In this week’s special SUNS TV Feature Interview, List Manager Scott Clayton gives viewers a fascinating insight into the Gold Coast SUNS player management strategy, and explains why Guy McKenna and his coaching staff are positioned strongly in their quest for sustainable success.  

“Clearly we’ve done something so unique it has never been done before,” Clayton said.

“It is has been a balancing act in comparison to maintaining and developing our elite young talent and putting enough experience around them.”

And with the core of the club’s playing list stemming from the 2010 AFL National Draft, Clayton said the Gold Coasters had created a historic precedent in their recruitment policy.

“To set up a team from nothing has been extraordinary,” he said.

“We had our establishment rules which made us very reliant on one draft pool, all born in one year, that’s why the GWS mini-draft was one of our strategies as it allowed us to spread that age group better.”

And with teams now circling potential big-names through Free Agency, Clayton understands the importance re-signing young guns Dion Prestia, Zac Smith and Seb tape as rival clubs attempt to poach some of the Gold Coast’s young crop of talent. 

“Player retention is very important as we have a mean market out there that will try and benefit from us being in the competition and us having a list reducing in numbers,” he said.

“These are all the challenge we’ll be facing in the next few years.”

But with a record number of key re-signings at Metricon Stadium so far this year, Clayton is quietly confident the Gold Coast is taking strong strides in its reach towards 20-ONE-3.

 “We’re very well set up for the next three-five years, and while we still are yet to add young Jack Martin to the list, we also have some strong future currency owning three compensation picks and two players through the GWS mini-draft.

“We’re now in our third season in the competition and it’s clear we are starting to see the benefit of that now.”