Joel Jeffrey excited for Gold Coast Suns Darwin clashes
Territory talent Joel Jeffrey has been part of a huge start to the season for the Gold Coast Suns, and now with two clashes in Darwin coming up he’s excited to keep taking his game forward.
Territorian Joel Jeffrey has found himself a mainstay of the Gold Coast Suns this season, locking down his place in the side during its successful start to 2025.
And with a double header in Darwin next on the agenda, he’s ready to show his best in front of his home supporters.
Jeffrey made his debut for the Suns at the tail end of the 2021 season after a shining junior career with NTFL club Wanderers.
Due to injury, his game time was curtailed in his early seasons, but under Damien Hardwick, Jeffrey’s second Suns coach, he was able to lock down his position.
The Suns sit fourth on the ladder heading into their Darwin matches, with seven games played compared to the eight most sides currently boast.
“It’s been a great start to the season, it’s great winning but we’ve worked hard from preseason onwards to get to this stage,” Jeffrey said.
“Last year under Dimma was very much about learning a new system and now it’s all starting to come together for us.
“We’ve gained a lot of confidence from last year and now people are starting to notice what we can do and how damaging we can be on the field against good sides.”
For Jeffrey, building his tank to win the battles in his defensive hybrid role has been a big focus and the likes of Dan Rioli and John Noble joining the Suns fold has been huge for his development.
“Personally I worked hard on my running game, to get fitter and build my tank to develop my defensive game and be more competitive in the one on ones,” he said.
“I’m playing a hybrid role now as both a small and tall so I’ve worked really hard, and with those guys in the side they’ve given me flexibility to add other things to my game.
“I’m learning a lot from Daniel, he’s won premierships with Richmond so to see how he goes about his games and to see how he works behind the scene to show his skills on the field has been great.”
The Suns are coming off a loss in the Q-Clash to the Lions, only their second defeat of the season, but in Darwin they’ve got an unbeaten record to defend.
These two won’t come easy with the Western Bulldogs and Hawthorn both having strong seasons of their own, but for Jeffrey and the other Territorians in the side, this is a homecoming.
“The boys always look forward to these two game, we love coming home and playing in front of friends and family,” he said.
“We’ve got a feel for it now having been there a few years in a row and we hope to get the two wins while showing the community and next generation some quality footy they can aspire to.
“I say it every year but I get goosebumps running out on the field and looking over my shoulder and seeing my family, it’s special and something I’ll hold in my heart for the rest of my life.”
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Originally published as Joel Jeffrey excited for Gold Coast Suns Darwin clashes
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