Brandon Ellis can help Gold Coast win more games in 2020, but there's something just as important he can help with off the field.
The SUNS are young – by any measure the youngest team in the competition – and full of polite, respectful and quietly spoken players.
That's not a bad thing at all, but there's something missing from the mix.
Alex Sexton loves to crack jokes, Izak Rankine is full of life and Josh Corbett is the group's 'Energiser Bunny'.
To use a loose term, there's not a lot of 'attitude', and coming off seven wins in the past two seasons, that's probably fair enough.
But that's where the two-time premiership Tiger can help out.
Ellis brings an edge, and confidence, to the SUNS that the club is lacking.
In his first photo shoot, Ellis was wearing Gold Coast's No.1 guernsey (the number didn't matter as no one would see the back) and cheekily walked past its owner Pearce Hanley and quipped, "this is the best this jumper has ever looked, Pearcey".
It drew a big laugh from the laidback Irishman.
Rugged midfielder Anthony Miles spent five seasons with Ellis at Richmond and told AFL.com.au the hard-running wingman would bring some much-wanted "energy" to the club.
"You've seen Richmond's change of approach, having fun and trying to make the best out of every situation, and I think he's brought that side here already," Miles said.
"His leadership now, even in the brief chats I've had, he's looking forward to that extra responsibility.
"Now he's in a situation where he's a real leader."
Ellis, 26, has gone from the mid-tier in terms of age at the Tigers to one of the oldest at the SUNS.
He has a great collection of talented, ultra-professional hard workers to impart knowledge on.
There's top-six draft picks Matt Rowell, Jack Lukosius and Ben King, the next tier of Jack Bowes and Ben Ainsworth, and 'young veterans' Touk Miller and Peter Wright, all so valuable to the club's future, but all with so much growth ahead.
"We've been doing more work on that space," Miles said.
"Guys being themselves and being more comfortable in the environment and that'll come with more time together.
"I'm not saying Brandon is arrogant in any way, but he's certainly not short on confidence, and I think that helps others to come out of themselves and he encourages that.
"He's loud, he's bubbly and he loves being up here."
Miles cited the Richmond leadership group of Trent Cotchin, Jack Riewoldt and now-retired Alex Rance as proof that diversity in personalities is a good thing at clubs.
"'Cotch' is reasonably quiet and goes about his business, Rancey's pretty out there and Jack's pretty serious and enjoys a good time as well," Miles said.
"They're all different, that good balance and having that mix is good for a playing group."
Ellis was a given a five-year contract to add outside run and pace to a blue-collar midfield, but he has an opportunity to impact in a much broader way.
