ON THE field, Alex Davies is playing a crucial role for Gold Coast, but off it, he’ll tell you he has a job more important than anything captain Noah Anderson does.

Davies is the club’s ‘Fines Master’, the man responsible for dishing out and collecting fines from teammates for indiscretions around the club.

It’s a job that fits his creative, humorous personality, and yet is directly opposed to his bulldozing, no-nonsense playing style.

Davies makes his teammates laugh. Whether it’s answering a Damien Hardwick question in a team meeting in Japanese (his mother’s native tongue) or accidentally flicking a water bottle into the face of Zeke Uwland during the team song of the teenager’s first victory.

“I’m pretty unpredictable,” Davies told AFL.com.au with a chuckle.

“The boys wouldn’t know what’s going to come out of my mouth next or what they’re going to get. I have fun. I’m never too serious.”

Davies is now in his sixth season at the Suns and has been around the club much longer after being identified by its Academy as a 14-year-old.

At the time, he had a decision to make. Basketball or football? Living in Cairns, Davies said it became a “no brainer” to move to the Gold Coast for the final two years of school, following in the footsteps of Jack Bowes and Caleb Graham, who both hailed from the same North Queensland city.

He liked the physicality of footy too, joking that he would regularly foul out on the basketball court.

It was a move his parents, Mikiko and Adam, were excited to see their son explore, knowing he had to move away to get the quality training, competition and guidance the Academy could provide.

You don’t need to look far to see where Davies gets his sense of adventure from.

Adam, born in Tasmania, was part of Australia’s Special Air Service in his younger days before moving on from the military once Alex and his older sisters Lea and Mai were born.

He switched to the more conservative pursuit of skydiving, having now completed over 20,000 jumps, five of which have seen him land in People First Stadium with a game ball pre-match.

“I’ve never jumped,” Alex said.

“Dad comes home with sore knees and back. I’m not worried about the jump, it’s more the ankles and knees.

“I’m on the fringe (of the team) at the moment. I’ve got a spot, so I don’t want any excuse to lose it. I’ll do it one day, but not now, haha!”

Although he hasn’t followed in his dad’s footsteps just yet, Davies has a plan post-footy career, having got towards the back end of acquiring his Private Pilot Licence before recently putting the studies on hold.

"You need to do three and four-hour flights. I just couldn’t balance it all and would rather do it when I have a full hit at it," he said.

“I’ve still got a lot of work ahead of me, but I’ve got a taste of it and really enjoy it.

“It’s a great Plan B, but at the moment Plan A is going pretty well.”

Having played 42 games since being drafted in 2020, Davies has always been a fringe player, but cemented a spot on the run to Gold Coast’s historic maiden finals campaign last year.

Hardwick initially installed him as a physical enforcer of sorts, someone capable of winning his own ball, but also using his presence to clear space for Anderson, Matt Rowell and Touk Miller.

The first two games of this season have been more of the same, with Sunday’s 25 disposals against West Coast in just 62 per cent of game-time an eye-catching performance.

With the extra player on the interchange bench, Davies is being used in bursts.

“I just found a role that fits my gamestyle,” he said.

“It’s just something clear to focus on every week. A bit of inside grunt, helping out, put the body on the line.

“It won’t always equal disposals, maybe it’s forcing turnovers in the middle of the ground and getting the ball going our way.

“I’ve found a little niche I can fit in and make an impact.”

Which brings us back to his off-field impact as the Fines Master. Handed the reins over the off-season, Davies has made it his own, adding his usual flair to the description of the role.

“It’s probably a bigger role than 'Noz' (Anderson) at the moment,” he laughed.

“It gives you something to focus on other than footy.

“I get a lot of text messages from everyone trying to fine other. It’s annoying.

"Some of it’s not funny. Someone like (Sam) Collins texts me every day.

“They passed it on to me at the start of the year to see what I could do with it. I’ve done well. I’ve already raised a bit of money and I’ve got plans in the works.”

Davies says he has “full creative control” on the punishments, which wasn’t good for the younger Uwland recently.

“I had Zeke mow Dave Swallow’s lawn,” he said.

“He got the Fine of the Week and you can pay yourself out of it or there’s a different punishment every week.

“Dave Swallow’s got a big property in Tallebudgera, so he had to mow that.

“The boys love it. It’s been fun. It does take a bit of time up, but it’s a good laugh.”