Joel Jeffrey's rise from talented youngster to the elite level in Australian football is set to continue when his Gold Coast SUNS make two trips to Darwin's TIO Stadium in May.
Born into a football family in 2002 in the same month his dad Russell, the former Geelong, St Kilda and Brisbane defender, coached NTFL side Palmerston to its second successive Premier League flag, Joel was the centre of attention in his first week of life.
His dad placed him in the premiership cup as a reminder his first son was headed on an elite football pathway and Joel did not disappoint.
His sister Lateesha and brothers Jordan, Julian and Jye have all played the game at the highest level in Darwin, Lateesha reaching the 150-game mark with Wanderers and Southern Districts in the Women's Premier League where she was a premiership player and later represented the Northern Territory.
Now 21, Joel recalled his formative years that had him handling a football at a young age before his junior years kicked off at the Palmerston Magpies.
"I can't remember exactly when I first picked up a footy, but it was at a very young age having dad around and footy fast becoming my favourite sport back then,'' he said.
His playing career began with the Magpies' under-12 side before moving through the ranks to U16 level and eventually taking his game to his dad's former side Wanderers.
Jeffrey played his first league game at aged 16 at the start of the 2018-19 NTFL season in a side that had just played in four successive grand finals against old rivals St Mary's.
"It was a pretty good side at Wanderers then and I played in the Allies side went to the U18 National Championships in Perth soon after,'' Jeffrey said.
"We played four games and lost three of them, but the one win we got was against Vic Metro who we were very happy to beat.''
A brief career with NT Thunder in the NEAFL followed before the SUNS secured Jeffrey through its Academy program at Christmas in 2020, a move that been stalled earlier in the year when the Covid 19 virus made its presence felt across the Australian landscape.
Leaving Darwin presented no problems for Jeffrey with the Gold Coast region no stranger to him after Thunder's matches in the NEAFL took him there in addition to training camps with the Academy program.
His four year stint with the AFL SUNS already includes a VFL flag after the club's disposal of hot favourites Werribee in the 2023 VFL Grand Final, but now he wants to focus on adding to a 16-game career in the red, blue and gold jumpers of the league side.
A 2022 AFL Rising Star nominee following a five-goal haul against the Western Bulldogs in only his sixth game for the club was an early indicator of his ability.
Knee surgery curtailed his '22 debut season and an eight-week injury enforced absence almost 12 months to the day in 2023 caused by stress fractures in a foot were big negatives for the springheeled Jeffrey.
All eyes in the SUNS playing ranks are on this year's back-to-back games in the Top End, with big names Matt Rowell, Noah Anderson, Touk Miller and big marking spearhead Ben King on board under new coach Damien Hardwick.
"We're all looking forward to playing in Darwin again and making it six wins from six up there since 2022,'' Jeffrey said.
"It's similar weather in Darwin to what we get down here and the boys love playing up there, which makes the games against North Melbourne (Saturday, May 11) and Geelong (Thursday, May 16) big games for us.''
The list of Territory players on the SUNS’ AFL list continues to grow, with Will Rowlands' drafting from Southern Districts last year making it seven from the Top End.
Jeffrey, Lloyd Johnston, Ben long, Jy Farrer, Malcolm Rosas, Sandy Brock and Rowlands make it a strong Territory flavour as the SUNS aspire to form a strong link with the Top End.
And for Jeffrey his own ambitions are simple, establishing himself in the senior side.
"I want to make this a big year in my career where I can concentrate on playing some consistent footy without any injuries,'' Jeffrey said.
"I love kicking goals as everyone knows, but running off half back seems to suit me where I can showcase my skills a lot more.
"Taking the game on and kicking the ball long or short are two of my big strengths and that fits in pretty well at half back.''
The SUNS open their season on March 9 with a home game against Richmond, ironically the side new coach Hardwick took charge of from 2010 until the middle of last season.
Hardwick was a three-time premiership coach at the Tigers, a record the SUNS players, officials and fans hopes transpires on the Gold Coast.
"Damien's been really good for us, he came through the door and made his mark straight away by bringing a lot of energy into the club,'' Jeffrey said.
"His message to the boys is having fun around the club and most importantly, playing good footy when it counts the most and that's on matchdays.''
The Gold Coast SUNS head back to TIO Stadium, Darwin in Round 9 and Round 10 of the 2024 Toyota AFL Premiership Season, head to Ticketek to secure your tickets today.