Toast Welcome to the SUNS Lachie Weller

SnusCG

Club Legend
Aug 30, 2016
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Midfielder Lachie Weller says the appointment of coach Stuart Dew was the driving force behind his move to play for Gold Coast.

Weller finished school and played club football on the Gold Coast before being drafted by Fremantle in 2014.

The 21-year-old has always wanted to play AFL in the city he considers home, but he admitted that desire had been tempered by the club's "unsteady" state.

Dew's appointment and their subsequent conversations erased those concerns and led to a last-minute request for a trade.

"I think, if I got my visual board out now, it has it on there, that I always wanted to come back," Weller told AAP.

"I think the club's been a little bit unsteady and I didn't really plan on coming back now, but the appointment of Stuey and Mark's (CEO Mark Evans) pretty new ... I had dinner with them and got a good feeling."

59e964cd15af7_weller_1280k_59e964474e8be.jpg

Lachie Weller. Pic: Getty

Shocked to be standing in the Suns' AFL headquarters on Friday after the deal snuck inside the trade deadline on Thursday, Weller is hopeful of building a long-term partnership with co-captains Tom Lynch and Steven May.

"I've caught up with Tom a few times; he and Stevie lead really well," Weller, who played 47 games for the Dockers, said.

"There's a lot of talk about Tom (leaving) but hopefully I can pass him the ball and do my bit to help him to stay."

He admits his desire to head to the struggling club is a unique one, but is confident that success on the Gold Coast will convince others to join him.

"I can't throw anyone under the bus, but there has been (lots of interest in his move), definitely, a lot of teammates were good about it," Weller said.

"You never know; time will tell."


The Suns gave up their second pick in the upcoming draft for Weller and pick 41, with Fremantle not budging on their request despite several counter offers from the Gold Coast.

Dew insists he is happy with the deal, given his demand for ready-made players in his first season at the helm and the club's acquisition of West Coast's future first round pick.

"We didn't get pushed around at all," the coach said.

"The key objective was to get Lachie here and moving second rounders into a future first was a key piece in the Lachie one, so we were rapt.

"This was not a deal in isolation - across three years we'll have seven first rounders and Lachie, who was a first rounder - you'd be negligent to look at it as a pure deal for two."

Dew expects Weller to play across a range of positions next season.
Operation: Get Connor Blakely
 
Nov 17, 2009
10,327
15,237
Gold Coast
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One of Superman's oddest villains was a pixie from the 5th dimension called Mister Mxyzptlk
The only way you could get him to leave was by tricking him into saying his name out loud backwards
Every time I hear "Lynch leaving" spoken out loud I get the same feeling Mister Mxyzptlk had
 

Experimental

Norm Smith Medallist
May 20, 2012
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Brisbane
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Brisbane Lions
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Green Bay Packers
One of Superman's oddest villains was a pixie from the 5th dimension called Mister Mxyzptlk
The only way you could get him to leave was by tricking him into saying his name out loud backwards
Every time I hear "Lynch leaving" spoken out loud I get the same feeling Mister Mxyzptlk had
wtf
 

GC wayno

Debutant
Oct 1, 2017
126
120
AFL Club
Gold Coast
What day do they return for pre season training?
Hopefully they are back when I’m up there.
 

GC2015

Norm Smith Medallist
May 27, 2013
6,521
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Does anyone else get a kick out of Lachie consistently showing we weren't completely robbed in the trade for pick 2? Also, we got Ballard with the pick Freo packaged up with Weller so we scored twice over in that trade.

Lachie is quickly becoming a favourite Sun!
 

The Meerkat

Cancelled
Apr 21, 2018
232
381
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Maybe a number 1 or 2 haircut all over, get a real blue collar look happening.

By the way those long accurate kicks at goal are a thing of beauty.
 

ajsars

All Australian
Apr 7, 2016
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Ballard and Weller both look like great long term players. Its only one year on but you have to be pretty happy with the trade at the moment
 
Aug 17, 2010
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Ballard and Weller both look like great long term players. Its only one year on but you have to be pretty happy with the trade at the moment
Amazing how AFL followers in general, Suns supporters included, were flabbergasted at that trade and were ridiculing it, yet now it is looking like a win for us. Footy can make even the wisest look foolish at times.
 

GC2015

Norm Smith Medallist
May 27, 2013
6,521
8,036
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Maybe a number 1 or 2 haircut all over, get a real blue collar look happening.
Doubt it. Lachie is a private school boy from All Saints so I'd say it's very unlikely he'll ever go full "blue collar" in his appearance. Short back and sides with longer hair on the top will do just fine.
 
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