Academy: Gold Coast SUNS Gun Factory

Remove this Banner Ad

Gold Coast has been urged not to make the same mistake by passing on a Dayne Zorko clone from the same club that cultivated the Brisbane Lions skipper right under the Suns’ noses.
Broadbeach Cats coach Craig O’Brien says the club has a Zorko 2.0 in its midst, and the Suns cannot let history repeat by letting him slip through their grasp.

Gold Coaster Zorko was famously snubbed by the Suns, who chose not to draft him as a Queensland zone selection, and instead let him toil away with Broadbeach where he finally earned an AFL lifeline at the Lions after winning the 2011 NEAFL best and fairest award.

O’Brien says Suns Academy prospect Jake Rogers, 17, would be leading Broadbeach’s best and fairest count if the season ended tomorrow, in just his first full season of senior QAFL footy.
The 175cm midfielder stands at the exact same height at Zorko, and shares all the qualities that have made him a 200-plus game star for the Brisbane Lions.

“I think you put him as the same type of player as Dayne Zorko. He’s very clean around the stoppage, he never fumbles and he has exceptional hands,” the Cats coach said.

“He wins his own footy. He’s an inside midfielder, even at his size, but you can put him forward and he’s very dangerous with how well he reads the ball off the back.

“He already has a couple of strings to his bow and he’s still just 17. We started him as a forward but he’s our number one midfielder right now.”

It appears Gold Coast is more aware of Rogers’ talents than they were Zorko’s, with Suns Academy head Kath Newman labelling the talented teen “absolutely amazing”.

“He’s small but quick with clean hands below his knees and he just does some things on a footy field you scratch your head and wonder, ‘How the hell has he done that?’” Newman said.
One of Rogers’ key traits is his consistency. He rarely features outside Broadbeach or the Suns Academy’s best players.

He averaged 17.5 disposals, nine contested possessions and 4.5 score involvements in two games for the Allies at the U18 National Championships as a bottom-age player and should be a midfield mainstay in the same side next year ahead of the 2023 draft.

O’Brien says a big reason why is Rogers’ ability to win his own footy – a rare trait shared by only an elite few young players when stepping into senior footy.

So damaging was Rogers in the Cats’ recent QAFL win over Labrador that opposition coach Nick Malceski, the former premiership Sydney Swan, sent a tagger to the 17 year old – and still could not quell his influence.
Click to expand...
 

Jake Rogers (Broadbeach) — Small Forward​

At just 17, Jake Rogers is already making a telling impression in senior football, and his efforts came as recently as a best on ground effort last weekend.
The small forward helped orchestrate a three-point win for the Cats over Labrador, finishing with 19 disposals, six tackles, four inside 50s and a goal.
As he awaits for his chance to enter the AFL draft, Newman said the Suns were eager to see just how quickly he could develop.
“He’s small, crafty, and just as clean up high as below his knees,” Newman said.
“He’ll often put on a hit and spin and has electrifying speed, he’s really one people should be watching for in next year’s draft.
“All through our Academy games he was in our best almost every single time.”
Click to expand...
https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.a...r/news-story/bd8f3e9261aa02105e46c430cfa4d194
 
Jen2310 said:
Click to expand...

Jirik13 said:

Jake Rogers (Broadbeach) — Small Forward​


https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.a...r/news-story/bd8f3e9261aa02105e46c430cfa4d194
Click to expand...
Leading Broadbeach's senior B&F this year at the age of 17 AND he's played a full program of Academy/Allies matches as a bottom ager?!?!

Yeah, we'll definitely need the points to match bids on Rogers, Walter and potentially Read next year. It's probably fair to say this is the strongest cohort of academy prospects we've ever seen come through in the same draft class. 2023 could be our version of GWS's 2015 draft where they managed to get Hopper, Kennedy and Himmelberg from their academy and all were bid on with first round picks.
 

Log in to remove this ad.

GC2015 said:
Exciting stuff! Lombard is another Burleigh junior that I suspect will end up switching to PBC or Broadbeach from next season. If he's already that good then you'd have to think he's going to play for the academy U18s as a bottom ager next year and potentially even Allies if he's good enough.

Good to see the talls in Nancarrow and Kennedy kicking bags of 3 goals each. We don't really know where Joey Kennedy's allegiances lie at this stage so he could turn his back on us later and join the Lions (hopefully not!) but Nancarrow is the one to keep an eye on IMO. Indigenous tall who is already 195cm tall and boards at Scotch College in Melbourne so you know he's going to be exposed to some serious coaching/facilities down there.

Seems like Boston Everitt was quiet yesterday which is interesting considering he's so highly regarding down in Melbourne. It's going to be a big shock for him next year when he makes the switch from Coomerica Anglican College to an powerhouse APS school in Melbourne. Especially considering the old man is so well known down there.


I think it's all dependent on when they begin boarding outside of your zone. We missed out on access to Will Ashcroft because he made the move in his 15th year but I believe Nancarrow made the move in his 16th year and it would appear Everitt will make the move in his 17th year. We saw this happen with Jacob Hopper who grew up in Leeton, NSW and began boarding in Ballarat at 16. GWS retained academy access to Hopper and drafted him with a top 10 pick a few years later.

I see what you're saying about understanding 'Suns football' but I think the potential to be developed into a consensus first round pick outweighs keeping these kids in our academy system for the full program. For example, if we still had access to Will Ashcroft and he wanted to play for us then I'd much rather have had him head to Melbourne and develop into the potential number 1 draft pick this year than stay here and maybe scrape into the second round. Do you see what I'm saying? 'Suns football' must be an adaptable concept because the draft system enforces that. Injuries also force us to be adaptable. We had to adapt in February when Ben King went down and we'll have to adapt again next year when Ben King is back. It's an evolving concept but you always, always, always try to get your hands on the best available talent.

As for your last point, is there some kind of conspiracy going on in terms of the Melburnians attempting to steal our best juniors? Probably. Back in the day we saw Eddie McGuire single handedly prevent Nick Riewoldt from becoming a Brisbane Lion when he pushed hard for the AFL to remove Southport from the Lions' zone prior to the 2000 draft and used the Stephen Lawrence incident as reasoning to do so. Eddie got his way and the AFL changed the zone boundary to 50km and Southport happened to be 70km from Brisbane but in an interesting twist of fate, St Kilda were the ones that bombed the 2000 season and even got awarded a priority pick so they go their hands on Riewoldt instead of Collingwood. Karma was served to some degree but it is a shame that one of the greatest Queenslanders to ever play in the league never suited up for a Queensland team. All we can do is try our hardest to play within the rules at the time and create an environment that our juniors want to be a part of, even if they head south for boarding school (Jye Lockett had this approach). If the AFL decide to pull the rug like they did on GWS in Todd Marshall's draft year then there's nothing we can do about it.
Click to expand...
Ashcroft and his family moved out of your zone, so you lost access under academy rules.

Nancarrow is boarding at Scotch, but his family still live in your Northern zone, so he hasn’t actually moved out of your zone.
 
briztoon said:
Ashcroft and his family moved out of your zone, so you lost access under academy rules.

Nancarrow is boarding at Scotch, but his family still live in your Northern zone, so he hasn’t actually moved out of your zone.
Click to expand...
It's not that simple. For example, Josh Fahey grew up in Canberra and joined GWS's academy at the age of 13. At the age of 16 in January 2020, he relocated with his family to the Gold Coast and joined our academy. Then he moved back to Canberra and rejoined the Giants academy in 2021. GWS thought they had lost him because the belief was that a player needed to "live" in the academy zone for five consecutive years to be eligible, but the Giants put in an application to see if they could get access to him anyway. The AFL approved their application and GWS drafted him as an academy pick at the 2021 draft.

Just like the Giants, we also put in an application in April last year (see here) to see if we could get a similar exception for Ashcroft but the AFL turned us down. I'm of the belief that the AFL would have looked far more favourably upon our application if Ashcroft had moved in his 17th year, like Fahey, as opposed to a year earlier in his 16th year. Doesn't change the fact that Will Ashcroft was born on the Gold Coast, played his junior footy for Broadbeach up until the age of 15 and was a part of our academy program between the ages of 10-15.

But hey, it is what it is. We miss out on a generational talent and I guess we only have ourselves to blame because we were the ones who chose to sack Marcus which triggered the chain of events which led to Will relocating to Melbourne and ruling out any chance of us getting him. It's going to hurt watching him belt us around in the QClash when deep down we know he was originally one of ours. Dayne Zorko 2.0.

If you're interested in the topic of eligibility and residence then keep an eye on Boston Everitt. Currently in our U16s academy but will move to Melbourne with his family next year in his 17th year. My understanding is that he'll still be a part of our academy program next year and we can use the Fahey precedent to ensure we retain access to him.
 
GC2015 said:
Leading Broadbeach's senior B&F this year at the age of 17 AND he's played a full program of Academy/Allies matches as a bottom ager?!?!

Yeah, we'll definitely need the points to match bids on Rogers, Walter and potentially Read next year. It's probably fair to say this is the strongest cohort of academy prospects we've ever seen come through in the same draft class. 2023 could be our version of GWS's 2015 draft where they managed to get Hopper, Kennedy and Himmelberg from their academy and all were bid on with first round picks.
Click to expand...
I've been lucky enough to watch all the boys progress thru - Jake, Ethan, Jed and there's also a kid called Will Graham, who did his knee twice in the past 2 years that if he can come good - will also attract attention. I'd love to see Marlin Corbett picked this year but will be touch and go. 2023 looks to be the best year ever for talent.
 
Sun Stormer said:
I've been lucky enough to watch all the boys progress thru - Jake, Ethan, Jed and there's also a kid called Will Graham, who did his knee twice in the past 2 years that if he can come good - will also attract attention. I'd love to see Marlin Corbett picked this year but will be touch and go. 2023 looks to be the best year ever for talent.
Click to expand...

Jake Rogers as good as the media hype suggests?
 
GC2015 said:
Leading Broadbeach's senior B&F this year at the age of 17 AND he's played a full program of Academy/Allies matches as a bottom ager?!?!

Yeah, we'll definitely need the points to match bids on Rogers, Walter and potentially Read next year. It's probably fair to say this is the strongest cohort of academy prospects we've ever seen come through in the same draft class. 2023 could be our version of GWS's 2015 draft where they managed to get Hopper, Kennedy and Himmelberg from their academy and all were bid on with first round picks.
Click to expand...
Davo-27 has all 3 of them in his top 30 for next year. Could be a bumper haul from the academy.

Have we lost the ability to pre-list academy players? Be amazing to effectively get all 3 for little cost. Of all the concessions given that one would be the most worth fighting to keep.
 
Maybe Tomorrow said:
Davo-27 has all 3 of them in his top 30 for next year. Could be a bumper haul from the academy.

Have we lost the ability to pre-list academy players? Be amazing to effectively get all 3 for little cost. Of all the concessions given that one would be the most worth fighting to keep.
Click to expand...

I'm tipping if they haven't been they will be by then.
 
Maybe Tomorrow said:
Davo-27 has all 3 of them in his top 30 for next year. Could be a bumper haul from the academy.

Have we lost the ability to pre-list academy players? Be amazing to effectively get all 3 for little cost. Of all the concessions given that one would be the most worth fighting to keep.
Click to expand...
Three academy prospects all rated inside the top 30 in the same year?!?!

Wowza. We absolutely have to get it right and ensure we recruit all three if they are indeed considered genuine top 30 prospects. These kids will have all been playing with and against each other from a young age like Rowell & Anderson so at least some synergy will already be there. It's the kind of draft haul that could really set us up for a decade of competitive footy.
 
Last edited:
GC2015 said:
Three academy prospects all rated inside the top 30 in the same year?!?!

Wowza. We absolutely have to get it right and ensure we recruit all three if they are indeed considered genuine top 30 prospects. It's the kind of draft haul that could really set you up for a decade of competitive footy.
Click to expand...
Yep, need to trade into next year as much as possible. Possible they don't all go that high of course. Also possible more draft-able players emerge in the next 18 months.
 
Also to recognise that we can trade future 2024 picks for 2023 draft capital next year.
As we are getting into our 'window' I want us to be trading future picks for current picks.
If we do that each year 2023 - 2024 - 2025 - 2026, we are effectively swapping a 2026 pick for a 2023 pick.

It's what Melbourne did for a number of consecutive years.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

I think the smart thing is to use some of this year's draft capital to get 3 good picks (our 1st, a late 1st Rd pick and a pick in the top 30) and then trade the rest of the picks for 2nd and 3rd Rd picks next year.

We can then see how it plays out and see whether we need to bring any picks forward from 2024 to 2023 to help match points for the academy kids if needed.
 
GC2015 said:
Three academy prospects all rated inside the top 30 in the same year?!?!

Wowza. We absolutely have to get it right and ensure we recruit all three if they are indeed considered genuine top 30 prospects. These kids will have all been playing with and against each other from a young age like Rowell & Anderson so at least some synergy will already be there. It's the kind of draft haul that could really set us up for a decade of competitive footy.
Click to expand...

Coincidence we have been going for a bit over a decade now so many of these kids were probably 7-8yr olds attending our early games and deciding to choose AFL over NRL?

Probs reading into it too much, but hopefully it means our local generation of quality kids will start becoming a regular thing.
 
GC2015 said:
Three academy prospects all rated inside the top 30 in the same year?!?!

Wowza. We absolutely have to get it right and ensure we recruit all three if they are indeed considered genuine top 30 prospects. These kids will have all been playing with and against each other from a young age like Rowell & Anderson so at least some synergy will already be there. It's the kind of draft haul that could really set us up for a decade of competitive footy.
Click to expand...
3 academy kids within the 30 set us up for the future?
Didn’t we have 3-4 top 10 picks one year..
Didn’t really work out then 🤷🏽‍♂️
 
OB11 said:
I think the smart thing is to use some of this year's draft capital to get 3 good picks (our 1st, a late 1st Rd pick and a pick in the top 30) and then trade the rest of the picks for 2nd and 3rd Rd picks next year.

We can then see how it plays out and see whether we need to bring any picks forward from 2024 to 2023 to help match points for the academy kids if needed.
Click to expand...

Don’t want to be trading away second Rd picks for future thirds cos we are desperate.

Im Over that shit
 
Ben Drever said:
Don’t want to be trading away second Rd picks for future thirds cos we are desperate.

Im Over that s**t
Click to expand...

If the current 2nds are 20-30 you can get a future 2nd. If the 2nds are 30-40 clubs are not inclined to trade away a good pick for a worst pick.

The alternatives are we draft 5 kids in the top 40 but we don't have the list spots or you consolidate your later picks for a higher pick. Given the competing needs for this year and next year and how many picks we probably can do both.
 
Ben Drever said:
3 academy kids within the 30 set us up for the future?
Didn’t we have 3-4 top 10 picks one year..
Didn’t really work out then 🤷🏽‍♂️
Click to expand...

Scott Clayton was picking them. These kids you either match bids or you don't, plus you don't have to worry about flight risks and paying overs so helps to build a stable foundation.
 
SUN OF A GUN said:
Qld U15 schoolboys beat Victoria in their first game at the U15 Nationals today.
Keep an eye on a young fella named Max Hudson. My tip is he will be named in the U15 AA team if he continues todays form through the carnival.
Click to expand...
Exciting stuff! Do we know anything about him? Seems to be a Broady junior.

Surely there are some more standouts in that U15s QLD team if they beat Victoria. Are any other standouts from our academy besides Hudson?
Corkie said:
Coincidence we have been going for a bit over a decade now so many of these kids were probably 7-8yr olds attending our early games and deciding to choose AFL over NRL?

Probs reading into it too much, but hopefully it means our local generation of quality kids will start becoming a regular thing.
Click to expand...
Probably not a coincidence considering the funding that would have been put into grassroots footy on the GC would have increased dramatically when we entered the AFL in 2011 and you also have to keep in mind that the Titans haven't really been good since 2010 when they made a prelim, so we've had ample opportunity to guide junior talent our way instead of rugby league or any other sport. I'd say Connor Budarick was probably the first local who grew up supporting our club as a kid and went all the way through our academy pathway before being drafted. You can't underestimate how much of a difference it makes in terms of passion/loyalty when you have players on the list who have supported the club from childhood. Some of these kids literally dream of pulling on the red and gold one day.

I feel it's also important to point out that the Southport Sharks had to give up their reserves and U18s teams when the NEAFL was being established/restructured. This is an important fact to point out because the majority of Gold Coast juniors who were drafted before 2010 played for Southport and came through their U18s, reserves and seniors pathway. This meant that any U18 talent coming through the Gold Coast would have to go through another local pathway and most end up in one of the QAFL clubs - Broadbeach, Surfers, Labrador or Palm Beach. I think it's fair to say that we went through a period of adjustment in terms of junior development on the GC and we're only just now starting to see it flourish.
Ben Drever said:
3 academy kids within the 30 set us up for the future?
Didn’t we have 3-4 top 10 picks one year..
Didn’t really work out then 🤷🏽‍♂️
Click to expand...
I was more so thinking when GWS got Hopper, Himmelberg, Perryman and Cumming over a 12-month period and that really helped them fight off the decline they would have otherwise experienced when they lost other players who wanted to go home to other states. Instead of dropping off when their talent were requesting trades away, GWS pushed forward and made it to a GF as well as many other finals series. Plus, those guys would have played juniors together for many years in the NSW/Giants pathway so they already had a connection and knew how to play with each other even before they got drafted. It's an invaluable advantage if you can get it right.
 
GC2015 said:
Surely there are some more standouts in that U15s QLD team if they beat Victoria. Are any other standouts from our academy besides Hudson?
Click to expand...
Post on Lions academy thread, FWIW:
14 Suns Academy kids in the side, including some very very good ones. (Jie Murray, Dylan Patterson, Kalani White (Jeff White's son), Zeke Uwland )

about 5 Lions kids, none of them particularly great. 2007 not a great year for the Lions catchment, very strong for the Suns. Daniel Annabel probably the pick of the Lions kids.

2006 and 2008, the opposite - Lions v.strong. Suns not so much.
Click to expand...
 
SUN OF A GUN said:
Qld U15 schoolboys beat Victoria in their first game at the U15 Nationals today.
Keep an eye on a young fella named Max Hudson. My tip is he will be named in the U15 AA team if he continues todays form through the carnival.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com
Click to expand...
Max made a few appearances at the U16 Academy this year and is one to keep an eye on as he will presumably be around next year. There's a few other good kids that will be in the U16 Squad in 2023 - just can't remember their names right now!
 
Jirik13 said:
Post on Lions academy thread, FWIW:
Click to expand...
Jai Murray and Zeke Uhland - both U15s - played all three games against Lions, Giants and NT in U16 Series. Keep an eye on Jai - great build already and my tip for future success. Kalani not sighted much around the Academy but hopefully he'll be more prominent in 2023. Dylan Patterson was another who trained up with the U16 Boys and shows some glimpses....but you're right - there's some gold in the U15s coming through next year.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Academy: Gold Coast SUNS Gun Factory

Similar threads

The Dr
Podcast Historic AFL podcast: The birth of the Gold Coast Suns
Replies
0
Views
267
The Dr
The Dr
Chief
Win Prizes Gold Coast Suns Tipping 2024 - Now Open - 🔥 - Reply IN when you join!
Replies
1
Views
569
Big Red Machine
Big Red Machine
D
Gold Coast Memorabilia
Replies
1
Views
617
sunsofanarchy
sunsofanarchy
GC2015
2025 Academy Spotlight - Zeke Uwland (Burleigh) / Beau Addinsall (Broadbeach)
Replies
6
Views
1K
GC2015
GC2015
Jen2310
Toast Welcome to the SUNS, Elliott Himmelberg
2
Replies
38
Views
2K
SandyToes
SandyToes
CanYouFeelTheSunburn
Toast Welcome to the SUNS, Daniel Rioli
Replies
20
Views
931
GC2015
GC2015
CanYouFeelTheSunburn
Toast Welcome to the SUNS, John Noble
Replies
16
Views
989
Choppers
Choppers

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top