Gold Coast Suns confirm interest in midfielder as selection deadline looms

THE Suns have confirmed their interest in midfielder Sam Fletcher with the club still open to adding to their list ahead of Friday’s selection deadline.

THE Suns have confirmed their interest in midfielder Sam Fletcher with the club still open to adding to their list ahead of Friday’s selection deadline.

Gold Coast football manager Jon Haines didn’t rule out filling any of the three list positions they have available through the pre-season supplementary selection period (SSP) that concludes at the end of Friday.

Haines said former NAB AFL Academy member Sam Fletcher was among a group of players they had been scoping out following season-ending knee injuries to key defender Rory Thompson and Harrison Wigg.

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“With both Harrison and Rory going down with season-ending injuries we have been considering our options as to what might be best for us,” Haines said.

“We still have some time to work through that and we also have the mid-season draft to consider.

“We are doing some work in that space. We have been considering a number of players and Sam (Fletcher) is was one.

Vic Country representative Sam Fletcher is on the radar of the Gold Coast Suns. Picture: Robert Prezioso/AFL Media/Getty Images,

“He was highly regarded in last year’s draft and missed out but he is highly touted and has great character.”

Any players replacing Thompson and Wigg, who have become inactive but not yet put on the long term injury list, by Friday or through the mid-season draft will be rookie listed while the Suns third list position is also a rookie spot.

Fletcher, who took part in last year’s Victorian state combine, has been hampered by injury in recent seasons, including a lacerated kidney, but still managed to average 23.5 disposals for the Dandenong Stingrays in the TAC Cup in 2018.

Gold Coast bolstered their key position stocks at the end of 2018, leaving the door open to strengthening the depth of their midfield further.

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“We have got key position players, particularly in defence,” Haines said.

“We have guys on the list like Ben King and Caleb Graham who came through the draft, Sam Collins and Chris Burgess were recruited and Jack Hombsch through the trade period.

“We also have Charlie Ballard and Sam Day so we feel we are in reasonable shape there.

“We are keen to build our midfield through the normal process and expose some of our own guys like Ben Ainsworth and Wil Powell to the centre.”