Alex Davies’ future at Gold Coast uncertain amid trade links to Collingwood

Fringe Gold Coast midfielder Alex Davies’ future is in the balance, with clubs including Collingwood being linked with a trade swoop for the 22-year-old.

Off-contract Gold Coast midfielder Alex Davies is weighing up his AFL future.

The Suns have tabled a two-year deal to the 22 year old but it is understood as many as four rival clubs - including Collingwood - have enquired about the big-bodied Suns Academy product, who has played 32 senior games in four seasons.

Davies will sit down with head coach Damien Hardwick to seek assurances about his role in the side moving forward before making any decision on his future.

“It’s not the most common thing for a Japanese kid growing up in Australia” - Alex Davies on his journey to becoming a footy player.

Bravery Series thanks to @cryptocom. pic.twitter.com/wUiI7fYM4d

— Gold Coast Suns (@GoldCoastSUNS) July 26, 2022

The 193cm on-baller has struggled to break into the Suns’ midfield in recent season, given the presence of Noah Anderson, Matt Rowell, Touk Miller and Sam Flanders.

He played seven games in 2024 including the final three rounds of the season, in which he averaged 17 disposals and two clearances as part of the on-ball rotation.

Davies reportedly has interest from several clubs including Collingwood.

Alex Davies is weighing up his future at Gold Coast. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

BIG LIST CALLS LOOM FOR SUNS AFTER RIOLI, NOBLE TRADE REQUESTS

Gold Coast is bracing for a looming list squeeze after being told it will lose five rookie spots in the final phase out of the 2019 assistance package that helped the club land Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson with the first two picks in that year’s national draft.

Set for review at the end of its 2024 season, Gold Coast had initially hoped the rookie list concessions would be phased out over a few years. But the club was officially told by the AFL last week that all five of its additional Category A spots would be stripped back before next year.

It leaves the Suns’ list management team with some tough calls to make in the coming weeks, as it manoeuvres to add at least Daniel Rioli and John Noble during the trade period as well as Suns Academy starlet Leo Lombard in November’s national draft.

Brandon Ellis’ retirement meant the Suns ended the season with 37 players on the primary list and eight on the rookie list. The max number of players on the primary list is 38.

Under the assistance package, the Suns were able to hold nine Category A rookies and one Category B rookie this season.

Daniel Rioli has declared his intentions to play for the Suns next season. Picture: Michael Klein

As has John Noble. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Breakout players Bodhi Uwland and Sam Clohesy are likely to be elevated ahead of next season. If Rioli, Noble and Lombard arrive as expected, that would mean five additions to a primary list that currently only has one vacancy.

And the Suns now have less wiggle room to move senior players to their rookie list, given there will be five fewer spots as of next season.

Last week this masthead reported inaugural Sun Sam Day had been told he would not be offered a contract for next season. He will likely be among the first wave of delistings, expected to be announced by the club sometime this week.

In September 2019, the AFL announced it would hand Gold Coast a sizeable assistance package that included three years’ worth of priority picks – including the No. 1 pick in that year’s draft which was used to take Rowell.

The Suns were also granted expanded academy access to the Northern Territory Zone and the ability to pre-sign Suns Academy players without having to bid on them in the draft.

The last of the priority picks were exhausted in 2021 and from last year, the club was no longer able to pre-sign Suns Academy players ahead of the draft.

The Suns were the big winners of the 2023 draft. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

That led to the Suns stockpiling a slew of draft picks to successfully match bids on Jed Walter, Ethan Read, Jake Rogers and Will Graham in the 2023 national draft.

The club will do the same this year with Larke Medallist, Lombard.

With the removal of the extra rookie list spots, the Suns are now on a level playing field with the rest of the competition – and it could even be argued they are now at a slight disadvantage, given the lack of father-son access due to the club’s relative infancy.

Even their Northern Academy advantages, shared by the Brisbane Lions, Sydney Swans and GWS Giants, will be minimal when compared to previous years.

Clubs will once again be allowed to match bids on Next Generation Academy (NGA) players from pick No. 1 this year, bringing it in line with the northern academies.

And from next year the AFL will introduce a revised draft value index that will make it harder to match bids on academy and father-son selections.

Originally published as Alex Davies’ future at Gold Coast uncertain amid trade links to Collingwood