While the rest of the AFL’s list strategists continue to manage and finalise their lists over the exchange period, Gold Coast SUNS master scout Scott Clayton and his recruiting experts are focused on adding more young, quality players through November’s national draft.

 “A lot of clubs are urgent at this time of the years in bringing forth change, but in our growth, we are in a period where we are really comfortable and it is very exciting,” Clayton said.

As part of the list concessions approved by the AFL, the GC SUNS started with 42 spots on the senior list in 2013, down six from their inaugural intake of 48.

And with the club set to have only 40 spots on offer next season, Clayton and his list management team have endured a relatively quiet exchange period, declaring the club wouldn’t stray away from its strategic plan of retaining and investing in its young core.  

 “Our list is reducing and we are really have been planned and methodically on what we are doing,” Clayton said.

“We’ve got three picks inside the 23, before they might get pushed back a little with compensation picks.”

Knowing AFL rivals from across the code would be lining up to snare the club’s developing young talent in it’s earlier years, Clayton – alongside GM of Football Operations Marcus Ashcroft, planned to ensure every player was given a genuine opportunity to taste success in the AFL – both on and off the field. 

“Our vision was always to try and deliver the best AFL program, facilities, coaching staff, welfare and development for our players and to be mindful of our responsibilities towards them,” he said.

“We didn’t want any of our players feeling as though they were not getting the best chance they could.”

“We knew part of our strategy entering the league in 2011 was to play as many players as we could, to identify our core group.”

When asked to compare star teenager Jack Martin to this year’s NAB AFL Rising Star Jaeger O’Meara, Clayton said the Club would be pleased if O’Meara’s fellow mini-draft graduate produced half the year he did.

“Jack is a very, very good player and what Jaeger had done is outstanding so to replicate that would be, ‘wow’,” he said.

“We certainly haven’t seen the best of the Jaeger, he is going to be 12-14 year player and we think Jack is going to be the same.”