It was just 12 months ago when SUNS young gun Bailey Humphrey made his debut against St Kilda in Round 4, 2023 at Marvel Stadium.
A lot has changed in those 12 months, with Humphrey no longer the shiny new draftee and instead able to watch on as youngsters Will Graham, Jed Walter and Ethan Read have earned their AFL debuts early in 2024.
A year removed from his own debut, Humphrey revealed he was enjoying letting his young teammates claim the spotlight and was able to pass on some sage advice from his own experience.
“The main advice I give is to enjoy it while it’s there,” Humphrey said.
“I didn’t enjoy it as much as I wish I did. I was nervous and obviously you are going to have nerves, but (you need to) just enjoy it and don’t get down on yourself if you don’t play that well.
“You’ve got a long career ahead of you, so just enjoy playing AFL footy which is something you dream of as a kid.”
Since recovering from a shoulder injury which saw him miss the Round 2 clash against Western Bulldogs, Humphrey has returned to the field in a mid/forward role.
He says he’s formed a strong bond with the 2024 draftees who have added a new zest to the team and motivated him to continue to improve his own game.
“It’s not put pressure on me but Will (Graham) is in my position as well, he’s playing midfield and I’m hoping to play a little bit more midfield so it’s pushing me as well, and is making me learn and grow,” Humphrey said.
“Me and all the Academy boys are gaining a pretty good connection off the field as well.
“I live in Palm Beach now as well so we’re doing little car trips every now and then and hanging out a fair bit outside of footy too.”
After a stellar debut season, Humphrey is looking to take his game to new heights in 2024 and have a more consistent impact across the ground.
“Getting to a lot more stoppages is my main (focus), I think that’s my strength as well,” Humphrey said.
“The one thing that I want to work on personally and with our forwards coach Brad Miller is getting on the scoreboard.
“At the moment I think I’m getting more dangerous up the ground so I’m hoping to get a little bit more dangerous inside 50.”
The SUNS take on Sydney this Sunday at the SCG, with first bounce at 1:00pm.
