Jed Walter

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Jed Walter
Personal information
Full name Jed Walter
Nickname(s) Walt Disney[1]
Date of birth (2005-06-08) 8 June 2005 (age 18)
Place of birth Perth
Original team(s) Palm Beach Currumbin (QAFL) / Gold Coast Suns Academy (Talent League)
Draft No. 3, 2023 AFL draft
Height 195 cm (6 ft 5 in)
Weight 97 kg (214 lb)
Position(s) Key Forward
Club information
Current club Gold Coast
Number 17
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2024– Gold Coast 4 (4)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 6, 2024.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Jed Walter is a professional Australian rules footballer who was selected by Gold Coast as the number three pick in the 2023 AFL draft as the Suns matched North Melbourne's bid.[2]

Early life[edit]

Walter was born in South Perth[3] and spent the early years of his life in Western Australia before moving to the Gold Coast at nine years of age.[4] He began playing junior football for the first time shortly after arriving in Queensland when he signed up to play under-9s for the Palm Beach Currumbin Lions[5] alongside future Gold Coast Suns teammates Ethan Read and Will Graham.[6] He grew up a West Coast Eagles supporter but has stated that he always had a soft spot for the Gold Coast Suns throughout his upbringing.[7] He was educated at renowned sporting school Palm Beach Currumbin State High School and played a starring role in their 2022 AFL Queensland State Championship win.[8]

Walter was invited to take part in the Gold Coast Suns Academy at 12 years of age[9] and began gaining local prominence two months after his 13th birthday when he was awarded the Gold Coast Junior AFL U14s Player of the Year award in 2018.[10] A year later he was selected to represent Queensland as a bottom ager at the U15 Australian Football Championships and his strong performances in that carnival earned him selection as the centre half-forward in the U15 All-Australian team.[11] In July 2021, he made his senior QAFL debut for Palm Beach Currumbin a month after his 16th birthday and kicked two goals in an impressive performance.[12] In 2022, Walter was coached by newly arrived Palm Beach Currumbin teammate Liam Jones during his AFL hiatus in which he lived and played in southern Queensland.[13]

Walter was selected to represent the Allies as a bottom ager in the 2022 U18 National Championships and put together several dominant performances that led to him being named as the starting U18 All-Australian centre half-forward at the conclusion of the tournament.[14] He was considered a top draft prospect leading into the 2023 season and proved his worth by guiding the Allies to a historic first U18 National Championship win in which the team went undefeated and Walter was subsequently named as the starting U18 All-Australian centre half-forward for a second consecutive year.[15]

AFL career[edit]

Walter became the second Queensland product after Nick Riewoldt to be drafted with a top three draft selection when the Gold Coast Suns matched a pick three bid from North Melbourne in the 2023 AFL draft.[16] In January 2024, after impressing many onlookers during his first AFL pre-season, Walter broke his collarbone and subsequently missed the early rounds of the 2024 AFL season.[17] He made his AFL debut at 18 years of age in round 2 of the 2024 season against the Western Bulldogs in Ballarat.[18]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Jovanovski, Jack (2024-04-09). "'Bad news, you ain't getting back in': Brutal Dimma cull that'll be felt for years, and spark Suns rise". Fox Sports Australia. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  2. ^ Siracusa, Claire; Ward, Roy; McGowan, Marc (2023-11-22). "Every pick from the 2023 AFL's national, pre-season and rookie drafts". The Age. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  3. ^ "AFL Draft Podcast - Jed Walter". The Footy Yarn. 2023-11-14. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  4. ^ O'Neill, Jonathan (2023-05-10). ""I'm on the right path with the SUNS Academy," Walter". Gold Coast Suns. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  5. ^ Waterworth, Ben (2023-11-10). "Scary transformation behind draft beast who won over Dimma ... and could stun AFL". Fox Sports Australia. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
  6. ^ "Behind the Draft - Get to know Jed Walter". Gold Coast Suns. 2023-11-22. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
  7. ^ "How Gold Coast-bound forward Jed Walter could have landed at West Coast Eagles". The West Australian. 2023-11-18. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
  8. ^ "Nominations now open for 2024 StreetSmarts AFLQ Schools Cup". AFL Queensland. 2023-11-29. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  9. ^ "AFL Draft 2023: Meet Jed Walter, Gold Coast academy star". Herald Sun. 2023-11-19. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  10. ^ "2018 Gold Coast Juniors Gala Awards Night". AFL Queensland. 2018-08-31. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  11. ^ "Twelve Gold Coast players to watch at the AFL Queensland Schools Cup finals". Gold Coast Bulletin. 2023-10-18. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
  12. ^ "ROUND 15 v Sherwood Magpies - Congratulations to Jed Walter on his senior debut!". Palm Beach Currumbin Australian Football Club. 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  13. ^ "Jed Walter debut: How Liam Jones' QAFL generosity could come back to bite Bulldogs". CODE Sports. 2024-03-24. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  14. ^ "AFL Draft - The top 10 prospects for 2023". ESPN Australia. 2022-12-01. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  15. ^ "Allies dominate U18 All-Australian team after unbeaten carnivalfor 2023". Australian Football League. 2023-07-21. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
  16. ^ ""I'm on the right path with the SUNS Academy," Walter". Gold Coast Suns. 2023-05-10. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  17. ^ Gabelich, Josh (2024-01-29). "Sun down: Key forward hurt, will miss start of season". Australian Football League. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  18. ^ Whiting, Michael (2024-03-22). "'Let's just get him in there': Suns ready to unleash teen forward". Australian Football League. Retrieved 2024-03-22.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jed_Walter&oldid=1220199620"