SHATTERED SUN:
WHY DEFENDER COULD GO FROM DELISTED TO DELIGHTED
MACKENZIE Willis says he felt blindsided by his axing at the Suns but holds hopes of continuing his AFL career elsewhere after fielding interest from multiple clubs ahead of the preseason draft.
The Southport Sharks could be the big winners if Willis isn’t picked up by another club , with the defender signing with the current NEAFL premiers.
Willis spent his final season at the Suns on the sideline after an ACL injury while playing for the club’s
NEAFL side in May. The 23year-old Tasmanian thought he would earn another deal in a year he bought a house on the Gold Coast.
“It was very tough,” Willis said. “It took me about a
month to even get my head around it before I started looking at my options.
“I decided to sign with Southport because they have a number of players with AFL experience and can help me before I go into the draft. I’ll go to this year’s draft and if I’m not successful I’ll go in next year’s.”
Sydney and Essendon are among the clubs that have expressed interest in Willis, while Fremantle and Collingwood have sounded out the free agent.
Southport football manager Jarrod Field said Willis added even more quality to a premiership team already strengthened by the signings of Matt Shaw and Tom Miller.
“Mackenzie … will slot into our backline well,” Field said.