Wilkinson, who has only been playing Australian football for two years, was a standout at the recent NAB AFL Draft Combine, where he blitzed both the speed and endurance tests.
The 18-year-old, from Elanora on the Gold Coast, loomed as a potential top-30 pick in next month's national draft, but with the Suns registering him as a zone selection he is taken out of the draft pool and Gold Coast does not have to use a draft pick to secure his talents.
"This means absolutely everything to me," the 186cm defender/midfielder told goldcoastfc.com.au.
"As soon as I started training with the (Gold Coast) I fell in love with the club and knew it was where I wanted to be. The boys, the coaching staff … everyone was just so supportive and it’s going to be an exciting place."
"I’m just looking to train as hard as I can over the pre-season, learn as much as I can, and see what happens during the NAB Cup."
Wilkinson captained Queensland at this year's NAB AFL Under-18 Championships but broke his collarbone three matches into the titles.
However, he had done enough to win an invite to train with the Suns, and his standout performance in Canberra earlier this month - where he set a new record for the 20m sprint (2.75 sec) and recorded an elite 15.3 beep test - secured his spot on the Suns' inaugural list alongside the likes of Gary Ablett and Karmichael Hunt.
