Gold Coast young gun Jed Walter’s plan to become AFL’s next star key forward

Jed Walter dominated junior football, but after his first year at Gold Coast he has learnt the AFL is a different beast. Now, he has a plan to make the leap from good to great.

Jed Walter. Picture: Getty Images

With a laptop in one hand and notebook in the other, Gold Coast key forward Jed Walter has vowed to become a film buff this pre-season if it means making the leap from good to great in his second year of senior football.

Walter, 19, has spent hours reviewing vision with forward line coach Brad Miller as he gets to work perfecting his key forward craft, admitting he largely got by using his incredible physical traits as a junior.

The Suns Academy star, whose pre-season was interrupted by a broken collarbone, kicked 11 goals from his 14 games last season and flashed glimpses of the prodigious talent that had him being compared to Charlie Curnow coming out of the draft.

Walter is keen to take the next step in his career. Picture: Getty Images

But the Gold Coast coaching staff quickly identified the budding superstar was struggling to make the most of his ability and gave him multiple spells in the VFL to work on reading the game and putting himself in better positions to impact the play.

“I’ve come in from U18s (having) dominated by being physically bigger than my opponents but in the AFL they’re a lot bigger, so it was about understanding how to use my body

against stronger opponents and using my smarts as well as my strengths,” Walter told this masthead.

“I’ve spent a lot of time with Brad Miller going through vision after training – and obviously I have Kingy (Ben King) to learn from as well. He had such a great year last year and I’m always learning things from him with how he goes about it on and off the field.”

Walter enjoys some time with fans. Picture: Getty Images

The Suns are ready to go all-in on the King-Walter combination after bidding farewell to Sam Day and Levi Casboult at the end of last season.

And the homegrown talent is eager to prove he is ready to be a focal point of the Suns’ attack.

“I learnt so much throughout the year and I’m really grateful I got to play 14 games,” Walter said.

“Already this pre-season I feel more confident, having had that year and now knowing the game plan as well.

“I’m really excited by the opportunity I have now (with Day and Casboult gone) to really put my best foot in the door and do everything I can to stamp myself as a key pillar of this team.”

Originally published as Gold Coast young gun Jed Walter’s plan to become AFL’s next star key forward