Ben Ainsworth’s journey from the country fields of Morwell to AFL stardom has come full circle. The 158-game Gold Coast Suns forward is now joining Carlton in a big trade for 2025. Ainsworth is known for being consistent, a good leader, and having a good sense of where to score. He is leaving the Suns as a life-member candidate and will play a key role with Curnow and McKay at IKON Park, adding grit, maturity, and class to the Blues’ forward line.
Early life and local roots
Ben Ainsworth grew up in Morwell, a small coal town in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley, before the bright lights of the AFL.
Ainsworth learned discipline at a club where friendship was more important than medals. He trained before dawn, worked shifts at the local gym, and kicked footies until the grass wore thin.
He often says that his hometown helped him stay strong through the ups and downs of professional football because it had a working-class spirit. That pride in where he came from drives him every time he puts on a guernsey.
Greatness in the Draft Year and a Top-Five Pick
Ainsworth’s rise continued with Gippsland Power, where he played both midfield and forward and averaged more than 20 disposals and two goals per game.
During the 2016 AFL Under-18 Championships for Vic Country, he showed the way again by winning clearances, taking contested marks, and scoring important goals against South Australia. Recruiters saw a small athlete who could jump and time better than players who were 10 centimeters taller.
He was a top-five lock because of his great performances, and the Gold Coast Suns took him with Pick 4 in the 2016 National Draft. This was the same class that gave us Jack Scrimshaw, Will Brodie, and Jack Bowes. Almost ten years later, Ainsworth is the only Suns player from that class who is still playing. This shows both his talent and his ability to stay in the game.
Instant Impact-First Appearance and Rising Star Award
In Round 1 of 2017, Ainsworth made his debut and scored two goals and set up several others in a polished first game. He was nominated for the AFL Rising Star award because he was confident and used the ball well. This showed that the Suns had found a real long-term player.
People quickly learned that he was brave in fights and had a natural sense of where to go. In 2018 and 2019, he had to deal with injuries that slowed him down, but he never lost his momentum. He finished 2019 with a career-high four-goal game that reminded everyone why he had been in the top five.
Becoming a Leader at the Suns
Ainsworth grew beyond just numbers on a stat sheet under Stuart Dew. He was the link between the midfield and the forward line. He was part leader and part mentor, teaching younger players like Bailey Humphrey and Joel Jeffrey how to be professional and consistent.
He was getting his first Brownlow votes by 2020, which showed that his influence went far beyond the forward pocket. He averaged more than 15 disposals per game the next season, which showed how easily he could push up the field and make chances for his teammates.
Breakout Season 2022 and a Long-Term Commitment
Ben Ainsworth became an elite small forward during the 2022 campaign.
He scored 25 goals and assisted on 26 others in 22 games, making him the third-best player in the AFL. He was very valuable because he could put pressure on the defense and affect the score at the same time.
The Suns gave that consistency a five-year extension through 2028 in 2023. Ainsworth thought about his journey with pride:
- “I grew up with this club and believe in where we’re going.” I want to help the Suns reach their full potential.
He was also the 13th player from the 2016 draft class to play 150 games, which shows how tough he is in one of the hardest places to play.
Form, Injury, and Return for 2024–25
The 2025 season started off with a small problem: he couldn’t play in Round 3 because of a tight quad. However, he came back a week later to play against Adelaide in his usual calm manner.
He played in every game over the next few months, averaging 13.4 disposals and 5.5 score involvements. He was one of the club’s best at making plays and putting pressure on the other team.
He was getting close to life membership by the middle of the year. Before his milestone, insiders from the Gold Coast said he was the second-youngest and most successful Sun player to reach 150 games, a record that showed how long he had been around and how well he led.
150 Games and a Big Family Event
Ainsworth’s 150th AFL game, which was against the Adelaide Crows at Adelaide Oval, was even more special. He was also about to become a first-time father with his partner Olivia, which made the event even more special for his family. The Suns were fighting for a top-six finish.
He joked during the week that a win might “qualify me for life membership—and maybe a few more nights of not sleeping after that.” The Suns had never beaten the Crows away (0-11 overall; Ainsworth himself 0-9), and even though they didn’t win, this milestone summed up a career defined by loyalty and hard work.
The Record QClash and Career-Best Form
The Suns’ historic 2025 win over the Brisbane Lions, their biggest ever, happened two weeks later.
Ainsworth scored three goals, set up a few more, and was named Austworld Player of the Round. It was a snapshot of his season: constant pressure from the front, smart positioning, and a contagious desire to win.
He has only missed 13 games in nine seasons, and he has never played fewer than 12 games in a year, which is a sign of a reliable professional.
Cultural ties and team spirit
Earlier that year, Ainsworth played a quiet but important part in Ben Long’s emotional goal celebration for the Tiwi Islands in Darwin. He joined in the moment that honored Long’s heritage after giving the assist.
- Ainsworth later said, “It was special to be a part of.” “Things like that remind us of what this club is all about: respect and connection.”
It was another reminder of how much he mattered as a teammate and a cultural bridge in the Suns’ changing identity.
First Finals and Professional Peak
Gold Coast’s 2025 campaign brought them their first-ever finals series, and Ainsworth was a big part of it, scoring a goal in each of the two matches and being one of their best pressure forwards.
He also got more Brownlow votes for his performances in Round 14 and Round 18, which shows that he consistently made an impact at the highest level of the game.
Commentators called him one of the league’s most balanced forwards because he was “smart, creative, unselfish, and clutch under pressure.”
The Trade Domino Falls
Even though he was under contract until 2028, Ainsworth’s continued success and Gold Coast’s renewed interest in Christian Petracca and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan made him a trade target. Rival teams knew that the Suns were having trouble in their forward half, so both Carlton and Essendon made early moves.
The tide turned by early October 2025. Carlton needed a small forward with experience to go along with its tall targets, and Ainsworth was a perfect fit.
Three-Club Deal Makes His Move Happen
A three-way trade between Carlton, Gold Coast, and Port Adelaide on October 9, 2025, ended weeks of rumors.
- Carlton got Ben Ainsworth and Pick 67.
- Gold Coast got Pick 29 from Port.
- Port Adelaide got Corey Durdin and Carlton’s second-round pick in 2026.
- Nick Austin, Carlton’s Head of List Management, praised the deal:
- “Ben fits the exact profile we’ve been looking for: he’s dynamic, smart about goals, puts the team first, and has proven himself at the highest level.”
Ainsworth wrote in his goodbye message:
- “Gold Coast will always mean a lot to me because that’s where I grew up as a person and a footballer. I’m proud of what we made.
Ben Ainsworth’s part in Navy Blue
Ainsworth will now play at IKON Park, where he will rotate through the forward line with Jesse Motlop and Orazio Fantasia. He will use his ground-level pressure and decision-making to free up Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay.
The move also brings him back together with McKay, who used to play for Gippsland Power. Their chemistry and different styles could make them a key part of Carlton’s 2026 attack.
Austin said:
- “His best football is still to come—his maturity and leadership will raise our forward standard right away.”
READ MORE : Worth the wait-Ben becomes a Blue
A History of Loyalty and Growth
Ben Ainsworth is one of the Suns’ most trusted and respected players. He scored 156 goals in 158 games. He has been in the top four in club goalkicking for four years in a row, has received internal leadership votes every year since 2021, and has helped the Suns go from being a rebuilding team to a finals contender.
Ainsworth’s story shows that you don’t need a lot of fanfare to build a lasting AFL legacy. He went from being a kid with a dream in Morwell to a father and leader in Metricon.
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