AFL Draft: Suns draftee Leo Lombard on flag ambition, connection with Jake Rogers

Discover Leo Lombard’s special connection with a new Suns teammate and how he hopes to add to his premiership tally with the club after he was snapped up in the draft.

A lifelong dream of Leo Lombard was realised on at the AFL draft Wednesday night, and he already has his eye on adding to his premiership collection with the Gold Coast Suns.

“It would mean the absolute world to me to be honest,” Lombard said of the thought of pulling the Suns jumper he has worn since he was 12 years of age at AFL level.

“Gold Coast is my home and I want to do anything I can to stay here and be a part of their success and their journey, and hopefully a premiership in years to come.”

Lombard already has a taste of premiership success in Suns colours, when he was part of the club’s inaugural flag in the VFL last year as a 16-year-old.

Leonardo Lombard and Mabior Chol of the Suns celebrate following the 2023 VFL premiership. Picture: Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos.

That winning feeling is certainly something he’s ready to get used to.

“I don’t like losing, I love to win and I’m going to do anything in my power to help the team win, I hate losing,” he said.

Lombard was presented to his Suns guernsey by great mate Jake Rogers on Wednesday night, a fellow academy product who Gold Coast selected with pick 14 in last year’s draft.

Lombard described the Broadbeach junior who registered eight games in his debut season as his “bigger brother”.

“We’ve been through so much together and he’s taught me so many things, especially with him being a year above me and experiencing rep teams he’s made, I’m just following in his footsteps pretty much,” Lombard said.

Gold Coast Suns AFL draftee Leo Lombard poses in the Suns new guernsey. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images.

“I think he’s just taken me under his wing, I’ve just learnt a lot of things from him and what he does and how he plays.

“We’ve been training together since we were kids, like 11, just us two in pre-season training together.”

Lombard played 150 games with the Burleigh Bombers as a junior, as well as nine senior outings for Broadbeach this year. He also graduated from Varsity College this year, and as he gears up for his first pre-season as an AFL player his mates are partying in Bali to celebrate Schoolies.

Gold Coast Suns AFL draftee Leo Lombard poses in the changerooms of his junior club, Burleigh Bombers AFC. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images.

He said he had spoken to his new coach Damien Hardwick “very briefly” in the lead-up to the draft.

“He congratulated me on the combine and the year as well, in the pre-season I asked him what I can improve on and he just gave me a few tips,” Lombard said.

Hardwick is preparing for his second season at the helm of the Suns as the club aims to improve on last season’s dismal away form and 13th-placed finish.

“It’s in a very good position,” Lombard said of the Gold Coast.

“There’s so much talent within in the list, I reckon it’s going in a good direction to win a premiership and play finals for sure.

“I don’t mind where I play to be honest, if I was to choose I’d say a high forward role or even spit through the middle every now and then just to give that fire.”

Originally published as AFL Draft: Suns draftee Leo Lombard on flag ambition, connection with Jake Rogers