GOLD Coast can fill the void left by star midfielders Jaeger O'Meara and Dion Prestia from within the club's talented ranks, emerging onballer Touk Miller says.
And Miller said the Suns are keen to "get around" skipper Gary Ablett after it was revealed the superstar was also open to leaving Gold Coast and returning to Geelong for personal reasons during the NAB AFL Trade Period.
Speaking after the Suns' first-to-fourth-year players came back for day one of pre-season training, Miller said he wasn't concerned that Prestia had defected to Richmond and O'Meara is now a Hawthorn player.
"If they don’t want to be up on the coast, and it is not for them, it is probably no use trying to have them around," he said.
"I think what we have got now, we are filling their shoes with what’s left.
"If they don’t want to be up here, they don’t want to be up here, so it’s their choice."
While O'Meara's loss won't be as keenly felt after he failed to play a game in the past two seasons, Prestia's departure will leave a gap in midfield.
But Miller said that would create opportunity for the likes of Jesse Lonergan, Brayden Fiorini and himself to fill the breach.
"I don't know if it's so much on my shoulders exactly, maybe the whole team and the whole midfield group to fill that hole," he said.
"It's big shoes to fill, but they can definitely be filled with what we've got."
Defender out of the Schade, back in the Suns
With two gun midfielders already walking out, the Suns quickly shutdown Ablett's query about a move back to Geelong.
The 32-year-old still has two more years left to run on his contract and Miller said the dual Brownlow medallist remained fully committed to Gold Coast.
"It is a tough one, he opened up and a natural reaction for the players was just to get around him," he said.
"We're here to be there for him and what's going on.
"I can’t really go into details about it because I don’t know them, but I know he is fully committed to the team and wants to come (back) for pre-season."
Miller was hesitant to declare the Suns' goal was to play finals next season, saying that it was more important to win back the respect of the competition and fans after finishing 15th and 16th in the past two injury-ravaged years.
And after averaging 21 touches in 18 games last season, the promising 20-year-old is aiming to take another step towards becoming an elite midfielder in 2017.
But Miller's preparation will be limited by a post-season ankle reconstruction, which will keep him on lighter duties until after the Christmas break.
