AFL draft and trade: Hunt For The Gold Coast Suns’ Pick 4 Ramps Up
The Suns are willing to part with the choice because they know it is highly sought after. Find out what Gold Coast's fourth pick in the AFL draft means for Damien Hardwick and the rest of the team's priorities right now.
The opening of the AFL Trade Period on Monday will mark the beginning of Gold Coast Suns captain Damien Hardwick's quest for a premiership. At the same time, all eyes will turn to the Suns' prized position as the fourth overall draft pick.
It is already common knowledge that the Suns' first overall pick is up for grabs. This is due to the fact that the franchise needs to accumulate points in order to have a chance of successfully bidding on as many as four Academy players. These players include Jed Walter, Jake Rogers, Ethan Read, and Will Graham. The first three of these players are projected to be selected in the top 20.
During the 10-day trading window, it is quite likely that the Suns will sell the No. 4 pick to the Western Bulldogs, who are currently in the lead among a slew of potential buyers for the pick.
The Suns would be in a strong position to land their four Academy targets if they moved their No. 4 pick in exchange for a package that included the Bulldogs' Nos. 10, 17, and a future first-rounder pick.
Moving that first selection is the Suns' main priority, and they will approach the trade and draft period with a three-phase plan to submit a list of players who are ready for the playoffs to Hardwick before the first round of the next season.
FREE AGENCY
Unless an obvious promotion presents itself, Hardwick is not likely to go out and do some headhunting.
The three-time premiership coach thinks that "80 per cent" of the Suns' first premiership roster is already on the Gold Coast, and he would like to utilise the first year of his massive six-year deal to scout out those players.
Lachie Weller will miss the first half of next season while he recovers from a second ACL injury, so the restocking of defensive players is the only area of some concern.
The Suns are missing Weller's presence on the field, but with Connor Budarick's health improvement and Lloyd Johnston's development, they believe they can get by until Weller returns.
TRADE PERIOD
Mabior Chol, a forward who is currently out of favor, is being courted by a number of clubs and is considering a move as a result of the limited AFL opportunities that will be available to him at in 2023 and the impending arrival of Academy star Walter in the draft.
A move to Carlton, where he would be reunited with his brother Ollie, has been rumored as a potential destination for the former first-round pick Elijah Hollands, who is also on the trading block.
The Western Australian club that Jeremy Sharp calls home may yet show interest in signing him despite the fact that the winger spent all of the previous AFL season on the sidelines.
It is likely that Gold Coast won't make any announcements on its delistings until after the trade period has come to a close on October 18.
The Suns intend to enter the draft with five or six list spaces open so that they may make the most of the draft capital necessary to bid on their Academy players.
Connor Blakely and Charlie Constable's retirements free up two roster slots, and Jed Anderson's decision to take personal leave from the club in June means he won't be back for the upcoming year either.
If Chol and Hollands leave for draft picks, then two more roster places will become available.
Since Levi Casboult has not signed a contract for 2024, the former Blue and the club could mutually agree to delist him before the draft and then re-sign him afterward.
NATIONAL DRAFT
Despite the likely loss of the No. 4 pick, the Suns want to engage in additional draft-night maneuvering in order to strengthen their point total and increase their chances of winning a bid for Walter, Rogers, Read, or Graham before shifting their focus to 2024.
Gold Coast will be saving points for this year's draft, but they won't go crazy or they'll end up with too many extra picks they don't need.
The club has a good possibility of being in the same position in two years, as five Academy players were selected to the U16 All-Australian team this year.
This is also the beginning of future preparations for amassing a cash reserve suitable for capitalising on additional domestic talent.
The existing regulations around bidding on Academy players could be a stumbling block for the club.
Currently, a team that places in the top four can only match one bid outside of the top twenty.
A club can match two bids if it finishes between fifth and eighth on the ladder. If you happen to miss the finals, you are free to submit any bid you like.
Gold Coast's failure to make the top eight meant that all four of its Academy players would be available for match bids this season.
The Suns can run into trouble when the draft comes around in 2025 if Hardwick's ambition to make the playoffs every year starting next season pans out.
But if the master coach has already led the Suns to consecutive championship games, that might not be such a big deal.