GOLD Coast talls Charlie Dixon, Rory Thompson and Zac Smith could become free agents at the end of next season after just six years in the AFL, while teammate Danny Stanley could become eligible after seven years' senior service at his second club.
 
Given free agency's minimum eligibility period is eight years and Gold Coast did not enter the competition until 2011, no other Suns will qualify until 2018 at the earliest.
 
However, AFL.com.au understands Dixon, Thompson and Smith will be deemed to have completed eight years at the Suns if they play there to the end of next season because they were eligible for the 2008 national draft but bypassed it to sign with Gold Coast.
 
Knowing that the Suns would only field a TAC Cup team in 2009 and a VFL team in 2010, the three Queenslanders were effectively putting their AFL careers on hold for two years.
 
But those two years' service outside the AFL will count towards the trio's free agency eligibility.
 
Former Magpie Stanley also played in the Suns' VFL team in 2010 after Gold Coast took him in the rookie draft at the end of 2009, with that year's service making him eligible for free agency in 2017 if he remains at the Suns.
 
Dixon, Thompson and Smith were among the first players to sign with Gold Coast as part of the club's initial local concession picks, at a time when the Suns were still bidding for an AFL licence.
 
Fellow Queenslander Dayne Beams was also heavily courted by the Suns in 2008, but opted to nominate for the draft and was selected by Collingwood at pick No.29.
 
In his first two seasons, Beams played 43 games and was a member of the Magpies' 2010 premiership team.
 
Dixon, Thompson and Smith had to wait until 2011 to make their AFL debuts.
 
All three foundation Suns are contracted to the end of this season, so could bypass free agency next year by re-signing with the club beyond 2016 or moving to a rival club.
 
However, they will become eligible if they sign one-year contract extensions this year.
 
Stanley is contracted at the Suns to the end of 2016 and would join the 2017 free agency pool if he signs a one-year extension.
 
Six other current Suns played in the club's 2010 VFL team but that year will not count towards their free agency service.
 
Five of those players – Brandon Matera, Trent McKenzie, Tom Nicholls, Matt Shaw and Luke Russell – were among the 17-year-old concession picks the Suns took ahead of the 2010 draft.
 
The other, David Swallow, would become the No.1 pick later that year but was given AFL permission to play for the Suns in the VFL ahead of the draft.
 
Given the 2010 draft was the first that all six players were eligible to enter, their Gold Coast careers are deemed to start from that time for free agency purposes.