Alex Davies (footballer)

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 (2002-03-18) 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 18 (8)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 7, 2023.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Early life

Davies 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

Davies 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
Statistics are correct to the end of round 2, 2022[23]
Legend
  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 3010251116260.02.05.011.016.02.06.0
2022 Gold Coast 522013922381.00.06.54.511.01.54.0
Career 3 2 2 18 20 38 5 14 0.7 0.7 6.0 6.7 12.7 1.7 4.7

References
  1. The Asian-Australians forging the way forward in football by Andrew Wu for The Age 25 June 2023
  2. "AFL 2020: Gold Coast Suns add academy member Alex Davies". Herald Sun. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  3. "North Queensland junior destined for long AFL career". The Cairns Post. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  4. "Cairns Marlins Boys Statistics - Alex Davies". Basketball Australia. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  5. "One game, two ruptured ligaments and why Suns prospect turned to footy". AFL.com.au. 7 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  6. "Gold Coast Suns lock in young talent ahead of AFL draft". MyGC.com.au. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  7. "Alex Davies showed he has resilience to match his significant talent". AFL Queensland. 7 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  8. "Cairns represented in national Gold Medal". Cairns Taipans. 19 July 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  9. "2018 Australian Basketball Junior Championships Wrap-Ups". Basketball Queensland. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  10. "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.
  11. "Cairns chasing school Aussie rules glory". The Cairns Post. 13 October 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  12. "Dropping the ball on Wigness will haunt Taipans". Daily Telegraph. 22 July 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  13. "Sun on the horizon for Manunda Hawks talent". Cairns Post. 22 May 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  14. "SUNS seal NAB AFL Academy Series". Gold Coast Suns. 7 May 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  15. "U18 National Championships: Allies wrap". Gold Coast Suns. 11 July 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  16. "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.
  17. "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.
  18. "Future Swan stars in Grand Final curtain-raiser". AFL.com.au. 28 September 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  19. "Future bright as Suns get access to 'Pendlebury clone'". AFL.com.au. 30 September 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  20. "2020 NAB AFL Draft Recap: Seven Queenslanders selected". AFL Queensland. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  21. "Alex Davies Interview". Gold Coast Suns. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  22. "Alex Davies set to debut". Gold Coast Suns. 19 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  23. "Alex Sexton". AFL Tables. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
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