A prized round-one selection in this year’s national draft will have the Gold Coast SUNS benefit from having Geelong finish lower on the Premiership Ladder this season.

Gold Coast’s list & strategy manager Scott Clayton will once again walk into the Gold Coast Convention Centre with a bank of valuable draft choices at his disposals, including a first-round pick allocated immediately after the Cat’s first round selection.

The compensation pick, originally award to Geelong, was one of two given to the AFL powerhouse after Gary Ablett’s defection to the Gold Coast, but was traded back to the fledging club after former SUN Josh Caddy was traded to the Cat’s.

Clayton and recruiting manager, Dom Ambrogio, still retain a normal first-round selection in the opening draft order, meaning the club will boast two first round draft picks.

GC SUNS General Manager of Football Operations – Marcus Ashcroft told the Herald Sun the Gold Coast was not expecting last year’s Top 4 finalists to take their foot off the gas in 2014.

 “Obviously from our point of view the lower they finish the better it is for us, but you can’t see it happening because they have got a good coach and they have got a good team still,” he said.

“We had to activate it this year because it expires, but you try to leave it as late as you can. The last years they have finished higher than lower. They have been unbelievable. They have been able to sustain their success for a lot longer than most people thought.”

In October’s trade and exchange period the club also boosted it’s chances of recruiting future quality talent by securing a third round compensation pick, to also be used at this year’s national draft. 

West Coast’s compensation pick exchanged to the GC SUNS was originally acquired by trading pick No. 45 to Collingwood, after the Magpies received compensation for Josh Fraser’s defection to the Gold Coast.

Given the bizarre fall-out from the trades, the Gold Coast had been able keep both Fraser and Ablett, and still secure the picks they initially had to give up for them.

“Josh is now one of our development coaches, so both Gaz and Josh are with us and we get their picks back, which is good work from Scott (Clayton) and (fellow SUNS recruiter) Dom (Ambrogio) to get those picks back to the Gold Coast SUNS.

And next year our last compensation pick is the end of first-rounder so we get to use them the next two years.”