Alex Davies (アレックスデイビーズ, born 18 March 2002) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Gold Coast Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
| Alex Davies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Alex Davies | ||
| Date of birth | 18 March 2002 | ||
| Original team(s) |
Broadbeach Cats (QAFL) Manunda Hawks (AFL Cairns) | ||
| Draft | Pre-Draft Academy Selection, 2020 national draft | ||
| Height | 191 cm (6 ft 3 in) | ||
| Weight | 86 kg (190 lb) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Gold Coast | ||
| Number | 5 | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2021– | Gold Coast | 32 (10) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2024. | |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Early life
editDavies was born in Woollongong, New South Wales to a Japanese mother and Tasmanian-born father.[1] He was raised in raised in Cairns, Queensland.[2] He grew up playing Australian rules football for the Manunda Hawks[3] and basketball for the Cairns Marlins,[4] where he was considered an outstanding junior prospect in both sports.[5] At the age of 12, he was placed in the Gold Coast Suns Academy[6] as well as being placed in the Cairns Taipans' academy program as a teenager.[7] In 2017, Davies captained Queensland to an Under-16 Junior National Basketball Championship victory[8] which led to selection for his home state at the 2018 Basketball Australia Under-18 National Championships.[9] He also represented Queensland at the 2018 AFL Under-16 National Championships and was named in the All-Australian team for his impressive performances.[10]
Davies attended Cairns State High School[11] with fellow football and basketball prodigy Tamuri Wigness throughout most of their teenage years and both juniors were given the opportunity to pursue professional careers in either sport.[12] Wigness elected to continue with basketball in Cairns while Davies relocated to the Gold Coast towards the end of 2018 to join the Gold Coast Suns' academy program on a full-time basis as well as complete his schooling at All Saints Anglican School.[2] The pair remain close friends and often train together in both sports when based in the same area.[13]
In his first year based on the Gold Coast, Davies was influential for the Suns in their 2019 Northern Academy Series win[14] and was rewarded with selection for the Allies at the 2019 AFL Under 18 Championships as a bottom ager.[15] He made his senior QAFL for Broadbeach in June 2019, where he received his senior jumper from his Japanese grandfather,[16] and caught the eye of coach Beau Zorko in his sole appearance for the club that year.[17] Davies finished the year by competing in the Under-17 AFL Future All Stars game where he impressed with 18 disposals and a goal.[18] Leading into his draft year, he was considered a top 10 draft prospect and was compared to Scott Pendlebury with his basketball background and ability to play as a tall midfielder[19] but 2020 proved to be an injury plagued year for him. Despite the interrupted season, Davies was pre-listed by the Gold Coast Suns on the eve of the 2020 AFL draft.[20]
AFL career
editDavies joined Gold Coast for his first AFL preseason in December 2020.[21] He made his AFL debut for the Suns at 19 years of age in round 23 of the 2021 AFL season.[22]
Statistics
edit- Statistics are correct to the end of 2024[23]
G
|
Goals | K
|
Kicks | D
|
Disposals | T
|
Tackles |
B
|
Behinds | H
|
Handballs | M
|
Marks |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | ||||
| 2021 | Gold Coast | 30 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 2 | 6 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 11.0 | 16.0 | 2.0 | 6.0 |
| 2022 | Gold Coast | 5 | 15 | 8 | 3 | 81 | 68 | 149 | 27 | 47 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 5.4 | 4.5 | 9.9 | 1.8 | 3.1 |
| 2023 | Gold Coast | 5 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 60 | 69 | 129 | 15 | 39 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 6.7 | 7.7 | 14.3 | 1.7 | 4.3 |
| 2024 | Gold Coast | 5 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 37 | 72 | 109 | 8 | 49 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 5.3 | 10.3 | 15.6 | 1.1 | 7.0 |
| Career | 32 | 10 | 9 | 183 | 220 | 403 | 52 | 141 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 5.7 | 6.9 | 12.6 | 1.6 | 4.4 | ||
References
edit- ^ The Asian-Australians forging the way forward in football by Andrew Wu for The Age 25 June 2023
- ^ a b "AFL 2020: Gold Coast Suns add academy member Alex Davies". Herald Sun. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
- ^ "North Queensland junior destined for long AFL career". The Cairns Post. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
- ^ "Cairns Marlins Boys Statistics - Alex Davies". Basketball Australia. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- ^ "One game, two ruptured ligaments and why Suns prospect turned to footy". AFL.com.au. 7 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- ^ "Gold Coast Suns lock in young talent ahead of AFL draft". MyGC.com.au. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
- ^ "Alex Davies showed he has resilience to match his significant talent". AFL Queensland. 7 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- ^ "Cairns represented in national Gold Medal". Cairns Taipans. 19 July 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- ^ "2018 Australian Basketball Junior Championships Wrap-Ups". Basketball Queensland. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
- ^ "Under 16 All-Australian team announced: Including Tyson Edwards' son Luke, Taj Schofield and Will Phillips". Fox Sports Australia. 20 July 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
- ^ "Cairns chasing school Aussie rules glory". The Cairns Post. 13 October 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
- ^ "Dropping the ball on Wigness will haunt Taipans". Daily Telegraph. 22 July 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- ^ "Sun on the horizon for Manunda Hawks talent". Cairns Post. 22 May 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- ^ "SUNS seal NAB AFL Academy Series". Gold Coast Suns. 7 May 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
- ^ "U18 National Championships: Allies wrap". Gold Coast Suns. 11 July 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
- ^ "Here is Alex Davies receiving his first senior jumper for from his Grandfather who was over travelling from Japan!". Broadbeach Cats. 27 September 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
- ^ "Broadbeach Cats QAFL coach says Gold Coast Suns have their next Jack Bowes in academy talent Alex Davies". Gold Coast Bulletin. 27 June 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ "Future Swan stars in Grand Final curtain-raiser". AFL.com.au. 28 September 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- ^ "Future bright as Suns get access to 'Pendlebury clone'". AFL.com.au. 30 September 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
- ^ "2020 NAB AFL Draft Recap: Seven Queenslanders selected". AFL Queensland. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- ^ "Alex Davies Interview". Gold Coast Suns. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
- ^ "Alex Davies set to debut". Gold Coast Suns. 19 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
- ^ "Alex Sexton". AFL Tables. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
External links
edit- Alex Davies's profile on the official website of the Gold Coast Football Club