YOUNG Gold Coast forward Sam Day has extended his contract until the end of 2014, quashing speculation he may be traded to Adelaide.
Day was chosen at No.3 in the 2010 NAB AFL National Draft and has been linked with a return to his home state in exchange for Crows forward Kurt Tippett.
But the 19-year-old key forward said he was elated to be staying with the Suns for a further three seasons.
"It's good to have it locked away and I'll just be able to put my head down and focus on having a good pre-season and getting better," Day said.
"Obviously we were aware of the [trade] speculation. The coaches assured me if I was happy here, they wanted to keep me here and they see me as a long-term prospect.
"Hopefully I can do my part for the club over the next couple of years."
Day admitted to a dose of homesickness in his debut season but said the Suns were terrific in helping its young players adapt to a new environment.
He said he was intent on being part of a successful Gold Coast team in the future.
"I thought I was going to be a bit homesick at the start of the year but the club made it really easy and they accommodate you seeing girlfriends and family, which is really important to me," he said.
"It's been a really good first year that I've enjoyed more than I thought in terms of being homesick."
Day is an exciting tall forward who possesses a record-breaking leap - he beat West Coast's Nic Naitanui’s vertical jump standard by 3cms - and has strength, speed and agility to match.
He played seven games in his first season that was cut short by a knee injury suffered in round 15 against Fremantle.
Day has almost completed his rehabilitation from the injury and said he expected to join his teammates when pre-season training begins on October 24.
"I'm just looking forward to getting a full pre-season in," he said. "Injuries are part of sport but hopefully I've got mine out of the way.
"It's exciting times with the future of the club. We've got a great bunch of guys here so it's exciting for me and the club."
No trades are official until paperwork has been accepted by the AFL and formally recognised after 2pm on Monday, October 17.
Follow our complete coverage of the 2011 AFL exchange period from October 10-17. Join the AFL trade conversation on Twitter: use #tradeweek in your tweets.