When Damien Hardwick fronted the media for the first time officially as Gold Coast’s new coach, he was asked how much he knew about Jed Walter.
Hardwick laughed – then told reporters with a big beaming smile: “YouTube highlights, I tell you what.”
Walter didn’t see the shoutout from the triple premiership coach – and Walter’s soon-to-be AFL coach – live, but he was quickly informed about it.
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“I didn’t actually watch it, but a couple of mates sent me a video. That was pretty cool,” a smiling Walter told foxfooty.com.au at last month’s draft combine.
Hardwick isn’t the only one to have been left impressed by Walter, either after seeing him live or watching his performance back on video.
For there hasn’t been a key forward come through the talent pathway system like Walter, who some clubs would have above Harley Reid at the top of their draft boards this year.
It’s why the Suns are well prepared to match an inevitably early bid on Walter – Gold Coast’s top academy prospect – on the first night of the draft. While Reid should still be taken at Pick 1, most clubs expect Walter to attract a bid at Pick 2 and the Suns to match it.
Hardwick would then be Walter’s first AFL coach – a prospect the powerful goalkicker can’t wait for.
“I’ve spoken to him (Hardwick) briefly, not too much in detail, but he seems like a good fella,” Walter said.
“He’s an unreal coach. He coached Richmond to three premierships, so to play under him would be pretty surreal. It‘s such an exciting list on the Gold Coast … and it’s such a great lifestyle.
“If I could stay on the Goldy and play under ‘Dimma’, it’d be a perfect world.”
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When discussing the Suns, though, Walter speaks like he’s a Gold Coast AFL player already. After all, he’s been part of the club’s northern academy since he was 12 years old, which has ultimately led to playing with the Suns’ academy team in the Coates Talent League and getting an up-close view of how AFL players train and conducted themselves when using the Suns’ facilities.
“I think we‘ve got a really young AFL team,” Walter said. “Now that Dimma is at the club, I think he’s going to lead the Gold Coast Suns to hopefully a couple of premierships, like he did at Richmond. He’s an unreal coach – and it shows on his resume.
“A couple years ago, all the players wanted to leave. But now we‘ve got more and more staying – even the Victorians that get drafted up there – so I think it just shows that there’s a really good culture at the club.
“Now with Dimma, I think there‘s a bit of belief that they can make it at the top level and play well in September.”
Despite being a key forward, there’s an external view Walter could have an immediate impact at AFL level.
Walter was named in the Under 18 All-Australian team both last year and this year after two stunning campaigns for the Allies. He proved in 2022 that he could not only match it with players older than him, but he could also beat them.
And then there’s his already well-built frame. A genuine power forward who loves the physicality of the game, Walter recently weighed in at 97kg – he reckons he was in “the high 80s” 12 months ago – yet possesses dangerous speed that makes him a threat running back to goal.
But Walter insisted he was no walk-up Round 1 starter next year.
“This year I’ve put on a bit more size, had to work pretty hard in the gym. I‘ve had a good program that’s put me in really good stead for these high level years of footy,” Walter said.
“I mean, everyone says I’m ready-made, but I‘ve definitely got a lot more work to do. I think physically I’d be prepared for it. I think it’s just getting into the right system and then going from there.
“I’ve got a bit to work on just with sharpening my skills and even my strength. Everyone says I‘m physically developed, but I’ve definitely got a lot more strength stuff to work on. There’s heaps of different aspects of my game to work on.”
A draftee who crashes packs for fun, Walter has been a consistent goalkicker across every level he’s played in recent years.
He booted 11.10 from four games for the Allies this year after kicking nine in the same competition the previous year. And from his four Coates Talent League matches for the Gold Coast academy team this year, he booted 18.6, which included an eight-goal haul against the Northern Territory followed by a six-goal outing against the GWV Rebels.
Walter stands at 194cm yet plays as a genuine key forward, hence he looks up to back-to-back Coleman Medallist Charlie Curnow.
“I don’t think height is going to be a problem. As a role just that high half-forward, getting up the ground and working your defender – I might be too quick for my defender, so if I can get him on the lead and get him back to goal then using my athleticism to jump at the footy,” Walter said.
“I love Charlie Curnow … I watch him quite a bit and pick things out of his game and try to put them into my game.
“I‘ve done a bit of a player study on him, that’s for sure. Just where he goes on the ground, where the ball is, where he moves, when to go, when not to go, when to fly, when not to fly … just what he’s thinking and how he plays in similar situations I could get myself in during a game of footy.”
But what makes Walter one of the more unique draft prospects recruiters have seen for years is his willingness to apply jaw-dropping defensive pressure for a player of his size. One recruiter told foxfooty.com.au seeing Walter chase an opponent was like “watching a lion chase a zebra”.
Asked where his desire to tackle derives from, Walter said: “From such a young age I‘ve been really competitive. I’ve always hated losing – I was probably a bad loser when I was younger – but I’ve gotten older and matured. But seeing the ball, just wanting the ball and just getting it – just the competitiveness and never giving up.
“I think everyone says that it‘s weird a tall forward should do it and it’s up to the smalls, but I think if the talls do it, it’s helping out the team even more.
“Like I used to do running and when running races, I just hated losing.”
Walter, who grew up in WA before his family relocated to the Gold Coast when he was nine years old, loved footy as a kid but first had a crack multiple other sports, including athletics, cross-country, surf lifesaving and tennis.
In fact he didn’t start playing footy until Under 9s – and then he “didn‘t start going alright until Under 13s or 14s”.
“When I was younger, I was just a bit tall and lanky arms and legs going everywhere,” Walter said.
Now Walter is a beast – and ready to make a prompt impact under Hardwick’s new Suns regime.
