Gold Coast SUNS Academy product Brad Scheer admits he was starting to get nervous when a bid didn’t come for him in the first 60 selections of Friday’s National Draft.

Projected to be in the draft range between picks 25 and 50, Scheer was eventually bid on by Geelong with their pick No. 67.

The SUNS List Management team happily matched the bid, despite not giving Scheer any indications prior to the draft they would take him.

“My arse was starting to go to sleep, it was a nervous wait but I was just hoping the last five years of the Academy they’ve seen enough and would hopefully in the end select me with their next pick,” Scheer told SUNS TV on Friday.

“I hadn’t really spoken to the SUNS privately except at the Combine so I wasn’t too sure really I was just hoping being around the club a lot, the people around the club would know me and just back myself in that really.”

The inside midfielder paid tribute to his time in the Academy, revealing it had helped fast track his development as a footballer.

“Definitely fast-tracked our development a hell of a lot,” Scheer said.

“Been there for the last five years and have been through some real good coaches with Aaron Rogers being a main mentor to me still to this day so they’ve definitely helped in being around the senior boys in the NEAFL the last two years.

“So that’s definitely fast tracked our development and got us in the position where we are now.”

On draft night, Scheer shared a special moment with fellow Academy graduate Jack Bowes, with the two embracing in the media area backstage when they saw each other for the first time as senior SUNS.

“The last five years I’ve been with Jack through the Queensland teams and Academy,” Scheer said.

“Grown to be best mates now so it was the best feeling when I saw him when I walked up here and I can’t wait to get started.”