Gold Coast will not be afraid of matching any bid for star forward Ben King despite a looming salary cap squeeze.
King, who is one of six restricted free agents in the competition, has already been linked with Victorian powerhouses Collingwood and Hawthorn, but is tossing up a two-year extension at the Suns.
Given his restricted status, Gold Coast has the capacity to match any offer from a rival, potentially forcing a trade if the 25-year-old wants to leave.
However, dealing with the money tied up in stars Christian Petracca, Noah Anderson, Matt Rowell, Mac Andrew, Touk Miller and a host of emerging talent, as well as the 19 out-of-contract players, including King, it will be a fair juggling act.
Not too mention the key forward squeeze, with local products Jed Walter and Ethan Read coming through the ranks, while Jamarra Ugle-Hagan bides his time. Admittedly, King is first choice, which is why, according to the Herald Sun, that the Suns won't give in without a fight.
The Pies have gone on record they will attack the trade and free agency space in 2026, with CEO Craig Kelly also confirming earlier this month that: "We're better prepared. We've got a very clean TPP (Total Player Payments).
"We're in a great position. We get to train and play in one of the great locations of global sport. We've got a great coach. We've got a great board.
"We're a humble club that wants to keep getting better so of course we need to go after those sort of free agents."
The Hawks have also been thrown into the mix given their aggressive player acquisition stance since Sam Mitchell took over as senior coach, and would be willing to bolster their forward stocks with King.
King has quickly become one of the league's leading forwards, finishing second in last year's Coleman Medal race to Jeremy Cameron, and has begun 2026 brightly.
The Sandringham Dragons product has kicked 16 goals in three outings, including a seven-goal haul against Richmond in Round 2.
It comes not long after the AFL's free agency list was revealed, with Zak Butters and Zac Bailey facing similar decisions with multiple clubs circling.
The Suns have joined the Power in their desire to retain their star player, with Josh Carr saying on SEN the Alberton club won't just let him walk.
"It's about what we do for Zak. It's not about what we say externally, it's about how we look after Zak, and the culture we are building at this football club," Carr said.
"We've been vocal...and we've spoken about a number of different strategies with our list management, but at the same time, I think everyone knows where we sit with Zak - we're not just going to let him go.
"If he chose to leave us, then we know what that looks like, and we know that we will match anything."
Carlton lost out in the race for Tom De Koning's signature last year, with the ruckman opting to collect a massive payday from St Kilda.
