Lachlan Weller Biography

Lachie Weller receives the devastating news he will need to undergo a second knee reconstruction after injuring his ACL again.

Weller suffered the injury late in the round 17 loss to Port Adelaide, with the club initially resting him for Saturday's win over St Kilda, citing "swelling".

Lachie Weller says his career was at the crossroads after a 'stale' 2021 season.

"When you have talent you can get to 100 games quite easily and then there's that next step you've got to take and you've got to find something to make it to 200," he said.

"I felt like I was kind of at that crossroad. Having a really good chat at the end of the season and they (club) felt the same, that I needed to find something."

On the eve of his 100th game, Sun Lachie Weller speaks about his controversial move from Fremantle in 2017.

After 47 games over three seasons for Fremantle, Weller headed to the Suns in exchange for pick No.2, which turned into emerging Dockers midfielder Andrew Brayshaw. The deal was largely panned at the time, with the over-arching sentiment Gold Coast paid far too high a price.

"It definitely did (affect me). I was only 22 or 21, I was young and never really had that external pressure," Weller said.

"It's pretty hard to take as a young kid. It was something I had to deal with and I had really good people around me to guide me through it. I basically separated myself from the media in the end and focused on what I do best and what I could control."

Jarrod Harbrow is crowned Gold Coast's 2018 club champion.

Harbrow played all 22 games, averaged 22 disposals and was a constant barometer for energy and intensity in a backline that was often under pressure.

Harbrow polled 390 votes to finish in front of Touk Miller (351) and first-year recruit Lachie Weller (336).

Lachie Weller says text message exchange with his manager Tim Batty regarding a slate of negative media coverage on his form sparked a post-bye form surge.

After a slow start to his Suns career, the 22-year-old has been sensational in the past six weeks, polling AFL Coaches' Association votes in four games and capping the run with a 23-touch, two-goal outing in the Suns' upset win over Sydney.

"He said 'there's a heap of articles about you this week'. That sparked me a bit," Weller explained.

"I literally don't even turn the TV on, I don't know why I've got one. I didn't go looking (for the stories), but he told me what was happening."

Weller said he always put pressure on himself, but credited his improved play to smarter training in recent weeks.

"I've backed off a little bit at training and getting my body right and I've felt like I've had a lot more energy going into games," he said.

"I feel like I've got nothing to lose the rest of the year and will take it on, and that's my mindset now."

Lachie Weller says it has always been his dream to represent Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium.

"I remember being here for the first ever Suns game and watching Mav play," Weller said.

"It's pretty special now that I get to run out on Metricon in a Suns jersey.

"It's something I always actually thought of and it's finally come. I'm pretty excited."

Lachie Weller expects plenty of banter from his former teammates when he faces Fremantle for the first time since moving to Gold Coast.

"I'm really excited. It'll be good to see a few of the boys, but it's just another game of football," he said.

"It'll be a bit of fun, good to see them out there and see what chirp they throw at me."

Lachie Weller says the appointment of coach Stuart Dew was the driving force behind his move to play for Gold Coast.

"I think the club's been a little bit unsteady and I didn't really plan on coming back now, but the appointment of Stuey and Mark's (CEO Mark Evans) ... I had dinner with them and got a good feeling," Weller said.

The Suns gave up their No.2 pick in the upcoming draft for Weller and pick 41, with Fremantle not budging on their request despite several counter offers from Gold Coast.

Dew insists he is happy with the deal, given his demand for ready-made players in his first season at the helm and the club's acquisition of West Coast's future first round pick.

"The key objective was to get Lachie here and moving second-rounders into a future first(-round pick) was a key piece in the Lachie one, so we were rapt," Dew said.

"This was not a deal in isolation - across three years we'll have seven first-rounders and Lachie, who was a first rounder - you'd be negligent to look at it as a pure deal for (pick) two."

Lachie Weller is traded to Gold Coast in a last-minute deal that has netted Fremantle the second pick in the 2017 NAB AFL Draft.

"It had to be (pick No.2) for us. We wanted a pick inside our No.5, because he's a talented young player … it worked out well," Fremantle list manager Brad Lloyd said.

"It's an unbelievable opportunity to pick from the top end of the draft, that's where all the quality is and that's where our focus is."

Lachie Weller says he will be happy to remain a Docker if a deal can't be worked out between Fremantle and Gold Coast.

The Dockers have demanded pick No.2 from Gold Coast for Weller, insisting they will hold him to his contract if the Suns won't part with the prized selection.

"On the field I feel comfortable there, but it's more outside of football," Weller said.

"It's me, it's my girlfriend and there's a lot more to life than football and that's what's been the challenge for us and we've decided we want to go back.

"If it doesn't happen this year I'll play out next year."

Lachie Weller drops a bombshell, requesting a move to Gold Coast late in the 2017 trade period despite being contracted to Fremantle for 2018.

"It is essentially the go-home factor. Gold Coast is home for him, it's home for his long-time partner," Weller's manager Peter Blucher told NAB AFL Trade Radio.

"He was offered a four-year extension at Fremantle and that sort of put everything into perspective, that he didn't want to live in Perth for another five years. He wants to live on the Gold Coast.

"Quite quickly, he came to the realisation that it's not a case of if he comes home, it's a case of when he comes home, and he's just come to the view quickly that it's better to be now rather than later."

Lachie Weller credits Dockers coach Ross Lyon as the most important person in his development at AFL level since being drafted with pick No.13 in the 2014 Draft.

"He has probably been the most influential person so far since I've been here," Weller said.

"I'm learning a lot every day off him and really enjoying it.

"You sort of come out of juniors and you hunt the ball, but now you've got to learn it's a 360 (degree) game.

"I'm sort of learning about that, some of the decision making when you can't influence and stuff like that. So that's what I'm working on."

Lachie Weller is the 2016 round 12 NAB AFL Rising Star nominee after collecting 22 disposals and booting four goals in the Dockers' 83-point win over the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba.

Weller has played in every match so far this season.

Lachie Weller says he hopes to be a one-club player at Fremantle.

"I'm really happy, it's a great club and I want to play my whole career here," Weller said.

Weller said he had put some weight on during the pre-season in a bid to become stronger over the ball.

"You can't put the weight on really quickly. You can get injury-prone and things like that. I managed to put on a couple (of kilos) in the off-season and I'm happy with the weight at the moment," Weller said.

"I just think all AFL bodies out there now, they're hard and they're strong. It's a big focus for young players coming through the door."

Lachie Weller agrees to a new two-year contract with the Dockers.

"I'm keen to head to into the pre-season with the certainty of staying at Fremantle," Weller said.

"I've loved my time at the club. I can't wait to get into the pre-season and keep improving in every way. I'm still building my body and learning the physicality of AFL."

Lachlan Weller makes his AFL debut for Fremantle with 8 disposals (4 kicks and 4 handballs), 3 marks and 2 tackles in a 21-point win over GWS.

Lachlan Weller is selected with pick No.13 by Fremantle in the 2014 NAB AFL Draft.

"He's got really good speed, endurance, he can go overhead as well, but athletically he's very good as well and has a good sidestep and skills," Dockers general manager of player management Brad Lloyd said.

"He's a really nice kick of the footy and is a hard worker and quality person. He's going to come in and really love to train and do the work. He's got a fair bit going for him."

Lachie Weller, the younger brother of former Sun and current Saints midfielder Maverick, sits among the top handful of midfielders available in the 2014 draft pool.

He has gone through all the talent programs to this point: he captained the AIS-AFL Academy in level one and was a member of the team's leadership group this year, and played well last season for Queensland at the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships.