MATT Rowell and Noah Anderson being best friends was the perfect storm for Gold Coast, which selected the pair with the No.1 and No.2 picks in the opening round of this year's NAB AFL Draft. 

In applying to the AFL earlier this year for a priority pick at the top of the national draft, the wooden-spoon Suns knew they could package the Oakleigh Chargers pair with the top two picks if they received their wish.

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Some weeks later, the League decided the handout was necessary, gifting the club the two standout teenagers in the country.

And finally, that became official when the Suns picked Rowell, and then Anderson a few minutes later, at Marvel Stadium on Wednesday night.

Rowell and Anderson will be forever linked by their drafting to the club, as a symbol of the Suns entering their next phase and as key prospects in Gold Coast's bid to drag itself off the AFL canvas to be a player in this competition. 

Teammates, school mates and close mates heading to the same club at the top of the AFL draft is some story. But it's also worth pointing out this: if the Suns had only have held pick No.2, and Rowell was already off the board, they would have picked Anderson by himself.

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Anderson wasn't selected by the Suns because of his friendship with Rowell. He was picked at the No.2 choice because of his form over the past three years, where he has grown and developed into a future star in his own right. The 'mates factor' was incidental – a fortunate bonus but far from a crucial element.

In fact, in many other draft seasons Anderson would have vied more for the No.1 pick. He averaged 28 disposals and two goals a game for the Chargers, and was an All Australian for Vic Metro, which he skippered at the under-18 championships.

>> The 2019 NAB AFL Draft runs from November 27-28. Follow all the latest news in the draft hub

But Rowell's season was even better. He didn't have a lull at any stage, averaged 32 disposals and eight clearances for the Chargers, and won back-to-back best-afield medals in the under-18 Grand Final. There isn't a big game that Rowell didn't dominate.

The modest pair will take their skills to the Suns and should make an immediate impact. Rowell adds speed and stoppage class to their midfield unit, while Anderson's hard running and spread across the field means he should thrive from day one. They are also mature bodies for their age, prepared for the bash-and-crash of an AFL career.

Rowell and Anderson do most things together: socialise, play backyard cricket, train in the off-season, warm up before games, sit next to each other in meetings. But they bring different personalities to the Suns, with Anderson a more laidback character, while those close to him say Rowell has chilled out more off the field in recent years, having always been single-minded about his AFL goal.

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Both players joked prior to the draft that if they went interstate and lived together that the other "would be a pain in the arse".

The arrival of Rowell and Anderson adds to a Suns' midfield brigade that is building nicely.

Jack Bowes took great strides last season, Ben Ainsworth will push in there more in 2020, Will Brodie wants to make a spot his own, David Swallow's class is undoubted, Brayden Fiorini can deliver the ball and Izak Rankine will spin in there next season.

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They've also added Hugh Greenwood from the Crows and Brandon Ellis from Richmond during the off-season, and both of them will need to make an immediate impact at the club.

The pieces are coming together for the Suns, and it's now up to them to make them fit.

They can count on one thing: Rowell and Anderson won't leave anything in the tank.

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