| Ethan Read | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Ethan Read | ||
| Nickname(s) | Creek, [1] The Unicorn [2] | ||
| Date of birth | 7 July 2005 | ||
| Place of birth | Gold Coast, Queensland | ||
| Original team(s) | Palm Beach Currumbin (QAFL) / Gold Coast Suns Academy (Talent League) | ||
| Draft | No. 9, 2023 AFL draft | ||
| Height | 202 cm (6 ft 8 in) | ||
| Weight | 92 kg (203 lb) | ||
| Position(s) | Ruck, Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Gold Coast | ||
| Number | 20 | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2024– | Gold Coast | 21 (20) | |
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 23, 2025. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Ethan Read is a professional Australian rules footballer who was selected by the Gold Coast Suns with the ninth pick in the 2023 AFL draft. [3]
Read was born and raised on the Gold Coast [4] where he attended St Andrews Lutheran College throughout his upbringing. [5] He began playing junior football at nine years of age when signed up to play for the Palm Beach Currumbin Lions alongside future AFL teammates Jed Walter and Will Graham. [6] Read joined the Gold Coast Suns Academy at 13 years of age, but was not considered a standout in his early teenage years. [7]
At 16 years of age, Read experienced an 11 cm growth spurt and he was subsequently put on the radar of several AFL teams due to his newly developed 200 cm frame. [8] The following year he received national exposure for the first time when as a bottom ager he was selected to represent the Allies several times in the U18 National Championships as well as the Gold Coast Suns Academy in the U19 Talent League. [9] His performances at the representative and club levels led to Read being placed in the AFL's 30-player National Academy program on the eve of his draft year and he was generally considered a second round draft prospect at the time. [10]
Read appeared in the Allies' first U18 National Championship win and his performances earned him the starting ruckman position in the 2023 U18 All-Australian team. [11] A month later he made his VFL debut for the Gold Coast, accruing 12 disposals and four behinds. [12] In mid-November, he finished second in the national combine 2km time trial by running a 5:56 and was rated as highly as the third best prospect in the 2023 draft pool by some recruiters. [13] A week later, he was drafted to his hometown team the Gold Coast Suns with pick 9 in the 2023 AFL draft after the Suns elected to match a bid from the Geelong Cats. [14] Read grew up supporting the Gold Coast Suns [15] and described being drafted to the club with his friends as a "dream come true". [16]
Read made his AFL debut for the Suns at 18 years of age in round 4 of the 2024 season against the Greater Western Sydney Giants in Mount Barker and kicked a goal in his first game. [17] In May 2024, Read extended his contract with the Suns until 2028. [18]
In round 21 of the 2025 AFL season Read kicked two goals to earn himself a nomination for the 2025 AFL rising star. [19]
G | Goals | K | Kicks | D | Disposals | T | Tackles |
B | Behinds | H | Handballs | M | Marks | H/O | Hit-outs |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | H/O | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | H/O | ||||
| 2024 | Gold Coast | 20 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 4.5 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 3.8 |
| Career | 4 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 4.5 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 3.8 | ||