Gold Coast Suns top draftee responds to warnings of poaching raids from rival clubs

GOLD Coast were warned not to go after South Australia’s top talent at the draft and brushed off rumours of managers telling players not to go to the Queensland club. Now the Suns top draft pick and South Australian Jack Lukosius has his say.

GOLD Coast’s top draft pick Jack Lukosius says he plans to be a loyal Suns player after the club ignored warnings by rival Adelaide clubs not to pick up South Australia’s best talent.

The Suns were bombarded with threats from rival clubs and managers leading into the draft who publicly declared players didn’t want to go to the Gold Coast and would be the target of poaching raids within the next couple of years.

Port Adelaide list manager Jason Cripps openly said Lukosius and fellow South Australian Izak Rankine, taken with pick 2 and 3 of the draft by Gold Coast on Thursday, would be among their wish list.

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It prompted Suns CEO Mark Evans to state the club would take managers to court if they were found to be telling players not to go to the Queensland club.

The detractors didn’t scare Gold Coast off and Lukosius said he would invest everything into the club.

“It’s a weird one for me (the threats),” Lukosius said.

“To go up (to Queensland) with my mate Izak is awesome. It’s an opportunity an AFL club and I’m really grateful for what I have been given by the Suns.

Number 2 draft pick Jack Lukosius of the Suns poses for a photograph during the 2018 AFL Draft at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, November 22, 2018. Picture: AAP Image, Daniel Pockett.

“I’m not going to take it for granted. I’d love to be a loyal player.

“I’ll be looking to get the absolute best out of myself and I can’t wait.

“(The warnings) are not bothering me at all. I was open to going anywhere. I knew a couple of months ago that I wasn’t going to stay in Adelaide and I was preparing for that most of the year.

“From what I have heard the Gold Coast is a great place to live.”

The Suns ability to draft Lukosius, Rankine and another South Australian in Jez McLennan, who they traded picks 27 and 32 to West Coast to get him at 23, could be critical in their ability to retain the trio in future years and avoid the home sickness that causes many to seek trades.

(L-R) Ben King, Jack Lukosius and Izak Rankine of the Suns pose for a photograph during the 2018 AFL Draft at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, November 22, 2018. Picture: AAP Image, Daniel Pockett.

“It will be great to have Izak up there early,” Lukosius said.

“We went to school together at Henley High School and it will be pretty exciting to have a great mate like up there.”

The duo are also friends with current Suns player Charlie Ballard, who played alongside the draftees at the under-18 national championships, while Rankine also knows state league recruit Chris Burgess.