Joel Jeffrey facts for kids

Joel Jeffrey (born 12 March 2002) is a professional Australian rules football player. He plays for the Gold Coast Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Joel Jeffrey's Early Life and Football Journey

Joel Jeffrey grew up in Darwin, Northern Territory. His family has Indigenous Australian roots from the Northern Territory and Queensland. Joel's father, Russell Jeffrey, was also a professional Australian rules footballer. Russell played for St Kilda and the Brisbane Bears. He later coached the Palmerston team to win two championships. Russell was even added to the AFLNT Hall of Fame.

Joel started playing junior football for Palmerston. He later joined the Wanderers Football Club. At just 16 years old, in 2018, he played his first senior game for Wanderers. In 2019, when he was 17, Joel made his senior debut for the NT Thunder. He even kicked a goal in his very first game. Joel was also chosen to play for the Allies team in the 2019 AFL Under 18 Championships. In December 2020, the Gold Coast Suns picked Joel to join their team.

Joel Jeffrey's AFL Career Highlights

Joel Jeffrey began his AFL journey playing for Gold Coast in the VFL in 2021. He once kicked a winning goal right after the siren sounded. This amazing moment helped his team beat the Sydney Swans. A month later, he had a fantastic game, kicking nine goals in the VFL. This great performance led to his first AFL game. He made his AFL debut against the Melbourne Demons.

In his sixth AFL game, Joel kicked five goals against the Western Bulldogs. One of these goals was so special it was nominated for Goal of the Year. He received a 2022 AFL Rising Star nomination for his excellent play.

In 2023, Joel was part of the Gold Coast team that won the VFL Grand Final. They defeated Werribee to become champions.

When a new coach, Damien Hardwick, joined the Suns, Joel started playing in a new position. He became a medium defender who helped move the ball out of defense. This change was very successful for him. In the 2024 season, he played his most AFL games in a single year, with 12 appearances. He also had a personal best game with 29 disposals against St Kilda in round 13. In 2025, Joel was honored by being selected for the Indigenous All-Stars team. He played against Fremantle in February, just like his father Russell did 31 years before him.

Joel Jeffrey's Career Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of 2024