The Gold Coast SUNS have made Academy prospect Jake Rogers a SUN after matching a bid for the Broadbeach Cats junior with Pick 14 in the 2023 AFL Draft.

Rogers received a bid from Sydney Swans, but the SUNS were quick to match the bid to make Rogers the third SUNS Academy selection to join the club on Monday night.

Rogers is a versatile mid-forward who excels at clean possessions while also having great vision and creativity.

Gold Coast SUNS National Recruiting Manager Kall Burns said Rogers would be a fantastic addition for the club.

“Jake has been one of our high performers in the SUNS Academy and with Broadbeach Cats for a number of years now and it’s fantastic for him to realise his dream of becoming a Gold Coast SUNS player in the AFL,” Burns said.

“We have rated Jake’s footballing ability highly and think he can make an impact at AFL level in our system under Damien Hardwick.

“Jake also has exceptional leadership qualities after captaining our SUNS Academy to great success in 2023, so we are proud to add someone of Jake’s calibre to our group.”

Rogers showed his aptitude at the National Championships by starring for the Allies, where he consistently set up his team through the middle of the ground.

Quick and with elite agility, he was always in the contest and averaged 22.5 disposals at 77 percent efficiency, 5.5 clearances and 5.2 tackles to be a driving force for the title-winning team.

Rogers has also impressed for the Australia under-18 team in its second match against Carlton’s VFL side at Marvel Stadium, gathering 26 disposals and six clearances to claim the medal as the team’s best player.

Jake Rogers
State: Queensland
State League Club: Gold Coast Suns Academy
Community Club: Broadbeach
Date of Birth: 02/03/05
Height: 172cm