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Suns on hunt for experienced AFL players

3 minute read

Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew says his AFL club will be on the hunt for some experienced players at season's end.

Suns coach STUART DEW smiles during a Gold Coast Suns AFL training session at Bond University AFL Field in Gold Coast, Australia.
Suns coach STUART DEW smiles during a Gold Coast Suns AFL training session at Bond University AFL Field in Gold Coast, Australia. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Hawthorn great Shaun Burgoyne "fits the bill" of Gold Coast's shopping list for experienced AFL players, according to Suns coach Stuart Dew.

But Dew says he's yet to approach his former premiership teammate Burgoyne, who is off-contract at Hawthorn at the end of the season.

"That type of player has premiership experience, clearly a lot of games experience," Dew told reporters on Thursday.

"But whether it's Shaun or other players, we're looking at different avenues in terms of what type of characters we want to bring into the footy club.

"I guess Shaun's name has been thrown up, that is because he clearly fits the bill.

"We haven't even spoken to Shaun ... there's a number of players out there but that will be a conversation fort the end of the year."

The 36-year-old Burgoyne is a four-time premiership player - a teammate of Dew's at Port Adelaide in their 2004 flag, then winning three more grand finals at the Hawks.

Dew wanted to lure experienced heads to the Suns, wo are languishing in last spot on the ladder after a dozen consecutive defeats.

The move would be similar to Brisbane's recruitment of Luke Hodge after the former Hawthorn captain initially announced his retirement in 2017.

"Certainly we would like to get some experience in the door but in the right way and the right type of characters," Dew said.

"At the end of the year we're looking to bring some experience in but also we will get picks like everyone else in the draft.

"With Hodgey, he has probably surprised himself, how he has gone.

"But it's not just the game day. If we do bring an older player in, we're not asking them to play 22 games.

"It's providing that support when we need it. When we say mature age, that could be 25, 26 (years old)."

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