Broadbeach Cats QAFL coach says Gold Coast Suns have their next Jack Bowes in academy talent Alex Davies

Broadbeach QAFL coach Beau Zorko says the Suns have unearthed the next Jack Bowes in academy star Alex Davies.

BROADBEACH QAFL coach Beau Zorko says the Suns have unearthed the next Jack Bowes in academy star Alex Davies.

Davies made his QAFL debut for the Cats in their one-point Round 11 loss to Mt Gravatt last Saturday and the performance of the 189cm midfielder convinced Zorko he was the best talent to come through Gold Coast’s academy since Bowes went at no. 10 in the 2016 national draft.

The 17-year-old will return to the Gold Coast Suns NEAFL team for their clash with Sydney this Saturday.

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“He is undoubtably the next Jack Bowes,” Zorko said of the under-17 All-Australian.

“He is a bit taller and bigger, probably not quite the Rolls-Royce above his head like Bowesy is, but boy oh boy they have a player.

“He is going to get better and better too.

Alex Davies during the Gold Coast Suns training session at Metricon Stadium on December 13, 2018 on the Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media)

“He is such a competitor. He is a great kid, very polite and well-mannered but get him on the ground and he is happy to rub shoulders with the big boys and get his hands dirty.

“He is happy to pick them up and throw them down. He is good defensively at stoppages.

“I would have loved to see him have more of an opportunity in space. I think he is the type who could play as an inside mid or — because he has such an elite engine — he could play on the outside as well or on the wing where he could run up and down all day.

Alex Davies of the NAB AFL Australian Under-17 in action during the NAB AFL Australian Under-17 v New Zealand match at Marvel Stadium on April 27, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos)

“He is probably not the polish of Bowesy but his hands in tight are really good. He is very good in close and then out in space he uses the ball pretty efficiently.”

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Broadbeach started Davies at half-forward to the narrow-ground at Dittmer Park before shifting him into the midfield in the fourth quarter.

“He had some good impact at times and he made a couple of crucial clearances for us in the fourth quarter. He didn’t look a step out of place,” Zorko said.

The Cairns Hawks product has given up a promising basketball career to chase his dream of playing in the AFL.

Davies represented Queensland at both the under-16 and under-18 national basketball championships, leading the former to an Australian title as captain.

He played in the under-16 AFL’s national championships last year and has been named in the 50-man Allies squad for this year’; s under-18 titles.

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