WHEN young Adelaide defender Phil Davis announced his intention to sign with Greater Western Sydney last month, the Crows felt like they had lost a winning lottery ticket.

In their words, Davis was a “future captain” and, after three years of investment, they had a dividend of just 18 games to show for it.

The news came 12 months after another Crows defender made headlines for leaving South Australia and heading to an expansion club.

Nathan Bock made history this time last year when he became the first uncontracted player to publicly commit to Gold Coast.

He packed his bags, left behind a lifetime of memories in Adelaide and headed for the Sunshine State.

There was extra responsibility and a new lifestyle in one of Australia’s tourist hotspots, but it was a big gamble for the 2008 All-Australian centre half-back.

When Bock announced his decision, he had no senior teammates, an untried coach at AFL level in Guy McKenna and was heading to a market that wasn’t exactly a traditional one for Australian Football.

But he took the plunge, and after 21 rounds of the Suns’ inaugural season, both player and club could not be happier with the move.

Bock has been a tower of strength off the field with his leadership and, on the field, undoubtedly one of the best key defenders in the competition.

He said being the trailblazer for moving to the Suns was not easy, particularly when there were no guarantees about which players he would be lining up alongside.

“I’d spent so long with Adelaide. They’d given me the opportunity to play at AFL level and I grew up in the city, so it was always going to be a tough move,” Bock said.

“But it was an exciting opportunity to be part of a club that’s built from the ground.

“You hear rumours of other players potentially coming up and you sort of hope—especially when you hear about guys like Gary Ablett and (Michael) Rischitelli—they’re true and you can play with those experienced guys.

“I wouldn’t say I was concerned, but I was definitely hoping there was going to be some quality players up here to make that transition easier.”

Bock enjoyed a stellar 113-game stint for the Crows after joining the club as a rookie.

He started as a key forward and shot to prominence on debut when he kicked goals with his first two kicks, against Richmond in round five of the 2004 season.

But, over time, coach Neil Craig moved him to the backline, where he eventually starred at centre half-back, with Ben Rutten in the other key defensive post.

Read the full story in this week’s edition of the AFL Record, available at all grounds.