Fresh off claiming the AFL Rising Star nomination for Round 16, Gold Coast rookie Will Graham has signed a new two-year deal to extend his stay with the Suns.
A graduate of the club's Academy program, Graham put forward the best performance of his short career on Saturday in a thrilling win over reigning premiers Collingwood, collecting 22 disposals, four clearances, four inside 50s, 10 contested possessions and a goal against the Magpies.
The nomination for Graham is the third for Gold Coast in 2024, with fellow first-year player Jake Rogers (Round 7) and defender Bodhi Uwland (Round 12) also recognised for their efforts so far this season.
Round 16 saw Graham play his ninth game for the club, having made his debut in Round 4 against GWS at Gather Round. After his first five games at AFL level, Graham had laid 41 tackles to rank among the league's best for the metric.
“I have been absolutely loving my time as an AFL player and feel right at home here at the SUNS,” Graham said in a club statement.
“To be able to live my dream alongside my best mates every day is just an amazing feeling.
“The Academy has been huge in helping me prepare for AFL level and I just want to continue to establish myself in our team and help us win in the years to come.”
Graham was one of four Suns Academy players to be drafted to Gold Coast through the first-round of last year's National Draft, joining Jed Walter, Ethan Read and Rogers in securing senior opportunities under coach Damien Hardwick.
The re-signing of Graham - who is now penned to the Suns until the end of 2027 - follows the club's recent retention of Read until the end of the 2028 season.
The pair are joined by Jy Farrar (2025), Ned Moyle (2028), Wil Powell (2029) and Jarrod Witts (2026) in re-signing with the Suns in 2024 already.
“We've known what Will can do for many years after developing him through our SUNS Academy program and it's been incredibly rewarding to see how valuable he has become to the club in such a short period of time,” Suns recruitment boss Kall Burns said.
“It's a huge credit to all the work Will has put in to earn his opportunity in the AFL and also to our Academy staff who have done a mountain of work to prepare our players for the rigours of AFL football.
“We see an exciting long-term future for Will at the SUNS and are thrilled to have him sign on until 2027.”
Graham is in line to play in the Suns' upcoming clash against North Melbourne when the Queensland side travels to Marvel Stadium on Saturday.
