A LATE rule tweak will see Gold Coast place gun Academy draftees Alex Davies and Joel Jeffrey on their primary list when they join the Suns next month.
The club has access to the talented pair under Academy rules, with the list concessions given to the club last year allowing them to automatically pre-list the players before the NAB AFL Draft and without having to match bids for them.
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Under last year's rules the Academy pick-ups were able to go straight onto the club's rookie list, as was the case with NAB AFL Rising Star nominee Connor Budarick last year, who was tipped as a top-30 pick but was listed as a rookie because of the pre-selections.
But the AFL last week clarified that this year Davies and Jeffrey, who are both considered first-round talents, would need to be listed on the club's primary list of 38.
The League's change is in keeping with where the duo's standing in the pool although did see the Suns have to push more senior-listed players back to the rookie list.
The club announced on Wednesday that Jarrod Harbrow, Jack Hombsch, Jordan Murdoch and Zac Smith will be put onto the Suns' rookie list, of which they are able to have nine category A rookies next year.
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The Suns are likely to take at least one more Academy prospect at this year's draft, with half-back Rhys Nicholls considered a likely addition, although other Academy pick-ups aside from Davies and Jeffrey can be listed as rookies.
Davies will add to the Suns' booming midfield stocks as a tall ball-winner with a basketball background, while the 192cm Jeffrey is a versatile and skilful prospect from Darwin.
