THE EXPERIMENTING is over. Jack is back - as a forward.
After four seasons of being used in every line on the ground, Jack Lukosius will settle in attack for Gold Coast in 2023.
The SUNS saw enough in a disjointed 13 games last season from their former No.2 draft pick to lock him to the front half of the ground.
He will be part of a tall forward mix that has a plethora of options for coach Stuart Dew, with Ben King returning from a knee reconstruction, Levi Casboult and Mabior Chol fresh off career-best seasons, and Joel Jeffrey right in the frame with his athleticism and freakish goal sense.
Lukosius told AFL.com.au he excited to be playing in the position he was drafted in.
"It is where I want to play," he said.
"I think Dewy and the coaches want me to impact the game as much as I can.
"If that's in the front half of the ground, whether that's higher or deeper, to help us score, I think that'll help the team the most."
Lukosius, 22, started forward in 2019, but was played at half-back over the next couple of seasons to capitalise on his penetrating and incisive kicking.
He's also been used extensively on a wing, but despite some health and injury setbacks last year, showed enough to warrant more time forward of centre.
"I've faced plenty of inside 50s down back at times, ran up and down a wing all day lots of times defensively and learnt that side of the game as well, so I've got a pretty good perspective of it all," he said.
"Hopefully we're in a position where our mids are going to go alright and we're going to be in games.
"I think the big thing this year will be whether we can connect our chances going forward. Us front-half players have got to connect."
Lukosius is faster and stronger than ever and was excited about being part of a forward line that will also include Ben Ainsworth and some combination of Nick Holman, Sam Flanders, Mal Rosas jnr and Tom Berry.
"We're going to be potent for sure," he said.
"Whoever the front five or six are, are going to be dangerous one-on-one, and if we can combine and gel well and look after each other, we're going to be tough to play against."
