IZAK Rankine is off to the Park Ridge Pirates and Ben King will spend time at the Pacific Pines Power as part of Gold Coast's push into the community following the bonanza of AFL in its region last year.
On Wednesday morning the Suns conducted a "junior draft" that saw male and female players from their senior lists snapped up by clubs throughout its Academy area.
Players will head to junior clubs on the Gold Coast, central and north Queensland as well as Darwin throughout the year to strengthen the Suns' ties with their community.
They'll conduct training clinics, work with coaches and send messages to their clubs throughout the year.
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"If you talk to any player, they remember the moment where they first met an AFL player who came down to their Auskick clinic or their club, and it has a profound impact," Gold Coast CEO Mark Evans said.
"It says if you stay around the community football pathway programs long enough, you have a chance to make it to the best level.
"On the Gold Coast you could be the next Connor Budarick or the next Serene Watson by continuing to participate at your local club.
"The more people that understand our game, the more people fall in love with the game, the more they fall in love with Izak Rankine or Ben King or Matt Rowell, the better it is for us as well, so it's a great partnership."
Where possible, Gold Coast made sure players who had history with a club were aligned with that club, like full-back Rory Thompson, who played for Southport as a junior.
Carrara vice-president Ben Allen said it was a great initiative that could have a long-lasting impact on juniors.
"What I think it does for the kids is give them someone to look up to," he said.
"It gives kids that extra lift sometimes. They might come to training and have had an average day and we've got some Suns players down here and it's an instant lift.
"It's an instant lift for the club and the coaches as well.
"Having the connection with the Suns and being just around the corner is fantastic."
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic interrupting football at all levels last year, head of AFL Queensland Trisha Squires said there was no sign of the game slowing down with a 15 per cent registration increase on the Gold Coast already.
"For every young footballer, it's aspiration," she said.
"I think that's what it's all about, it's about young kids seeing the players on the field but also feeling a part of the club, that it isn't unattainable.
"We do know the impact of having the elite game here last year has really helped that momentum in the state."
