	Purss	Surfers Paradise
Josh	Pyke	Broadbeach
Reilly	Sherlock-Clark	Southport
Archie	Simpkin	Surfers Paradise
Jaden	Smith	Labrador
Cody	Teece	Palm Beach Currumbin
Harry	Thomsen	Ormeau
Kodi	Wallace	Burleigh
Cooper	Wee	Southport
Riley	Weir	Tweed Coolangatta
Elijah	Welsh	Burleigh
Jesse	Wenzel	Broadbeach
Ryan	Widdison	Broadbeach
Cody	Willamson	Tweed Coolangatta
Caleb	Williams	Broadbeach
Noah	Young	Coomera

Standouts at the moment are 2023 U15 AAs Jackson Jarvis (Palm Beach Currumbin) and Taj Murray (Burleigh) as well as Archie Hill (Broadbeach). Also interesting to see where most of the players have come from: Broadbeach (13), Burleigh (8), Surfers Paradise (7), PBC (6), Southport (6), Labrador (5), Tweed Coolangatta (5), Ormeau (3), Tweed Coast (3), Pacific Pines (2), Coomera (1), Jimboomba (1). As has been the case for a few years now, Broadbeach are the standouts in producing high level juniors.

 

[GC2015]

Shoutout to our academy stars and the PBC boys for winning another senior male state championship (AFLQ Schools Cup) last week. The team was led by Will Graham who followed in Jed Walter's footsteps from last year and claimed the grand final best on ground award this year. Both will be on our senior list in a few weeks!

 

[Sun Stormer]

Shoutout to our academy stars and the PBC boys for winning another senior male state championship (AFLQ Schools Cup) last week. The team was led by Will Graham who followed in Jed Walter's footsteps from last year and claimed the grand final best on ground award this year. Both will be on our senior list in a few weeks!

Will's finally getting some love and recognition - he'll be a champ.