Draftee Will Brodie will make his AFL debut on Saturday when the Gold Coast SUNS take on Melbourne as part of the Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round.

The inside midfielder, who was selected with pick No.9 in the 2016 NAB AFL Draft, impressed in all three of the SUNS’ JLT pre-season games earlier in the year.

He was a clear standout in JLT2 against Essendon, kicking two goals and racking up 18 disposals, 11 contested possessions and four clearances. 

Since then Brodie has been consistent at the NEAFL hitting the scoreboard in four of his seven games and averaging 23.4 disposals with a high of 36 in round five against Sydney University.

At 188cm the former NAB AFL Academy member is touted as a clearance machine with an insatiable thirst for winning contested footy, qualities which should see him slot into the SUNS’ midfield with ease come Saturday.

Brodie’s round ten debut also means the 18-year-old will officially pull on the red and gold alongside childhood idol Michael Barlow. 

Having grown up watching the fellow Shepparton product in his Fremantle days, the stars aligned when both Brodie and Barlow become SUNS in the off-season.