Harris hits reset button on a welcome trip home
IT does not last long but a trip home to Cairns is a blessing in more ways than one for aspiring Aussie rules footballer Austin Harris.
The rising Gold Coast Suns talent returned home for a few days during a break between fixtures, allowing the
teenager time to catch up with friends and family in the midst of a hectic footy season.
A member of the Suns Academy squad alongside fellow Far North juniors Alex Davies, Connor Munro and Oakley Wallace, Harris has thrived in what could be his last year before the AFL Draft.
Harris made his VFL debut when he played for the Suns in April, and was rewarded for his form with selection in the NAB AFL Academy side which played Geelong’s VFL outfit in an exhibition game.
He’s also bounced between positions, spending time on the wing, at half-back and forward flank throughout the year, depending on which team he’s played with at the time.
“I’ve been chucked around all over the place,” Harris said.
“But the goal is just to get the body right every week, and develop the craft in a number of positions.”
Harris has no real preference in where he plays on the field, but the former Saints junior has put in significant work developing defensive ability.
And he’s looked to a fellow Far North product to do so.
“Jarrod Harbrow has been a big help, we did a lot of work in the preseason,” Harris said.
“If I based my game off anyone it would be (Adam) Saad. His aggression, the way he handles the one v ones...”
Border closures linked to Melbourne’s recent Covid outbreak and a gap in the schedule allowed Harris the opportunity to return to his home, but that didn’t mean a break in every sense of the word.
While frustrated at the gap in playing time - Harris and his teammates simply want to play footy - it was a chance to stop and take stock.
“It’s not the result any of us wanted, not being able to play, I came off a big stint,” he said.
“I had two weeks of flying in and out of the state, so it was a good chance to get home and see my family. The other boys didn’t like the break but it was good for me.
“I told the Suns I was heading home so they sorted out a running and strength program. I did that for a few days, but the whole focus of being in Cairns was to see family - I haven’t seen them for six months.”
This is shaping as an important season for Harris, who has been earmarked as a potential Gold Coast Suns pick in the AFL Draft later this year.
An All Australian when he was in the under-16s, Harris has long been considered one of the best young talents to watch from FNQ.
He relocated to the Gold Coast in 2019 to become a fulltime members of the Suns’ Academy, and if he plays to the level many believe he can he will surely be elevated to the Suns’ senior list for 2022.
He would join a number of fellow Far North products, including Davies, Harbrow, and Jack Bowes in the red and gold, but Harris hasn’t distracted himself with Draft talk.
“I haven’t put any thought to it yet,” Harris said of the AFL Draft. “I don’t really need to think about it.
“The AFL is obviously the end goal but I take it week by week and just work hard.”
Harris was on Wednesday named in the combined Allies squad for next month’s NAB AFL Under-19 Championships on the Gold Coast.