Academy: Gold Coast SUNS Gun Factory

[Maybe Tomorrow]

 

[GC2015]

Just thinking it through, if Kalani does choose us then it could become a big problem. Let's say he is around the late first round/early second round mark and we've already drafted Uwland + Addinsall by the time the bid comes through for Kalani. If we make the finals in 2025 then we lose our ability to match first round bids if we've already matched one or two by the time a second/third bid rolls around and we'd have to make a live trade to keep Kalani. Considering how much we saw North had to give up to pull off a live trade this year, it could get really ugly for us if things happen to play out that way.

 

[Maybe Tomorrow]

Just thinking it through, if Kalani does choose us then it could become a big problem. Let's say he is around the late first round/early second round mark and we've already drafted Uwland + Addinsall by the time the bid comes through for Kalani. If we make the finals in 2025 then we lose our ability to match first round bids if we've already matched one or two by the time a second/third bid rolls around and we'd have to make a live trade to keep Kalani. Considering how much we saw North had to give up to pull off a live trade this year, it could get really ugly for us if things happen to play out that way.

I'd say if his Dad is posting like that the choice has already been made.

Doubt the Suns draft that kid from GWS if they were planning on get White.

 

[Supersuns]

He is 100% going to Melbourne. I also think he would need to improve at a rate of knots this year to be anything other than a late draft token pick.

 

[Mini GF]

Yeah he’s clearly nothing special. Wouldn’t lose sleep over it.

 

[Maybe Tomorrow]

He is 100% going to Melbourne. I also think he would need to improve at a rate of knots this year to be anything other than a late draft token pick.

There might be a scenario like Josh Dunkley, where he had told Sydney he wanted to stay in Melbourne, and they agreed to not match unless it was a non-Vic club bidding.

I'm not sure which club has priority in this situation, assume the FS club? If he was a Harley Reid and the Suns wanted him for example, could the Suns take him over Melbourne?

 

[Supersuns]

There might be a scenario like Josh Dunkley, where he had told Sydney he wanted to stay in Melbourne, and they agreed to not match unless it was a non-Vic club bidding.

I'm not sure which club has priority in this situation, assume the FS club? If he was a Harley Reid and the Suns wanted him for example, could the Suns take him over Melbourne?

He can choose which path he takes, F/S or academy. Whichever he chooses gets the rights to match him.

 

[lommy]

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Kid must be torn. Jeff’s tweets used to say things like “Melbourne will have first crack”


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[Jirik13]

Who is training at your club?​

Brisbane: Daniel Annable
Collingwood: Riley Onley
Fremantle: Cody Curtin, Fred Rodriguez
Geelong: Josh Lindsay, Ben Rongdit
Gold Coast: Beau Addinsall, Zeke Uwland, Dylan Patterson
Hawthorn: Oliver Greeves
Melbourne: Kalani White
North Melbourne: Jasper Hay
Richmond: Louis Emmett
West Coast: Koby Evans, Wesley Walley
Western Bulldogs: Thomas Burton

The top 2025 draft prospects training at your club this summer

Some of the top draft prospects for 2025 will be training at AFL clubs over summer

www.afl.com.au

 

[ajhgcs]

Kid must be torn. Jeff’s tweets used to say things like “Melbourne will have first crack”


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

Or maybe Melbourne and Gold Coast have told him to stop.

Because at the end of the day it's not up to him and he has to realise that.

On SM-S928B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[GC2015]

Don't know if others saw this when it came out, but this is going to be huge for us if we do play finals in 2025 and several academy graduates are rated as first round picks by the time the draft rolls around. There are no longer restrictions on the amount of academy bids we can match. This means, in theory, we can keep every academy graduate that we produce as long as we have the points to match bids.

Restriction on Northern Academies: There will be no restrictions based on ladder finishing position for Northern Academy clubs.

AFL player movement and list management changes

The AFL Commission has approved changes related to AFL Player Movement and List Management for 2024 and 2025

www.afl.com.au

 

[Maybe Tomorrow]

Don't know if others saw this when it came out, but this is going to be huge for us if we do play finals in 2025 and several academy graduates are rated as first round picks by the time the draft rolls around. There are no longer restrictions on the amount of academy bids we can match. This means, in theory, we can keep every academy graduate that we produce as long as we have the points to match bids.

AFL player movement and list management changes

The AFL Commission has approved changes related to AFL Player Movement and List Management for 2024 and 2025

www.afl.com.au

That's great news, although at some point we will run out of points to match.

 

[TheSunGod]

MUST. GET. PATTERSON.

I like the cut of his jib.

 

[GC2015]

MUST. GET. PATTERSON.

I like the cut of his jib.

Looks like Patterson, Uwland, Addinsall and White spent some time in Melbourne this week training with the National Academy. Great experience for the young lads to be training with the best prospects from all over Australia.

AFL Queensland on Instagram: "5️⃣ Queenslanders have touched down in Melbourne for their first camp with the 2025 Marsh AFL National Academy squad: ⚡ Dylan Patterson (GC SUNS Academy/Palm Beach Currumbin) ⚡ Beau Addinsall (GC SUNS Academy/Burleigh)

950 likes, 0 comments - aflq on December 3, 2024: "5️⃣ Queenslanders have touched down in Melbourne for their first camp with the 2025 Marsh AFL National Academy squad: ⚡ Dylan Patterson (GC SUNS Academy/Palm Beach Currumbin) ⚡ Beau Addinsall (GC SUNS Academy/Burleigh) ⚡ Zeke Uwland Beau...

www.instagram.com

 

[noobermensch]

Another potential top 10 fancy from the Gold Coast Suns academy, which is fast becoming a real talent factory, Zeke seems certain join his brother Bodhi on the Suns senior list come November 2025. A run and gun half back, Zeke's major point of difference comes from his cannon of a left boot which he regularly uses to lace out his key forwards or roost goals from outside 50.

Here we see Zeke making his VFL debut and acquitting himself well, including bombing one of his trademark goals from outside 50.

 

[GC2015]

Another potential top 10 fancy from the Gold Coast Suns academy, which is fast becoming a real talent factory, Zeke seems certain join his brother Bodhi on the Suns senior list come November 2025. A run and gun half back, Zeke's major point of difference comes from his cannon of a left boot which he regularly uses to lace out his key forwards or roost goals from outside 50.

Here we see Zeke making his VFL debut and acquitting himself well, including bombing one of his trademark goals from outside 50.

You can see why Zeke gets compared to Errol Gulden. He's going to be such a weapon for Dimma with the way he likes to play. Exciting times ahead!

 

[Jirik13]

Queenslanders have touched down in Melbourne this week for their first camp with the 2025 Marsh AFL National Academy girls squad:

Dekota Baron (Southport/GC SUNS Academy)

Georja Davies (Southport/GC SUNS Academy)

Ava Usher (Bond Uni/GC SUNS Academy)

Alannah Welsh (Southport/GC SUNS Academy)

 

[SUN OF A GUN]

Notice Joe Kennedy (Maxie Kennedy’s son) is training with the Sharks VFL squad.

Would have thought he would have stayed on as an overager at the Academy and play VFL for us this year….

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[GC2015]

Notice Joe Kennedy (Maxie Kennedy’s son) is training with the Sharks VFL squad.

Would have thought he would have stayed on as an overager at the Academy and play VFL for us this year….

or even the Brisbane Lions VFL team considering he was father-son eligible for them and the Lions love their F/S players at the moment.

His old man Maxy was a premiership player with the Sharks in 1989 so there may be a desire to follow in his father's footsteps like Crossley. Joe might be the first player ever to have an assocation with all three Queensland VFL teams.

 

[Jen2310]

AFL Academy member Kalani White has a big decision to make next year: join Melbourne as a father-son or Gold Coast as an academy player?
It’s complicated.

White’s father Jeff, the No.1 pick of the 1994 draft, was an All-Australian and best and fairest winner across a glittering 236-game career with Melbourne after being traded from Fremantle.

One of the most promising talls in the 2025 draft pool, Kalani was born in Melbourne, but has spent most of his life up on the Gold Coast and has family in both spots.

Kalani remains torn on which club to choose, but the laid-back youngster won’t be rushing his decision.

“I’m not too sure (when I will decide), just whenever I sort of feel like it,” White said.

“It’s a bit hard because I’ve got my mum’s sister down here and a few of my dad’s old teammates. I’ve stayed with Kynan (Brown) for a bit and I had such a good time with their family when I was with them in the middle (of) this year,” White said.

“Also got so much more family up on the Gold Coast, but I’ve been there my whole life. But I was born in Melbourne and moved straight up after Dad retired. It’s going to be a pretty tough decision.”

The key position utility – who Jeff said has grown to 6’7” (204 centimetre), nine centimetres taller than his dad – has been moulded by the Suns in their academy since under-16s with plenty of his school mates.

Kalani has worked with the Suns’ AFL side through the academy and has another athletic Suns marvel Mac Andrew in his corner.

However, Kalani trained with Melbourne for two weeks before the Christmas break with an AFL Academy camp sandwiched in between.

He spent some time during the year with the Demons’ father-son program and he has built a friendship with fellow father-son Kynan Brown, the son of Jeff’s teammate Nathan.

Complicating matters is the fact Gold Coast already has potential No.1 pick Zeke Uwland, U17 futures game medal-winner Beau Addinsall and U16 All Australian Dylan Patterson available to them in 2025 with revised father-son and academy rules set to make matching bids tougher.

All of this is a lot a 17-year-old to take in.


Jeff told SEN in August that he will have no say on his son’s decision.

“For him it is a big decision to make (between the Dees and Suns). It is not me, all of it is him. He is in a fortunate position where he can make the choice and he has just got to enjoy the journey,” Jeff said.

Brisbane father-son draftee Levi Ashcroft, who started his footy journey at Kalani’s local club Broadbeach, has given him some valuable advice.

White isn’t as highly-touted as No.5 pick Ashcroft, but the prolific midfielder had to make his own father-son call – albeit a very simple one with his brother, Will, already at the club.

But like White, Levi had connections to both Queensland and Victoria, having lived in Melbourne since he was 12.

“I’ve been around Will Ashcroft and Levi and they’re cousins of close friends and family at school and they were living in Melbourne, I think they wanted to move back up,” White said.

“Because he is a father-son Levi, I have learnt a bit off him and he said just go out there and play footy and just see what happens.”

White’s father-son and academy experience has had its challenges but overall he has been blessed with quality resources.

He has learned the ropes off his dad who was not only an AFL star, but also has his own AFL online coaching business called ‘First Use’.

“I love him so much. I get to learn what he went through as an 18 year old, of course he was the number one draft pick so it would have been a bit of pressure on him,” Kalani said.

“Drafted to Fremantle and then made his way over to the Melbourne Football Club. He’s been an unreal part of my life and so has my family, my brothers – my two twin brothers – and my mum.

“He just said go out there and play footy. Just go out there and have fun just like you were in under nines.

“He’s running an AI thing at the moment where you can just ask the AI any questions and it’ll give you all these type of footy drills, and it’s unreal. He’s going gone really well at the moment.”

Then there is another half a dozen first-round draftees who have taken him under their wing during his time at Melbourne and Gold Coast – Koltyn Tholstrup, Jacob van Rooyen, Mac Andrew, Jed Walter and Ethan Read.

“(Jacob is) a good fella, he helped me out in the gym, helped me on the track as well. Also I reckon Luker Kentfield as well, so I’ve been staying with him and Koltyn Tholstrup,” White said.

“Bit of Mac Andrew, because sort of similar players. He’s just been unreal, and bit of Jed Walter, Ethan Read as well, more of those taller forwards. They have been really good to me.

“I’ve also trained with the Gold Coast Suns as well and they’ve got unreal facilities as well, but Melbourne’s just unreal and it’s just all the players that play at the highest level and just get to learn off that.”

Andrew, who signed a monster deal until the end of 2030 with a trigger to remain at the Suns until 2034 – has been arguably the most helpful, and it is fitting

White likens himself to the rising Sun, having played mostly as a key defender in his bottom-age year, where he made his national championships debut for the Allies. He was also named at centre half back in the U16 All-Australian team in 2023,

“I think sort of a Mac Andrew. I reckon (I) can just play anywhere, to be honest,” White said.

“Play as a defender, but also can go forward. So I reckon just learning off (Andrew) and seeing how he trains and how he goes about it.

“He’s been texting me and wanting to have a coffee with me and stuff.

“So he’s been really good to me and a really good mentor, and what he has been going through being drafted at a high rate.”

Melbourne and Gold Coast fans will be watching the promising big man’s progress with interest next year, but at this stage it is looking too tight to call.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/draft/afl-draft-2025-melbourne-fatherson-and-gold-coast-academy-prospect-kalani-white-on-his-difficult-decision/news-story/d3288c1b11adcfafba15bbd5695d98f6

 

[GC2015]

Kalani remains torn on which club to choose, but the laid-back youngster won’t be rushing his decision.

“I’m not too sure (when I will decide), just whenever I sort of feel like it,” White said.

“It’s a bit hard because I’ve got my mum’s sister down here and a few of my dad’s old teammates. I’ve stayed with Kynan (Brown) for a bit and I had such a good time with their family when I was with them in the middle (of) this year,” White said.

“Also got so much more family up on the Gold Coast, but I’ve been there my whole life. But I was born in Melbourne and moved straight up after Dad retired. It’s going to be a pretty tough decision.”

The key position utility – who Jeff said has grown to 6’7” (204 centimetre), nine centimetres taller than his dad – has been moulded by the Suns in their academy since under-16s with plenty of his school mates.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/draft/afl-draft-2025-melbourne-fatherson-and-gold-coast-academy-prospect-kalani-white-on-his-difficult-decision/news-story/d3288c1b11adcfafba15bbd5695d98f6

I reckon his immediate family, friends and school connections on the Gold Coast are making it really tough for him to choose his preference. He's gone to school at All Saints with guys like Zeke Uwland + Beau Addinsall for 10+ years and they've played so much footy together at the club/rep/school levels - so that's probably where he feels most comfortable in a footy sense. It'd be hard for him because his old man has made it clear that he wants him to join the Dees and obviously his school/club mates would be telling him to stay on the Coast and play with them at the Suns.

It's really interesting that Mac Andrew is trying to bond with him by going to cafes together and what not. He must see something special in Kalani and if it's true that he now stands 204cm then he could really be anything if he can improve his skills. Good to see Jed and Ethan are also trying to create connections with the academy boys. Now that we know we can match as many bids as we want with the most recent alterations to the draft rules, I'd be inclined to hang on to Kalani if we can.

I really think hanging on to all our talented academy players is going to pay dividends for us in the future and what an awesome story it would be to have three All Saints boys getting drafted to the Suns together in the same draft class. Plus, the 2026 draft class doesn't appear to be as strong of a cohort for us so I'm okay with potentially going into a points deficit next year because we likely won't need as many points in 2026.

 

[Iva Bigun]

I reckon his immediate family, friends and school connections on the Gold Coast are making it really tough for him to choose his preference. He's gone to school at All Saints with guys like Zeke Uwland + Beau Addinsall for 10+ years and they've played so much footy together at the club/rep/school levels - so that's probably where he feels most comfortable in a footy sense. It'd be hard for him because his old man has made it clear that he wants him to join the Dees and obviously his school/club mates would be telling him to stay on the Coast and play with them at the Suns.

It's really interesting that Mac Andrew is trying to bond with him by going to cafes together and what not. He must see something special in Kalani and if it's true that he now stands 204cm then he could really be anything if he can improve his skills. Good to see Jed and Ethan are also trying to create connections with the academy boys. Now that we know we can match as many bids as we want with the most recent alterations to the draft rules, I'd be inclined to hang on to Kalani if we can.

I really think hanging on to all our talented academy players is going to pay dividends for us in the future and what an awesome story it would be to have three All Saints boys getting drafted to the Suns together in the same draft class. Plus, the 2026 draft class doesn't appear to be as strong of a cohort for us so I'm okay with potentially going into a points deficit next year because we likely won't need as many points in 2026.

100% going to the Dees, only way it doesn’t happen is if they don’t want him

 

[Supersuns]

100% going to the Dees, only way it doesn’t happen is if they don’t want him

Yep, it's already been decided. Those articles are just puff pieces

 

[GC2015]

100% going to the Dees, only way it doesn’t happen is if they don’t want him

Yep, it's already been decided. Those articles are just puff pieces

You're probably right, but at least it's a talking point during the off season.

Although I think if it's true that Mac Andrew has befriended him and they've become close like the article suggests then it might throw a spanner in the works that wasn't previously considered. Mac is going to be around a lot longer than any of the prominent talls at the Dees who are almost done like Gawn (33), May (33), Lever (29) etc.

 

[Jen2310]

It'll come down to a few factors.

1. Where he feels he'll play his best footy
2. Does he want to move away from home
3. Where he feels he'll fit in the most.

Time will tell. But it's a decision not too disimilar to Blakey.