MACKENZIE WILLS HIS WAY TO SECOND CHANCE
MACKENZIE Willis is poised to be given a career lifeline by the Gold Coast Suns who plan to relist the young defender as a rookie.
Willis will get another chance to salvage his career in Queensland after failing to make an impact in his initial two years at the Suns.
The 22-year-old was one of nine players delisted by the Gold Coast on October 30 but Willis is back doing preseason with the first to four year players, who arrived back on Monday.
The Tasmanian has more at stake than any other player this summer.
While others fight for a spot in the top 22, Willis will focused on making it on to the list.
His position isn't guaranteed and with three weeks until the rookie draft, to be held on November 27, Willis will need to use every available session to convince the Suns he is worth taking another shot on.
Willis was taken at pick 52 of the 2015 draft by the Gold Coast and the 182cm player forged his way on the list as a halfback.
But he was stuck behind the likes of Jarrod Harbrow, Pearce Hanley, Adam Saad, Kade Kolodjashnij, Sean Lemmens and Jack Bowes who were all used in the backline ahead of him.
Willis was left to craft his game with Gold Coast’s NEAFL side and was frequently among the team’s best throughout the past two seasons under former reserves coach Stephen Daniel.
The three players taken before Willis in the 2015 draft by the Suns have gone on to play varying amounts of AFL football including Callum Ah Chee (pick 8, 30 games), Brayden Fiorini (pick 20, 15 games) and Josh Schoenfeld (pick 34, eight games).