Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
Murray Wenzel

Humphrey's high standards as Sun aims for SCG impact

Bailey Humphrey is looking to increase his impact up forward for Gold Coast. (Dave Hunt/AAP PHOTOS)

Bailey Humphrey will trust that he's in the right place at the right time as he seeks to do more damage in Gold Coast's forward line.

It's something the second-year Sun reckons has been lacking so far in the four AFL games he's played under new coach Damien Hardwick.

But the 19-year-old is hopeful things are close to clicking in a new role the former Richmond premiership mentor likened to the one reserved for superstar Tiger Dustin Martin.

"At the moment I'm impacting a little more up the ground than inside 50, so I'm hoping to get a few more there to impact on the scoreboard," Humphrey told AAP ahead of Sunday's clash with Sydney.

"I haven't had the best start to the year. Me and Touk (Miller) are working pretty closely together and I'm slowly finding my feet and hopefully over the next few weeks things start clicking and I'll get back to my best footy.

"I go through a couple of lapses where I don't touch the ball as much as I'd like, hopefully I can even all my quarters out.

"But the last two games, there's been some good signs."

Humphrey's already made a habit of kicking sensational goals, managing 11 in total in an eye-catching 18-game rookie season.

He's kicked just one in four games this season despite averaging 13.25 disposals per game, about one more than last year.

"I know if I show up at the right spots the coaches set me to, I'm giving myself the best chance," he said.

"If I trust that and what the coaches are backing me in to do, I should be fine."

The trust is there in a new-look Suns team that's welcomed a fresh batch of rookies in key positions and sits at 3-2 ahead of Sunday's SCG encounter with the 4-1 Swans.

Sam Clohesy has flourished on a wing while Will Graham is moving through the midfield and Ethan Read is pushing forward to kick goals alongside the much-hyped Jed Walter.

Local product Jake Rogers will replace small forward Malcolm Rosas Jnr (hamstring) in the Suns' only change at the SCG, the fifth man to debut this season under Hardwick.

"I'm so happy for them but we didn't expect anything less," Humphrey said. 

"They were obviously ready and that's why they're in and that's one thing Dimma's really good at.

"You can get some first-years that are midfielders, but you start them as a forward because you don't think they're ready.

"It's so good to have such a high quality coach that backs you in. It makes you feel so good and you enjoy your footy."

Sam Wicks replaces Caleb Mitchell in the only change for the Swans while ruck Brodie Grundy will play his 200th AFL game.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.