Gold Coast’s List & Strategy Manager, Scott Clayton, won’t be looking for a particular type of player at next Thursday’s AFL National Draft; he’ll be simply choosing the best available talent on the board when the SUNS are on the clock.

At the 2013 draft, Clayton delivered Kade Kolodjashnij to the Gold Coast with pick five, matching then-coach Guy McKenna’s desire to add a rebounding half-back to the list.

However first and foremost, Kolodjashnij ticked all the boxes of an elite AFL footballer, a strategy the recruiting boss will stick to this year.

“We’ll be looking for elite players. That’s how we operate,” Clayton told The Gold Coast Bulletin.

“As much as you want to balance positions and leadership and that sort of stuff, our motto is elite players.

“There are lots of examples of going so specific for a certain sort of player and you let a star go by. You end up looking stupid.”

Armed with three picks inside the first 30, Clayton believes that this year’s draft will be wide open.

“This year’s draft is quite unpredictable, more than any time I can remember,” he said.

“It’s very even, it’s very open and there are going to be players picked who people don’t rate (and) vice versa.

“Sometimes you can nearly get consensus (across the clubs) on who are the top 10 or 12 players. This year you could have 20 players mentioned as a top 10 pick. It’s quite a tricky draft.

Despite this, the SUNS will be well prepared when they arrive at the Gold Coast Convention Centre next Thursday.

“Clearly we’ll have our order in mind and we’ll cross them off as they get picked before us.”