By Michael Whiting
Josh Caddy will decide on his future at the end of the season, but the Gold Coast midfielder is enjoying his time in Queensland more than ever.
Caddy, 19, is out of contract at the end of the season, and is the constant source of speculation on a possible return to his hometown of Melbourne.
After a nightmare 2011 ruined by injury, the former no.7 NAB AFL Draft pick asked for a trade, but the SUNS and Essendon could not agree to terms.
With his father ill with a heart condition, Caddy was homesick and wanting out.
Things appear to be slowly on the turn though, with the rugged midfielder playing all 14 games this season, including a standout 18-touch, three-goal performance against Geelong on Sunday.
Nothing's changed as yet. I know it sounds clichéd but I'm going to wait until the end of the year.
"My girlfriend moved up recently and my old man had his surgery during the week and everything's going good there, so everything seems to be going well, but I'll wait until the end of the year to make a decision.
"The longer you're here, it gets easier and you start to enjoy it more. We'll see what happens.
Caddy is the highest profile of the young SUNS yet to ink a contract extension after David Swallow and Harley Bennell signed-on longer term earlier this year.
Caddy was in the doldrums last season after a stress fracture in his foot cost him all but the final two games.
He has an old head on young shoulders and speaks as passionately about football as any of his teenage SUNS teammates.
After a slow start to 2012, the former Northern Knight has strung some good performances together and is averaging 17 disposals a match for the season.
It's a big turnaround from last year.
"It's no fun being injured," he said.
"As a kid I always dreamt of playing AFL footy. I've grown up with it.
Since I could walk I was kicking a footy so when I was having bad days, that's what I thought about, how lucky I was to still be on a list and fulfilling my dream even though I wasn't playing.
"I'm not happy that [injury] ever happened, but it made me appreciate being able to play."
Caddy is also a perfectionist. After playing one of his best games for the club against the Cats, he was still finding ways he and the team could improve.
"I didn't lay a tackle which I wasn't happy with, but I suppose it was a positive to kick a couple [of goals]," he said.
"You're never ever happy after a loss but I suppose … we kept coming and had that never-say-die attitude and that's something we can hang our hat on.
"Even though we've had a loss and that's unacceptable, we can at least walk away and say we had a crack right until the end."
