The Gold Coast Suns have confirmed first-year player Jed Walter broke his collarbone at training on Monday morning, with the teenager now set to miss the start of his rookie campaign.
Walter sustained the injury in a training drill after diving for the ball and landing awkwardly. He is set to miss the opening games of the 2024 season as he undergoes surgery this week.
It's expected he will be sidelined for up to eight weeks, but a timeline for this recovery will be determined after his surgery.
Walter is a Gold Coast Suns Academy prodigy and joined the Suns via Pick 3 at the 2023 AFL Draft. He had an impressive first pre-season before his injury and was in good shape to push for a debut spot come Opening Round.
Before Walter joined the Suns he had been part of several representative teams in his draft journey where he was able to showcase his powerful and athletic frame as a centre-half forward. He was part of the Allies team in the AFL National Championship for two years and was an All-Australian in 2022 and 2023.
The 18-year-old's game style and performances prior the AFL draft suggested that he'll likely have an instant impact at the top level.
He will now be unavailable for an Opening Round appearance when the Suns take on Richmond on Saturday, March 9 at Heritage Bank Stadium.
