By Michael Whiting

Nathan Ablett's career is again on the rocks after he was delisted by Gold Coast on Monday.

Ablett played just two matches in the GC SUNS inaugural season and was one of eight players delisted by the club.

The 25-year-old had to wait until round 22 to play his first match this season against Adelaide, and played the following week against Melbourne at the MCG where he kicked a goal.

Ablett was omitted from last Saturday's loss against Hawthorn, a move his older brother and Gold Coast captain Gary described as "disappointing".

Speaking of the decision on Monday, GC SUNS coach Guy McKenna was blunt in his assessment, saying he thought the game was too quick for the younger Ablett.

"In the games we saw this year it's certainly fair to say the game's sort of gobbled him up a bit," McKenna said.

"Whether he's going to get that speed back … time stands still for no-one and we have to move forward, and probably [in] another 12 months, we thought as a match committee, he wasn't going to be up to the level of speed.

"With where the game's gone to, we just didn't think he was going to be up to scratch, so we had to make that call."

Ablett retired at the end of the 2007 season after kicking three goals in Geelong's Grand Final win over Port Adelaide.

Ablett returned to football via AFLQ club Broadbeach in 2009, and was listed by the Suns for their 2010 season in the VFL.

Gold Coast offered Ablett a one-year contract for its debut season, but he struggled with injury and form.

Gary Ablett said one of the lures of coming to the GC SUNS was playing alongside his brother again, but not even the influence of the Brownlow medallist could save his younger sibling.

McKenna said he spoke to Gary on Monday morning.

"I'm sure that's upset Gaz, no doubt, he would have loved Nathan to be around," McKenna said.

"But he understands that, that's football, he's big enough and ugly enough to know that's how football clubs operate and survive and we move forward."

The contracts of fellow senior-listed players Michael Coad, Marc Lock, and Jack Stanlake were also not renewed, along with rookie-listed players Roland Ah Chee, Jake Crawford, Jack Stanley and Joel Tippett.

McKenna said the decision to leave out Lock – who captained the Suns' under-18 and VFL teams in 2009 and 2010 – was the toughest call.

"He was the face of the club up until Karmichael arrived and then Gary. He led us through the 18s really really well, was professional. [The] VFL last year was much the same. With the talent pool rising, opportunities were limited."

The news follows Daniel Harris' retirement last month.