A lifelong Gold Coast SUNS fan who had been running around in Burleigh Bombers colours since he was five years old – it was only fitting that the SUNS would call out SIXT Player to Watch Beau Addinsall’s name at last year’s AFL Draft.

While Draft night brought about anticipation where a bid might come from an opposition side and if the SUNS would be in a position to match that bid for the StreetSmarts SUNS Academy talent, technology wasn’t doing its bit to ease those nerves for the then 18-year-old.

“It was actually a pretty hectic night. We tried to have it at my house, the draft. Mum had all the food and everything prepared for everyone, and then our TV didn’t turn it, we just couldn’t get it on,” Addinsall said.

“We had to go the sports club, which I didn’t really want to go to just because there were so many people – I missed Zeke [Uwland]’s pick, I missed Dylan [Patterson’s] pick. So we eventually ended up at my mate’s house.

“I had about ten mates there in the end, with a lot of family members and stuff too. When the SUNS read my name out, it was massive relief.”

Fellow graduate Jai Murray, who had been taken with just the pick prior and had similarly drawn a bid from West Coast, of which the SUNS also matched, lives just around the corner.

“I saw him that night after we’d both been selected. It was pretty sick, because we both didn’t know where we would be going, so to see him and both be staying here on the Gold Coast was awesome.”

Fast track another nine months since draft night, and the 19-year-old is finding himself as a SIXT Player to Watch, putting his best foot forward in pursuit of an AFL debut.

Known as a hard-running midfielder who wins plenty of the ball, he’s earned All Australian honours on several occasions as a junior and was a member of the Marsh AFL National Academy member in 2025.

A injury interrupted pre-season hasn’t helped, but Addinsall is making up for lost time with several strong performances at VFL level, most notably a career-best 29 disposals to go with a goal against Frankston in Round 8.

“We were very lucky to be invited to pre-season as 17-year-olds, so I think that made it a little bit easier for us, getting used to the intensity at the level,” Addinsall said.

“Having the injury setback was definitely tough, because I felt I'd put in a really good pre-season block, and I was looking forward to continuing off that into the start of the year, so to get a pretty serious injury was a tough few months, but it's good to be through that and back playing.

“The feedback I’m getting from the coaches is that they’re really enjoying my contested work. 

“That's where I'll be able to play at AFL level whenever the time is, so just continuing to develop in that area, and then also work on being able to fulfil other roles too. That’s probably the next level for me.”

He’s got a few prime exemplars to develop alongside every day.

“With the contest side of things, it’s hard to go past Rowelly [as someone to learn from]. His work and his craft, he’s someone I want to learn from, and then the likes of Touk [Miller] as well. I can learn from plenty from both of them,” Addinsall added.

The opportunity to break into the AFL side would bring about a heartwarming full circle moment with yet another product of both the StreetSmarts SUNS Academy and the Burleigh Bombers.

“I went to primary school with Leo [Lombard] and we both played for Burleigh together, I reckon we’d have been five years old when we both played together,” Addinsall added.

“He was no different to what he is now, just aggressive at the footy. That’d be a cool moment to play together at AFL level.”

If he’s not at the Austworld Centre, the 19-year-old says most of his time is taken up either at the beach, or like several of his teammates, on the golf course.

“Dad’s right into his surfing, but I’m not much of a surfer. I just like getting to the beach,” he said.

“With the golf, we haven’t been played able to play match with all the rain in the last few weeks.

“Jai [Murray], Koby [Coulson] and I all have Burleigh Golf Club membership so we try to get there as much as we can.

“My grandad always wanted me to play golf. When I was a kid I gave him nothing, but then by the time I was around 15 I started playing and he was like ‘I told you you’d want to play one day’ – I probably should have listened to him back then.”

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