It's been a tough weekend and season for Gold Coast, but the news that young gun Jed Walter is set to sign a three-year contract will make Suns fans' Sunday Scaries a little better.
The 21-year-old, who was born in Perth but raised on the Gold Coast, has been the subject of much trade speculation this season as he looks to cement a spot in the starting 23.
Clubs such as Essendon had put forward long and generous contracts in front of the emerging key forward; however, on Sunday, AFL.com.au reported that Walter is set to stay a Sun for the foreseeable future.
Walter, a Gold Coast Academy product who went pick two in the 2023 national draft, was due to run out of contract at the end of the year, but this new extension would see him tied to the Suns until the end of 2029.
The Bombers had offered upwards of a million dollars a season for six years, while other clubs such as Geelong, Collingwood and Hawthorn had strong interest in the 195cm mobile forward.
This announcement only adds to the intrigue of whether gun key forward Ben King will sign on at Gold Coast or request a trade back to Victoria.
It seemed Walter had been waiting to find out what King's plans were before making his own, given King's hold on the Suns' forward line, keeping Walter out of the side earlier in the year.
Gold Coast had been confident King would re-sign at the start of the season, but in recent weeks Hawthorn has emerged as a likely favourite to land the 202cm key forward.
The Suns have a jam-packed forward line in terms of key position talent, with King and Walter joined by Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Ethan Read in fighting for a spot in attack.
Walter is in the midst of a breakout season at Gold Coast and has been one of the few players to improve his standing in a run of seven consecutive losses.
He has kicked 23 goals from 12 games this season.
