Malcolm Rosas Jr’s hard work rewarded with Gold Coast Suns AFL debut

ALMOST two years of perseverance will pay off for Territory product Malcolm Rosas Jr who will realise his AFL dream this Saturday

Malcolm Rosas Jr’s hard work has been rewarded with an AFL debut in this Saturday’s match against Brisbane. Picture: Gold Coast Suns Media

ALMOST two years of perseverance will pay off for Territory product Malcolm Rosas Jr who will realise his AFL dream this Saturday.

That is the view of Gold Coast Suns senior coach Stuart Dew, who called the former Darwin Buffalo’s upcoming debut a reward for perseverance.

“Mally has been really solid in the VFL all year and his training form has been important for him as well,” Dew said.

“His pressure has been up high, his ball use has been really good and just his consistency I guess over the pre-season, and to be able to get his body prepared to play AFL has allowed him to step up.

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“We know that Mally has been giving good pressure in the forward line and a spot has opened up, so I think that for him it was just reward for perseverance.

“We felt he was ready to play and probably worth mentioning that we’re not just giving him a game. I think his form over summer has warranted it.”

Rosas Jr played for the Darwin Buffaloes in the NTFL and progressed through the NT Thunder Academy. He was also selected as part of the NAB AFL All Stars Future match in 2018 and AFL National Allies in 2019.

The 19-year-old has averaged 13 disposals and five tackles across the first three games of the VFL season, with a return of two goals from that period. Rosas Jr will be the first player to have come through the club’s pathway connection with the Northern Territory to find his place in the senior squad.

“It’s a really good moment for him and the footy club obviously with our Northern Territory connection, for him to be the first player to come through the pathway, it’s pretty special,” Dew said.

“We’ll see how he goes because he brings a bit of excitement to the group as well.

“He’s learnt a lot since he’s got here as a player and as a person he’s really been consistent and I think that the players were very excited when we announced that he would be making his debut.”

Head of AFLNT Stuart Totham was thrilled to see Rosas Jr succeed and the AFLNT and Gold Coast Suns partnership thrive.

“For Mally to become the first of many Darwinites to pull on the Suns AFL Guernsey is just fantastic,” Totham said.

“It’s awesome to see our established partnership with the SUNS grow and we hope to see Mally run out at his home stadium in a couple of weeks during the Sir Doug Nicholls Round.”