For the first time in many years, Gold Coast does not have high quality young players it will need to find points for to match bids at the pointy end of the National Draft.
It gives the Suns the opportunity to use a top 10 pick on an open-pool prospect that best suits their list at an important juncture for a list which was billed as a top four fancy at the start of the season before a concerning late season slide.
Draft picks: 8, 81, 85, 103
All eyes will be on what Gold Coast do with Pick 8. For so long, the list management's team at the National Draft for the Suns has been moreso about getting calculators out to match bids rather than scouting talent but that will change this year.
With nothing between Picks 8 and 81 it is imperative the former is a hit.
It's also worth noting the Suns are every chance to place a bid on for either Caylen Murray, tied to Brisbane, or Ethan Matthews, tied to GWS before selecting as both will fall in this range.
GWS are exceptionally well-placed to match a bid, while Brisbane would be okay too if a bid came from the Suns.
List needs
Key forward: Granted, the club brought in Aidan Schubert after losing Ben King in the player movement period, but the cupboard looks bare for key-position stock. Jed Walter has shown promise spasmodically, while Ethan Read is potentially another but is not necessarily a key-position player you would want to build a forward line around. It's probably not the position they desperately need to fill with a young player but if there is a player they see as being a potential long-term anchor, welcoming him makes sense.
Key defender: If it is not a key forward, perhaps it is a key defender. Sam Collins has been the general in defence for so long, with Mac Andrew showing promise and Oscar Adams playing ahead of Charlie Ballard which has given the latter cause for consideration about his future. Of those names, outside of Collins, none inspire confidence they can be the main man of a backline, but rather supporting casts. So a player of that calibre could be a worthy inclusion - particularly in a draft class with many of those types of players.
Small forward: For the most part, Gold Coast's small forwards are all there in the short term as they acclimatise to the speed of AFL, with a desire to move into the midfield. It leaves them short of instinctive nous and means in the medium term, they will be scrounging around players who play arguably the most important position in the modern game. Since Izak Rankine's departure, it has been a clear area the Suns have needed to address.
Potential targets
Sam Gayfer: The clear best key forward in the draft, if the Suns are after a tall forward, Gayfer is their man and he is almost certain to still be on the board. Takes big marks, crashes packs and relishes being his team's barometer.
Tyson Bradley: If the Suns opt to address their key defensive need, they surely could not look past Tyson Bradley. That's provided Mitch Harris, the consensus best key defender, is off the board, as he is expected to be, with Melbourne, Sydney and potentially Richmond all potentially in the market for a key back ahead of Gold Coast. Bradley has been likened to Harris Andrews as an uber-competitive one-on-one matchup who is a general and sees the game well, answering some athleticism question marks at the National Combine. If not Bradley, Clancy Snell is another key back in the upper throngs of the draft.
Finlay Yeo: Most of the hyped small forwards will be off the table by Gold Coast's second selection and it is hard to see them using their top 10 pick on a small. But Yeo, a Fremantle Next Generation Academy member, could still be on the board and is one they could bid on. He's a high flyer who has had midfield exposure but at heart is a goalsneak. Zac Antonellos is another small forward in the later range who could be worth a look if a bid is matched.
