THE BIGGEST improvement for Jed Walter ahead of his second season has come between the ears.

Gold Coast's young key forward kicked 11 goals from 14 games in 2024, showing glimpses of the talent that saw him taken at No.3 in the draft, but regularly drifting out of games.

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With one season under his belt, the physically imposing 19-year-old said much of his pre-season had been spent doing homework on how to improve his "game IQ".

"In my first year I was erratic, just trying to do everything at once, probably working too hard for the footy," Walter said following a lengthy training session at People First Stadium on Tuesday.

"I'm just playing a bit smarter now with my leading patterns, (finding) where the space is and finding good positions.

"I feel very comfortable. I'm more demanding of the ball, I want the ball more."

Blessed with speed few others his size possess, and a frame usually associated with players much further into their career, Walter has worked closely with forward line coach Brad Miller on the mental side.

"A guy like Jed, because he's so athletic, you put him in the under-18s and put him in space inside 50 and his athleticism is just going to get the job done," Miller said.

"At AFL level, they're all athletes that are equally as impressive physically.

"He's had to do a lot of work on reading the cues up the field and then positioning himself appropriately to always be relevant.

"Sometimes young guys that have been gifted with such athleticism, they don't have to think too much … that's been the next evolution.

"He's done a lot of work to his credit."

Gold Coast is seriously considering playing Walter alongside Ben King and Ethan Read in a three-pronged tall forward line following the off-season departure of Jack Lukosius to Port Adelaide.

The Suns will get their first serious hitout of the pre-season at Carrara on Thursday night, when they take on both Brisbane and Collingwood.

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