Jed Anderson takes indefinite leave from Gold Coast Suns

Former Hawk and Kangaroo Jed Anderson is yet to play a game for the Suns, and he did not return with the team from a recent trip to Darwin.

Gold Coast midfielder Jed Anderson has taken an indefinite leave of absence from the club.

The former Hawthorn and North Melbourne player, who joined the Suns as a rookie via the pre-season supplemental selection period, did not return to the Gold Coast after travelling with the team to the Northern Territory in late May.

Anderson, 29, played in the VFL against Footscray on May 27 and remained in the Top End while his teammates returned to the Gold Coast.

He flew out of Darwin to play in the Suns’ VFL win over Port Melbourne in Melbourne on June 3, before returning to the Northern Territory, where he has since remained.

The club has confirmed he had taken personal leave and there is no timeline on when he might return.

Anderson was born in Katherine and moved to Darwin when he was 12. He has strong family and football ties in the Northern Territory – his grandfather, Jimmy Anderson, is an NTFL Hall of Famer and member of the Northern Territory Team of the Century.

Jed Anderson is yet to play a senior game for the Suns. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Anderson started his AFL career at Hawthorn, where he played 10 games over two seasons before being traded to North Melbourne at the end of 2015.

He was delisted by the Kangaroos in October last year after 89 games across seven seasons at Arden St – only 12 months after finishing third in the club’s best-and-fairest – leaving him stranded on 99 AFL games.

He was handed a lifeline by the Suns in December when the club added him to its rookie list and has played eight VFL games so far this season, averaging 17.5 disposals including a 28-touch effort against Southport.