MATCH-shaping Gold Coast midfielder Alex Davies has likened his role against Brisbane on Saturday to that of a cycling "domestique".
Playing his first game of 2025, the 23-year-old was deployed by Damien Hardwick for two reasons – to hunt the ball and provide a layer of help for Matt Rowell.
Both boxes were ticked in glorious fashion, with Rowell shaking Josh Dunkley for the first time in their three years of battling to win the Marcus Ashcroft Medal and Davies gathering a career-high 30 disposals.
It was the first time Davies, from Cairns in Far North Queensland, had been on the right side of a QClash scoreboard.
He said the pre-match instructions from Hardwick were simple; to get from stoppage to stoppage, be a "beast" and back himself in.
"Inside mid is a pretty simple game, they don't complicate it," Davies said.
"It felt pretty good. I've been kind of just understanding the game more, my role, to help out 'Rowelly', but it's good to get 30.
"I've been in pretty good form, so it just flowed from the VFL to this. It's a big jump but it didn’t really feel like it."
During the first quarter in particular, Davies would go and body Dunkley at stoppages around the ground to try and free Rowell from the clutches of the Lions midfielder.
His 191cm frame is hard to shift, and it allowed Rowell enough space against Brisbane's on-ball brigade to rack up 37 touches that included 15 clearances.
Davies is a Tour de France fanatic, likening his role to that of a "domestique"; the cyclists on a team that sacrifice their own role to support the designated team captain who rides for victory.
"I can play my own game, but I'm just a big body that helps Rowelly.
"I've been watching the Tour. My sleep's been shocking," he joked.
With Touk Miller and Will Graham both on the cusp of returning from injury, Davies' role is no guaranteed, but he could not have done any more to impress Hardwick.
"Those bigger body mids who can cover ground like Alex are very very important," Hardwick said following the 66-point win.
"We are privileged and blessed to have some of the best in the competition. He is a player who is only starting to understand what he may be, and more importantly, starting to get an understanding of where he can end up."
