Academy: Gold Coast SUNS Gun Factory

[Maybe Tomorrow]

I think we are stocked there. I'd genuinely be okay with just taking Uwland this year from the academy and going after a small forward in the draft or from another club. And draft a KPD for future collo replacement.

Possibly. There are no guarantees the academy keeps producing guns every year though. Might be prudent to take 3 more this year.

Agree a KPD (or two) to develop would be wise.

 

[DTLSchulzy16]

Is there even room for another inside mid? Assuming Addinsall is drafted.

Rowell
Anderson
Flanders
Humpa
Graham
Davies
Lombard
Addinsall
Uwland?
Then Patterson, and Touk's not done yet either/

Oh plenty of options for sure. But I wouldn’t expected Lombard, Addinsall, Uwland, Patterson to get a look in the CBA’s for a few years

Carlton have dealt with the problems of throwing Cripps and Walsh in there without much help or rotation

I think Port and Sydney do it the best. Rozee and Butters started as forwards. Sydney did it with Parker all those years ago. Heeney move was done late, Mills half back

 

[RowellAnderson12]

Oh plenty of options for sure. But I wouldn’t expected Lombard, Addinsall, Uwland, Patterson to get a look in the CBA’s for a few years

Carlton have dealt with the problems of throwing Cripps and Walsh in there without much help or rotation

I think Port and Sydney do it the best. Rozee and Butters started as forwards. Sydney did it with Parker all those years ago. Heeney move was done late, Mills half back

Blues fans are already saying Walsh is cooked, both of them have had back issues.

I remember Cripps was getting the washed claims before he signed 6 years and won 2 brownlows.

 

[Jirik13]

Is there even room for another inside mid? Assuming Addinsall is drafted.

Rowell
Anderson
Flanders
Humpa
Graham
Davies
Lombard
Addinsall
Uwland?
Then Patterson, and Touk's not done yet either/

It takes time usually. To be fair it took 6 years for Rowell and Anderson to reach current level. Flanders the same.

I suspect in foreseeable future Lombard, Rogers (Patterson) will spend most time forward, Davies traded possibly.

 

[GC2015]

Possibly. There are no guarantees the academy keeps producing guns every year though. Might be prudent to take 3 more this year.

Agree a KPD (or two) to develop would be wise.

This is a great point. If you follow our academy results closely, you will notice we don't have as many (any?) standouts coming through after this year and for that reason alone I'd be drafting as many as I possibly can this year to ensure we maximise our academy access because we may not have access to top draft talents again for a while considering it looks like we're about to enter a finals window. We also don't know if we're going to maintain access to academy players in the future so we should really take them while we can. Bring them in and build the list depth + culture of local players in the team which reduces retention issues at the same time. There are really no downsides and many upsides.

Kalani White is a KPD. Are we any chance to land him now that the Dees have bombed and we look like a genuine top 6 team?

 

[Supersuns]

This is a great point. If you follow our academy results closely, you will notice we don't have as many (any?) standouts coming through after this year and for that reason alone I'd be drafting as many as I possibly can this year to ensure we maximise our academy access because we may not have access to top draft talents again for a while considering it looks like we're about to enter a finals window. We also don't know if we're going to maintain access to academy players in the future so we should really take them while we can. Bring them in and build the list depth + culture of local players in the team which reduces retention issues at the same time. There are really no downsides and many upsides.

Kalani White is a KPD. Are we any chance to land him now that the Dees have bombed and we look like a genuine top 6 team?

Nah White is still going to Melbourne. They could go 0-22 and he will still go there

 

[Maybe Tomorrow]

This is a great point. If you follow our academy results closely, you will notice we don't have as many (any?) standouts coming through after this year and for that reason alone I'd be drafting as many as I possibly can this year to ensure we maximise our academy access because we may not have access to top draft talents again for a while considering it looks like we're about to enter a finals window. We also don't know if we're going to maintain access to academy players in the future so we should really take them while we can. Bring them in and build the list depth + culture of local players in the team which reduces retention issues at the same time. There are really no downsides and many upsides.

Kalani White is a KPD. Are we any chance to land him now that the Dees have bombed and we look like a genuine top 6 team?

White could obviously improve, but most of the draft watchers don't rate him.

While getting academy kids in is nice, we want a competitive team, so it might be better to use a draft pick on a better KPD prospect than him.

Probably don't want to get to the point of only drafting academy players either.

 

[DTLSchulzy16]

This is a great point. If you follow our academy results closely, you will notice we don't have as many (any?) standouts coming through after this year and for that reason alone I'd be drafting as many as I possibly can this year to ensure we maximise our academy access because we may not have access to top draft talents again for a while considering it looks like we're about to enter a finals window. We also don't know if we're going to maintain access to academy players in the future so we should really take them while we can. Bring them in and build the list depth + culture of local players in the team which reduces retention issues at the same time. There are really no downsides and many upsides.

Archie Hill for 2026 and not much else right?

I’m certainly in this camp of keep getting as many academy boys as we can because we don’t know what’s happening in the future. The drafts from 2027 onwards will be Tassie impacted also (assuming they build a stadium). With how well our academy is run now imagine the backlash if we picked up a Vic kid and he was a bust and or decided to go home over an academy kid our coaches have been watching for years

I would have a problem with just drafting academy kids if they were all the same types/position of players
Walter - Key Fwd
Read - Swingman
Rogers - Outside mid/fwd
Graham - combo mid inside and wing
Lombard - inside mid/fwd
Gulbin - 3rd forward
(Whichever of these we get)
Uwland - Half back/wing
Addinsall - accumulator
Patterson - line breaker
Murray - intercept defender
Hudson - key defender

 

[DTLSchulzy16]

Coulson freak athlete apparently. Top 10 in standing vertical and agility test

TOP 10s | 2025 Nationwide preseason testing

Numerous records were broken around the country as the best Under 18 prospects were put through their paces for preseason testing.

central.rookieme.com

 

[KaySwizzle]

Draft some academy kids. Draft some interstate kids. But whoever we draft needs to be drafted with the intention of being best 22.

If we don’t draft academy kids and they go on to be good at another club, we just “poach” them back with some go-home factor whispers, right? Or if another club doesn’t take them, they make perfect rookies with a year to prove themselves.

 

[TheGoldPersons]

These 2 any good?

 

[Choppers]

These 2 any good?
View attachment 2269070

How many Uwlands are there?

 

[MarcLocksCrustySock]

How many Uwlands are there?

Keep going Uwland senior, back in the bedroom! We need MOARRR

 

[Supersuns]

Keep going Uwland senior, back in the bedroom! We need MOARRR

Gold Coast Uwlands

 

[TheGoldPersons]

Bodhi needs to get to 100 games and start getting busy

 

[TheGoldPersons]

 

[MarcLocksCrustySock]

I don't need to ask to know that the Uwlands are good swimmers. If you feel me.

 

[GC2015]

Our U18 academy boys play Sydney up in Springfield at 2pm tomorrow and it's being streamed online.

 

[DTLSchulzy16]

Looked in cruise control Led 49 to 29, 10 minutes into the third. Then trailed 50-61 10 minutes into the 4th

Goal for goal last 15 minutes or so. Trying to win the game was atleast fun

(Worth going to half time and full time for some highlights. Wish I worked that out before watching)

A few horrible out the back goals from fumbles given up. But early days. Very evident the gap between the top handful and the bottom few is quite large. Sydney have plenty of top end talent too

 

[Jirik13]

AFL Queensland​

Just now ·


This Sunday, 5 Queenslanders will represent the Australia U18 team in the 2025 Marsh AFL National Academy Boys squad!
Catch these future stars in action:

Dylan Patterson (GC Suns Academy/Palm Beach Currumbin)

Beau Addinsall (GC Suns Academy/Burleigh)

Zeke Uwland (GC Suns Academy/Burleigh)

Daniel Annable (Brisbane Lions Academy/Redland-Victoria Point)

Kalani White (GC Suns Academy/Broadbeach)
Australia U18 v Richmond VFL

Sunday, April 13

1:30pm AEST

Watch live and free on the AFL website

Read more and see the full squad at bit.ly/4ckjskM

 

[Morrell96]

AFL Queensland​

Just now ·


This Sunday, 5 Queenslanders will represent the Australia U18 team in the 2025 Marsh AFL National Academy Boys squad!
Catch these future stars in action:

Dylan Patterson (GC Suns Academy/Palm Beach Currumbin)

Beau Addinsall (GC Suns Academy/Burleigh)

Zeke Uwland (GC Suns Academy/Burleigh)

Daniel Annable (Brisbane Lions Academy/Redland-Victoria Point)

Kalani White (GC Suns Academy/Broadbeach)
Australia U18 v Richmond VFL

Sunday, April 13

1:30pm AEST

Watch live and free on the AFL website

Read more and see the full squad at bit.ly/4ckjskM

Isn't zeke uwland out with back problems?

 

[TheSunGod]

Coulson freak athlete apparently. Top 10 in standing vertical and agility test

TOP 10s | 2025 Nationwide preseason testing

Numerous records were broken around the country as the best Under 18 prospects were put through their paces for preseason testing.

central.rookieme.com

Sounds explosive?

 

[GC2015]

AFL Queensland​

Just now ·


This Sunday, 5 Queenslanders will represent the Australia U18 team in the 2025 Marsh AFL National Academy Boys squad!
Catch these future stars in action:

Dylan Patterson (GC Suns Academy/Palm Beach Currumbin)

Beau Addinsall (GC Suns Academy/Burleigh)

Zeke Uwland (GC Suns Academy/Burleigh)

Daniel Annable (Brisbane Lions Academy/Redland-Victoria Point)

Kalani White (GC Suns Academy/Broadbeach)
Australia U18 v Richmond VFL

Sunday, April 13

1:30pm AEST

Watch live and free on the AFL website

Read more and see the full squad at bit.ly/4ckjskM

Great to see Zeke has been named to play this Sunday and it looks like this is where he'll start his final year of junior footy. Should be a really interesting watch for the whole year. Also looks like Addinsall has switched back to Burleigh after doing one year with Broadbeach. Fantastic outcome for Burleigh to have both ZUwland and Addinsall on their list in their draft year. Dylan Patterson has the opportunity to really announce himself to the footy world in this game so hopefully he goes well.

Still not sure how White keeps getting picked in these top teams...

Coulson freak athlete apparently. Top 10 in standing vertical and agility test

TOP 10s | 2025 Nationwide preseason testing

Numerous records were broken around the country as the best Under 18 prospects were put through their paces for preseason testing.

central.rookieme.com

What's his story? All I can see online is he's a breakout star for our academy this year and models his game on Matt Rowell.

 

[Jen2310]

Two players named in the Australian squad who won’t face the Tigers, though, will be Gold Coast’s top academy prospect Zeke Uwland and Dandenong Stingrays midfielder Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves.

Uwland is a brilliant, left-footed winger with great game sense who’s been likened to dual All-Australian Errol Gulden, with some recruiters suggesting he’s the No. 1 player in the 2025 pool. But he’s been managing a back injury in recent months and won’t face the Tigers on Sunday.

The Suns confirmed to foxfooty.com.au they and the AFL Academy medical staff continue to work towards a return to play for Uwland later in 2025, but stressed no timeline was in place at this stage and that he wouldn’t be rushed back if he’s not right.

Uwland, the brother of emerging Gold Coast defender Bodhi Uwland, already has plenty of runs on the board, as he was the only bottom-age player selected in last year’s Under 18 All-Australian team.

Second trade primes Dons for strong haul; Pick 1 fancies to face Tigers … but duo to miss: AFL Draft Watch

Sneaky trade primes Dons for epic haul; Pick 1 fancies to face Tigers … but duo to miss: Draft Watch

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[Supersuns]

That back injury could be terminal, no point bidding on him in the first 2 rounds for sure oppo clubs