Will Brodie Biography

Will Brodie returns to pre-season training in the best physical condition of his life, running a huge 30-second personal best in his 2km time trial.

"I've never been a gifted aerobic runner. It's something that's always been on the list to work on. Over the off-season we targeted that and narrowed the focus to get it as good as possible," Brodie said.

"We came up with a plan and I cut four or five kilos off. We ran over the off-season heaps. It was the main focus for me. To come back and get a good result was good reward for that effort."

Gold Coast has left the door open to trading Will Brodie who is still under contract but did not manage to play a senior game after the opening round of 2020.

"We understand also he's a really driven young man that wants to play AFL footy," Suns football manager Jon Haines said.

"In terms of this upcoming trade period, there's no doubt there'll probably be interest from other clubs in a player like Will, so we just need to see how that plays out. We believe in Will, we're committed to him."

Will Brodie, Darcy Macpherson, Jez McLennan and Caleb Graham re-sign with Gold Coast to remain at the club until the end of 2022.

Highly rated draft prospect Brodie Kemp looks set for a year on the sidelines after suffering a serious knee injury on the weekend.

The Bendigo Pioneers talent was playing at school level for Geelong Grammar when he went down with the injury, which has been confirmed as a tear to his anterior cruciate ligament.

Kemp, who shaped as a possible top-10 pick before the injury, is likely to have surgery in coming days.

Vic Country's talent pathways manager Lee Fraser said it was a blow for Kemp given the form he had produced in the national carnival.

"We thought his Under-18 championships was outstanding. He's able to play in all three areas of the ground and he was enormous for us," Fraser said.

"He's a great kid and he's got a lot of friends and family around him, so he'll have a lot of support in his rehab."

Gold Coast football boss Jon Haines says Will Brodie's emergence in the second half of the year is an example for the rest of the team.

After an inconsistent start to the 2018 season, Brodie broke back into the senior line-up in round 16 and put together a five-match stretch where he averaged 23 disposals (11 contested), 4.8 clearances, 4.4 tackles and 3.6 inside 50s.

"You've got a highly driven young man who's got all the attributes we're looking for in our young players, but he was having some challenges in what was required to play at AFL level," Haines said.

"I think the process all the coaches undertook with Will was a great case study in how to get the best out of young players – and we want to see more of that.

"The back half of Will's season this year showed he has all the attributes to be an elite inside midfielder.

"I saw him in the gym only the other day and he's looking in terrific condition. He's constantly communicating with Stuey that he can't wait for pre-season to start."

Will Brodie meets the challenge of Suns coach Stuart Dew to become more aggressive after registering 24 disposals and 29 pressure acts in his best game as a Sun against North Melbourne.

"It's exactly what we know he's capable of," Dew said.

"We've seen a real shift in intensity over the last couple of weeks and I think we rewarded his NEAFL form, and it was great to see him transfer that style of play to senior footy.

"I thought that was his best game of the year, NEAFL or AFL. I think he showed he can play with those guys if he delivers on what he's good at."

Gold Coast are hoping Will Brodie will be increasing his involvement in the Suns' midfield in 2018.

"Will's got some speed and can really work and he's starting to push that envelope a little bit more, so he's taken some strides forward," Gold Coast's head of development Shaun Hart said.

"He's starting to add another string to the bow and get a lot more footy on the outside and use his legs and not just be the guy who can mix it up on the inside and win the footy."

In an unprecedented move, Gold Coast has locked away its four top-10 picks from last year's NAB AFL Draft until the end of 2020.

Ben Ainsworth (number four selection), Will Brodie (seven), Jack Scrimshaw (nine) and Jack Bowes (10) each added two years to their initial deal in a coup for the club.

"From the moment we were drafted, the club and the players have been sensational, so it’s no surprise we all have jumped at the chance to extend our contracts to four years," Ainsworth said.

"The four of us have a close bond and we are rapt to make this statement together. We simply don’t want to be anywhere else. The Gold Coast is home."

Will Brodie is making it more and more difficult for Suns coach Rodney Eade to leave him out of Gold Coast's round one team.

For the second week running, Brodie put in a strong performance in Sunday's narrow JLT Community Series win over Essendon, kicking two goals and racking up 18 disposals.

"Young lads, it's a fairly hectic pace of the game in round one and round two, it's the quickest part of the year except for finals," Eade said.

"He's a tough player, he's going to be a really good player for us. If he does miss out, he's not far away."

Gold Coast select Will Brodie with pick No.9 in the 2016 National Draft.

"I know Ben Ainsworth was pretty happy that Will Brodie came out and Will’s really happy Ben was there. They’re very close through Vic Country," Gold Coast list manager Scott Clayton said.

"He’s a contested ball fanatic. He’s very tough and he’s probably a little bit of what we haven’t got.
"He’s a taller inside mid so he gets the ball a bit higher at stoppages and once again he’s also very, very ambitious and driven