GOLD Coast could target key defenders from opposition clubs when it comes to settling its list for the 2011 season.

Football manager Marcus Ashcroft said the current list would be enriched by the addition of some taller key backline players, and the deficiencies could be filled by players whose AFL contracts were approaching an end in 2010.
Ashcroft would not be drawn on the club’s plans relating to 2009 Brownlow Medallist Gary Ablett - brother of Gold Coast recruit Nathan - who is entering the final year of his contract with Geelong. But he said the Gold Coast would be a tempting prospect for players such as Ablett as the club edged closer to its AFL debut.
“When they finish their AFL season this year, they’ve only got a couple of weeks and they’re into a pre-season for the inaugural year of the Gold Coast footy club,” Ashcroft said.
“For those types of players, it’s very real then, it’s not too far away. So I would imagine there would be a few players that would love to come up here given the opportunity that’s going to be presented when the team starts playing.”
Draft concessions enable Gold Coast to sign up to 16 uncontracted players in the 2010 post-season.
Gold Coast can also pre-list 10 players who had previously nominated for the AFL Draft, or were previously listed with an AFL club, during this period.
Ashcroft said the club, which currently has 31 contracted players, was looking to almost double its list in time for the 2011 season and would pursue the best talent available.
“This time next year the list will be 57. We’ve got a lot of places to fill and we want the best talent out there,” Ashcroft said.
“We’re able to start speaking with those [uncontracted] players from end of season up until the pre-season rookie draft - a six-week window. We’ve got no real chance of doing that until the end of the season - so that’s when we’ll do it.
“We want to make sure we get the very best that’s out of contract and we’ll speak with those players when the time comes.”
The 2010 pre-season and rookie draft enabled the Gold Coast to top up their list with some AFL experience ahead of its VFL entry, adding ex-Kangaroo Daniel Harris and former Collingwood duo Sam Iles and Daniel Stanley to the squad. Sturt key position player Michael Coad has also made the transition across form Adelaide with girlfriend in tow.
Ashcroft said Harris would form an integral part of the squad’s leadership group.
“He’s played almost 150 league games, so his experience will be invaluable,” Ashcroft said.
“In the next month or so you’ll really see those guys come to the fore because of their AFL experience. And quite a lot of our young kids are like sponges - they just want to soak up all the AFL experience that these guys have.”
By Chelsea Coffey, Courtesy afl.com.au