You can’t wipe the smile of Brayden Crossley’s face right now.

The Gold Coast Academy product has begun life on the SUNS senior list and is loving every minute of it.

“All the anxiety and stress just goes and turns straight into relief and excitement straight away,” Crossley told SUNS TV.

“It’s been unreal. Obviously, your dream growing up is to get drafted to the AFL but to get drafted to your local team as well, it’s unreal.” 

The 18-year-old joins a growing group of locally produced talent, with a total of nine Academy graduates now on the SUNS’ list – six of them coming via Palm-Beach Currumbin.

It’s his time in the Academy set-up that Crossley credits with a smooth transition into the senior ranks.

Having seen former teammates progress into AFL footballers at the SUNS, the ruckman admits that that added some extra motivation in his draft year.

“It’s definitely made the transition a lot easier. There’s eight academy kids all up now on the list [nine with the addition of Lachie Weller] and there’s six PBC kids on there as well so having that there is pretty special and something that you sort of get when you’re a Victorian kid with TAC cup clubs and schools down there,” he said.

“I guess it was just sort of seeing Scheery (Brad Scheer) and Bowesy (Jack Bowes), I’m pretty good mates with them, on the list I was thinking I really want to get there so it’s just working hard, doing all those little bits extra that you can because you really want to get there and I guess it sort of just paid off in the end for me.”

Pre-season training is tough for any footballer and it’s no surprise that the 199cm ruckman found his first week physically taxing.

It’s the hard work that Crossley is putting in now that he hopes will hold him in good stead should he get an opportunity at any stage next season. 

“Pre-season you’re obviously aiming to play round one and try to put your best foot forward for that but if it takes time to develop you’ve got to be willing to work hard and wait for that opportunity to come.

“I think the programs that are put in place with the development you get from preseason, if I get my opportunity early in the season or late in the season I think I’ll definitely be ready to step up to that level.”