The Gold Coast SUNS will field a record nine Queenslanders against the Western Bulldogs in Ballarat tomorrow.
The inclusion of debutant and Burleigh local Brayden Crossley and the recall of Brad Scheer, sees the local talent exceed the past record of seven which occurred last weekend in Adelaide and on two previous occasions in 2013 and 2015.
Crossley and Scheer will join fellow Queenslanders Jarrod Harbrow, Rory Thompson, Alex Sexton, Jesse Joyce, Jack Bowes, Max Spencer and Lachie Weller in the SUNS side for Round 7.
Of those nine, six are graduates from the Gold Coast SUNS Academy.
Harbrow, the SUNS games record holder at 138, and Thompson, set for his 93rd AFL game this week, have been the two most represented Queenslanders from the side.
This comes after six Queenslanders played in the first SUNS game in 2011 – Jarrod Harbrow, Charlie Dixon, Zac Smith, Karmichael Hunt, Alik Magin and Marc Lock.
The smallest Queensland representation in 160 Gold Coast games has been when Harbrow was the only homegrown product to play in Rounds 8-9 last year.
Crossley will be the 24th Queenslander to play for the SUNS at AFL level after Lachie Weller, originally a SUNS Academy member before being drafted to Fremantle, became the 23rd in Round 1.
First-year players Connor Nutting, Jacob Dawson and Jacob Heron are the only Queenslanders on the SUNS list who are not playing against the Dogs tomorrow.
The 12-strong Queensland contingent on the SUNS playing list this year is the equal second-biggest in club history and the biggest since 12 Queenslanders were on the list in 2012.
Saturday’s game against the Dogs will be the 11th time two or more Suns players have made their AFL debut together, and the first since Bowes and Ben Ainsworth shared this special moment in Round 1 last year.