Versatile Graham eyeing leap to AFL
WITH a few extra strings to his bow, Cairns junior Caleb Graham feels he is ready to make the jump into the AFL at next month’s draft.
If selected later this month, the athletic key defender would join AFL Cairns talents Jack Bowes and Jacob Heron, who have also been drafted over the last two seasons.
The Far North teenager completed his state combine testing earlier this month with other state screenings to be held this weekend in Perth and Adelaide.
“It was a great experience,” he said.
“We jumped on Marvel Stadium, the old name for Etihad Stadium, straight after the national combine boys and there was heaps of AFL recruiters in the stands and it was great to meet a few other footballers from other states.”
The Gold Coast Suns academy member has made his name as an intercept marking defender in years past, but has been thrown into the ruck and up forward in 2018, an experience in which Graham says he learnt plenty of new tricks.
He split his 2018 playing for the Suns in the NEAFL and WHAT’S NEXT?
Thursday, November 22, 7pm9.30pm: AFL Draft (Round One).
Friday, November 23, 10am1.30pm: AFL Draft (Round Two onwards to conclusion). 5pm: AFL Pre-Season Draft and AFL Rookie Draft. representing the Allies in division one of the national championships against the traditional footy states.
“It makes you a better all around player and does not limit you to playing one position,” Graham said. “Just look at Tom McDonald this year for Melbourne — he was a defender for years but he ended up being one of their leading goal kickers after moving forward.
“Being young like me, there is so much footy for me to play in the coming years and it is ideal that I would learn it now.”
Like Bowes and Heron before him, the Suns are in the box seat to pick up Graham through their academy bidding system across the draft options but Graham said he would be happy to move interstate if the Suns passed up on him. Outside of footy, the 18year-old is studying exercise science at Griffith University on the Gold Coast.